Plan ‘error’ brings apology

An apologetic Timaru District Council has admitted to an error in its draft district plan after pushback from an anxious farming community.

The draft plan originally incorrectly proposed intensively farmed stock must be set back a minimum of 100 metres from a road and internal boundaries; 100m from boundaries of land zoned general residential zone, settlement zone or Ma¯ ori purpose zone; and 400m from residential units on an adjoining site.

That proposal drew fire from the rural community with South Canterbury Federated Farmers president Jason Grant calling the proposal ‘‘impractical’’, while Temuka farmer Jeremy Talbot said he was dumbfounded by the error.

‘‘It caused a lot of angst with the farming community, which is already under a lot of pressure due to the freshwater reforms,’’

Grant said.

‘‘It is common practice to have stock graze right up to the boundary, so I don’t know how that rule got in there in the first place.’’

The council’s group manager for environmental services Tracey Tierney apologised yesterday at the environmental services committee meeting for the error.

‘‘We certainly apologise for the upset it caused. We will be discussing the plan with Federated Farmers.

‘‘The whole purpose is to thoroughly test this plan before we take it out to the public again. The more response, the better product it is,’’ Tierney said.

Cr Barbara Gilchrist said councillors had been receiving calls about the error.

‘‘The one about the setbacks was a really unfortunate mistake. We need to point people in the right direction,’’ Gilchrist said.

‘‘It caused a lot of angst with the farming community, which is already under a lot of pressure due to the freshwater reforms.’’ Jason Grant

Talbot said the issue should never have got to this stage.

‘‘I think it’s extremely poor management on the part of the council, and they should have anticipated the strong response from the farming community. The real question is how they allowed such a glaring mistake. Surely those council planners weren’t left to their own devices.’’

Council spokesman Stephen Doran said on Monday this was the first cut of the draft district plan, and ‘‘we’re expecting to refine and correct things in the period following this consultation’’.

‘‘In this case the concern over the rural setbacks relates to an error in a plan standard.

‘‘The intent of the standard is aimed at managing the adverse effects of new rural industries and factory farming and provides setbacks for new farm infrastructure such as effluent ponds, piggeries and milking sheds from neighbouring houses.

‘‘There is no intention to include any setbacks for stock from boundaries. However, we think it’s important that there are setbacks for the more impactful rural activities in order to help protect the amenity of any adjacent residential zoned land or adjoining residents.

‘‘The draft plan is only a first cut non-statutory plan and accordingly it’s expected that there will be errors and things that need clarified in this version. That is why we are consulting at this early stage, and why we really welcome people to come to us with any comments or concerns about any of the provisions,’’ Doran said.

Grant said he was pleased the council recognised the error.

‘‘It was a glaring mistake, and we’re pleased it’s been addressed. But it’s not the only rule we have concerns about. We need some clarification around some rules regarding setbacks for buildings, particularly when it comes to things such as irrigation storage ponds,’’ he said.

Doran said it was ‘‘expecting there will be quite a few changes to the first cut of the draft district plan based on the feedback’’.

■ Federated Farmers will co-host an information night about the plan on December 9 at the Phar Lap Raceway’s Grey Way Lounge.