Roundabout Exit To Nowhere: Why This Land Remains In Limbo

Tuesday, 24 December 2024, 8:08 pm
Article: Linda Hall - Local Democracy Reporter

There's a roundabout in Hastings at the intersection of two busy arterial roads - Pakowhai and Evenden - which has an odd dead-end exit.

Over a fence there are two blocks of land side by side, 1411 and 1403 Pakowhai Rd, a 3-hectare site that, if it could ever be developed upon, would be highly sought after by commercial tenants.

Title information indicates that the land is owned by Australian garden and homeware giant Bunnings.

It purchased the land in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

The hardware chain was planning to build a 10,263sqm warehouse store but opposition from city centre retailers, residents and fruit growers stymied its plans to build on what they described as some of the best fertile land in the region.

But Bunnings kept the land anyway. The rates it has paid for both the sites in roughly 15 years has so far cost the company more than $60,000.

A spokesperson for Bunnings said following the purchase of land at Pakowhai Rd, Hastings, its application to build a new store was unsuccessful.

"We follow all required council approval processes when seeking to build any store in our network.

"We are continuing to explore options to provide an improved offer of home improvement products to the Hastings area."

The spokesperson said the land was previously owned by multiple owners.

Hastings District Council initially declined the application by the Australian-owned chain and the matter went to an independent commissioner's hearing in 2009.

Commissioners rejected Bunnings' application to build saying, "The development would adversely affect the productive soils as it was a significant industrial building" and that "the development was contrary to Hastings District Council's objectives and policies under the District Plan which provides for the sustainable management of the Heretaunga Plains".

But Bunnings wasn't going down without a fight, appealing the decision.

In 2011 the Environment Court turned down the appeal and Bunnings was left with 3ha of land which 15 years later is still Plains Production Zone, which recognises its growing power.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the council is required to conduct a business capacity assessment every three years under the National Policy for Urban Development.

"The most recent assessment was undertaken in 2022/23, and this will feed into the Future Development Strategy," Mayor Hazlehurst said.

"It showed there is enough zoned land for redevelopment to meet our business/commercial needs.

"Businesses that require particularly large commercial areas may have to look at repurposing existing commercial land, creating higher density developments that don't encroach on our growing soils."

She said looking ahead, the Future Development Strategy would guide the location of urban, industrial and commercial development in Hastings and Napier over the next 30 years.

"It will also ensure development areas are available to meet projected residential and business opportunities.

"We are a food-producing district and an export economy. It's critically important we protect our fertile plains production areas for the ongoing success and the welbeing of our region," Mayor Hazlehurst said.

A Hastings District Council planner said that just because land is zoned Plains Production it doesn't mean that it will never be built on.

"People can make plan change requests to change the zoning of the land but the National Policy Statement - Highly Productive Land puts some pretty strong policy in place to guide council in its decision making on such requests," the spokesperson said.

"Councils can alter the zoning of the land if they have identified that it is necessary to provide for the housing and business needs of the district - this is to meet the objectives of the NPS- Urban Development which requires Councils to provide enough zoned land to meet those housing needs."

Only time will tell if the roundabout exit to nowhere eventually leads to somewhere.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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