Change ‘buried in small print’
A former council planner believes residents living near State Highway 6 in Nelson are unaware that under a proposed plan change, their new builds and alterations could be subject to noise insulating requirements.
Under the proposed Plan Change 29 (PC29), residents near SH6 will be subject to noise-reducing measures, as recommended by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
Under the plan change, some new builds or alterations will have to meet acoustic insulation standards, and will require ventilation systems.
Originally, NZTA recommended the catchment for the rules include homes within 100 metres of SH6.
However, this has been amended, with the transport agency now recommending more site-specific measures.
Rodney Witte, a former Nelson City Council planner, believed most residents were unaware of this aspect of the plan change.
While the council had released a fact sheet about how residents would be affected by PC29, “nowhere does it talk about noise changes,” said Witte, who during his time at council oversaw the development of Nelson’s Resource Management Plan.
“There’s no map, no way to for residents to easily find out about it. “It was only found in the small print; I wouldn’t have expected a lay person to drill down through the text, find the rule, and think about what it meant.”
Witte believed the onus should be on NZTA to improve roads and vehicles.
That could mean reducing speed limits, and improving road seals, measures which had lowered road noise in Atawhai, where he lived, he said.
“Acoustic insulation is a last resort when all those other things have been tried and failed.”
Frank Saxton lives on Wakefield Quay, which is on SH6.
Traffic noise was an issue for Saxton, but it was a known quantity when he bought the home. “We have a big conservatory, we just close the doors and head to the lounge when it’s noisy.”
Saxton had dropped letters to 250 or so residents along SH6, warning them of the proposed rule.
“Submissions have closed; there’s been no publicity from council; you read what they say about PC29, it’s silent on this matter.”
Nelson City Council environmental management group manager Mandy Bishop said council had received several submissions on the noise issue, and had answered questions about it in public meetings.
The cCouncil had tried to make it as easy s possible for people to find information about the “complex” plan change, Bishop said.
The ePlan tool on the Shape Nelson page, which allowed people to enter their address, was the easiest way to find out what rules applied to them.
“The summary on the Shape Nelson page points people to ePlan to check the rules that would apply to their own property and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of proposals,” Bishop said.
Council would engage a noise expert to help them work through submissions and recommendations, she said.
NZTA environmental planning manager Jenni Fitzgerald said the transport agency originally supported a 100-metre “noise effects area” in Nelson, measured from the edge of any state highway.
This approach has been used in district plans around the country to manage the effects of highway traffic, which can have an “adverse affect on health and wellbeing,” Fitzgerald said.
“For this reason, NZTA seeks to ensure that development near state highways is appropriately designed and constructed to protect users and occupiers of the sites.”
However, the blanket 100m rule had its shortcomings, including not taking specific site factors into account, she said.
“For example, hilly topography and a low speed limit may mean that noise is not an issue for residents within 100m of the highway.”
With that in mind, the NZTA carried out acoustic modelling work to get a more accurate picture of “noise sensitivity zones” around Nelson.
Based on the results, the agency had made a revised submission to the council, asking that the 100m guideline be replaced with a more accurate “noise sensitivity overlay”, which reflected each site’s features, Fitzgerald said.
This could mean ensuring the layout and construction would result in appropriate noise levels in bedrooms, or ensuring outdoor areas can be comfortably enjoyed, she said.