Articles

WBOP Minden Zone (August 2011)

Lifestyle subdivision for minden zone

After a long process involving many submissions and several Council Hearings the Minden Lifestyle Zone in the Western Bay is nearing fruition.  The next step is for Council to announce the final structure plan which dictates the pattern of new roading, walkways and services.  That announcement is imminent.

From the time Western Bay District Council first notified the structure plan there have been some major changes proposed.  Many of these will be incorporated into the final layout.   The network of walkways and bridle paths has been rationalised somewhat and it has been clarified that Council will fund most of the new road connections from development impact fees.

Of note is the relaxation of the number of new building sites allowed in 'Stage 1' of the zone.  Some areas around the Ainsworth Road area and the Munro / Te Puna Quarry / I'Anson Road areas look set to be allowed to progress to full development, whilst the Minden Road catchment will have significantly more sites available.  The full development of this area will not happen until improvements to State Highway access are implemented.

We are unlikely to see more than a small number of subdivisions take place in the 'Stage 2' area – accessed from Wairoa Road - until these highway improvements are completed.  This may not happen until the Tauranga Northern Link is built, and who knows when that will be.  In the mean time there may be less than 20 subdivisions approved.  At the last hearing Council were suggesting only 30 lots be allowed in this area which includes all of Oliver, Hakao and Vernon Roads and significant portions of Wairoa, Crawford and Junction Roads.

Subdivisions throughout the Minden zone are required to be carried out in conjunction with either the protection of an ecological feature, the amalgamation of two existing lots or by transferring a subdivision right that existed under the previous District Plan.  The ecological feature could be on site but in most cases the landowner will need to purchase a right from someone else that has protected a feature on their property, which could be located anywhere at all in the District.

Several properties have structure plan walkways or bridleways shown on their properties.  The rules will provide 'subdivision credits' to those properties, meaning that owners don't have to buy as many development rights in order to carry out their subdivision.  Also lots will be allowed down to 2,500 square metres in some cases.

If you are interested and wish to call me I am happy to share my experience and insight into these developing rules to see how you may benefit from them.

Brent Trail, Managing Director of Surveying Services, specialises in resource consent applications for subdivisions across the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Coromandel.  For further information call 0800 268 632 or email btrail@surveyingservices.co.nz