Rodney District Council released a proposed variation to its District Plan which would allow for the staged development of 1,100 new residential sections in Huapai North. Consultation on Variation 127 - Huapai North has now closed. Submission hearings on the Variation will be held on 15 and 17 September. The agenda for the hearings will be accessible online shortly before the meeting.
Growth in the west of Rodney has been limited until now by the lack of availability of a public wastewater system. Watercare Services will provide a public wastewater system to residents in Kumeu – Huapai and Riverhead from December 2011 which will enable development in these towns to occur. More information about wastewater services for Kumeu - Huapai and Riverhead is available online.
Under the changes notified as part of the District Plan Variation, new residential properties will need to connect to the public wastewater system to ensure that public health and environmental problems do not arise as result of development.
The proposed changes to the District Plan will accommodate the population growth expected in Western Rodney. The changes propose that approximately 90 hectares of ‘future urban’ zoned land be rezoned to residential land in Huapai North. The Variation also proposes to provide for a small area of local shops. The variation aims to protect and maintain the character of the existing environment. One of the key supporting documents is the Kumeu Kaipara Integrated Catchment Management Plan.
Settlement of the Riverhead District Plan Appeals
As a result of Environment Court consent orders, Riverhead now has new medium-intensity residential zones in the north and south areas of the township. These areas were defined in the Riverhead Structure Plan and can be viewed as part of the District Plan.
Background to the District Plan Changes
Development in the Kumeu -Huapai and Riverhead areas is guided by Vision Rodney and by the Kumeu-Huapai Central Area Plan and the Riverhead Structure Plan.
Kumeu Huapai has been identified as a significant growth node in the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy since 1999. The Auckland Regional Policy Statement, the Regional Growth Strategy and the Northern and Western Sectors Agreement, have guided the development of the Central Area Plan and Riverhead Structure Plan.
In May 2009, the Council held a series of public open days to obtain the views of the Kumeu - Huapai community about how the area should be developed in the future. Over 150 people attended the open days.
The feedback about the proposals presented at the open days for Huapai North was generally positive, but the Council undertook to investigate a number of issues when the Variation was prepared. The
report presented to the Council on 30 July 2009 to consider submissions on Huapai North is available here.
Huapai South Business Park and Countryside Living (Town) Area
The Council is currently preparing a further Variation for Huapai South to rezone some land currently zoned future urban to a business park and countryside living (town) zoning.
The Council consulted the community to help prepare an Urban Design Plan for Huapai South which set out an overall vision for how the area could be developed in the future. This plan was adopted by the Council in 2009 and can be downloaded below in two parts:
A copy of the report presented to the Council on 30 July 2009 to consider submissions on Huapai South is available here.
The Council is proposing to undertake further consultation before public notification of the variations.
