Te Puna Heartlands

Awell-attended meeting of Te Puna Heartlands on 9th December focussed on concerns within the neighbourhood after a change of ownership of land along Te Puna Station Road. There had been considerable local discussion about a proposal to use the site as a container storage facility.

Since the position of Chair was not filled at the August AGM, Richard Comyn was co-opted by the Committee to chair the meeting. Over 50 people were present and at the outset of the meeting, this appointment was proposed and passed.

Richard was able to advise the meeting of correspondence from the Western Bay of Plenty District Council stating that, as at the time of the meeting, no resource consent had yet been lodged although one was expected before the holiday break. The letter also described the process relating to the notification of such consents, and who, under resource management law, could be regarded as ‘affected’ for the purposes of notification. General interest or concern about an application was not enough. Richard arranged for all those who had provided email contact details to get a copy of this letter.

As well as possible loss of amenity values, anxiety about the proposal extended over environmental effects such as traffic movements and stormwater assessments. The meeting was assured that, as part of the consent process, all relevant assessments had to be done but, until the consent was in fact lodged, what these were was still to be decided.

Other matters of current interest being advanced by Te Puna Heartlands, namely, workshops on the Three Waters reform, the review of local government, and the legislation intended to replace the Resource Management Act, had been set in train and would be followed up in the new year. In addition, the now-overdue review of the Te Puna Community Plan, which had been delayed by Covid lockdowns, would also take place early in 2022.