PUBLIC FORUM
3.1 PROPOSED HGI DISTRICT PLAN – ALAN GRAY, HELEN O'SHEA, DI SIMPSON,
SEAN O'SHEA, JOHN OGDEN, ERANA BAYNE, CAROLINE DE LATOUR, TED SCOTT, NEIL
SOMERVILLE AND NIKKI WIMSETT
Alan Gray spoke to his tabled
submission presented on behalf of his family. He advised that the community
considered the plan to be anti-progress and needed major modification or
re-writing. He urged the council to give the island a fair go.
[ATTACHMENT 3.1A]
Helen O'Shea supported Great
Barrier Island having a plan of its own, being 80km across the sea, totally
rural and because the Department of Conservation had jurisdiction over more than
69% of the island. She also asked that submitters be provided with the decision
of the previous hearings panel so that they can discuss any issues with the next
hearings panel to ensure that the panel is on the right track.
Di Simpson spoke to her
tabled submission which supported the Board's proposed resolution. She also
felt that the plan had been 'faulty' from the outset.
[ATTACHMENT 3.1B]
Sean O'Shea highlighted
problems with the over-burdening strength of the proposed plan with regard to
land use activity and inaccuracy with landforms and believed that parts of the
plan had been designed without thought. His key issues related to land use and
the need to address minimum lot sizes in rural areas.
John Ogden's spoke to his
tabled submission which related to the consultation process and he asked whether
the previous Board had called for meetings with council officers before the plan
was notified. Whilst he believed it probably would be much better and simpler
if Great Barrier Island could have its own plan, he suggested a more positive
approach should be taken, such as requesting that Great Barrier Island be
considered as a special entity in the next district plan. The extent of the
task of preparing a district plan was also highlighted and it was suggested that
any argument for Great Barrier being considered as a special case, such as
changes to the present plan, would be unlikely to receive unanimous community
support on all issues.
[ATTACHMENT 3.1C]
Erana Bayne explained the
process that she went through to remove two persons from her community and
advised that the community did not need a council as the power of the community
stands. She encouraged the community to take responsibility as a whole in order
to get what they wanted. She believed that the island should have its own
freight boat, gas subsidies, petrol subsidies and autonomy. Erana also spoke on
behalf of the Motairehe marae and apologised that the community was unable to be
at the meeting. She also advised that the community wanted the legal status of
Maori land to be acknowledged in the plan, and had made a submission
accordingly.
Caroline de Latour supported
a separate plan for Great Barrier Island and agreed that autonomy should be
looked at again. She also supported smaller sections and cluster housing and
highlighted the desperate need for a firebreak on the island.
Ted Scott believed that
council's planners were imposing a set of rules that had been devised in
Auckland and had no idea about Great Barrier's needs as they did not reside on
the island. He indicated that he wanted only one set of rules and there was a
need to come up with some sensible management plans. He also fully supported
getting some sort of autonomy back.
Neil Somerville spoke about
the Auditor General's report and said that the last section of the report [Where
to from here] was not on Council's website. He indicated that his concerns
were about helping people with access and there should be a programme for the
outstanding issues relating to paper roads, such as Jenny's Road and Station
Rock Road, which should be formed to stop any grief. He also raised issues of
sewerage and suggested that a proper treatment station be built. In addition he
felt that council did not want residents, but rather tourists, and that the
residents were getting shafted, which was an abuse of power.
A letter of support from
Nikki Wimsett was read out and tabled.
[ATTACHMENT 3.1D]
Moved: Downie/Somerville-Ryan
That the public forum submitters be thanked for their
presentations.
CARRIED
