A smaller solution – big push for tiny homes in Tasman District
Living in tiny homes should be made easier in the growing Tasman district, say council plan submitters.
During a four-day hearing of submissions on the Tasman District Council’s draft Long Term Plan, Motueka Community Board chairman Brent Maru told councillors the ‘‘tiny home concept’’ had been strong in Motueka and Golden Bay.
‘‘As a board, we did not see a strong leverage or a strong emphasis in terms of that being considered [in the draft 10-year plan],’’ Maru said.
A written submission from the community board says tiny homes and ‘‘non-traditional housing solutions’’ seem to have been overlooked in the council’s consultation document.
‘‘Where are we looking for accommodating dense urban accommodation in a different way, in terms of utilising tiny homes, somewhere in our community?’’ Maru asked the councillors.
In Ta¯kaka, submitter Iona Jelf called for the matter to be addressed urgently with the fast-track servicing of sites so ‘‘rentable tiny house sites will soon be an option’’.
Jelf also wanted the council to make it possible for self-contained tiny homes on wheels to be occupied all year.
Under the council’s rules, if a person intends to live in a tiny house for two months or more per calendar year, then a resource consent is likely to be required because the tiny house is defined as a building.
Golden Bay submitter Liz Thomas said as much land as possible
‘‘Where are we looking for accommodating dense urban accommodation in a different way, in terms of utilising tiny homes?’’
Motueka Community Board chairman Brent Maru
in areas already zoned residential should be used for housing.
In her written submission, Thomas said properly built multiunits – not crammed in to maximise profits – on sections should be encouraged, with lower development levies.
The council should make land it owns available for homes by community housing providers for sale or with long-term leases, she said.
Over the next 10 years, the council anticipates it will need to make sure there is zoned and serviced land available for at least 7700 residents, 4300 homes and 160 business lots to meet expected growth.
Its preferred option is to spend $124 million over the decade to meet the forecast demand for infrastructure. A second option is to spend more – $169m – to meet the forecast demand as well as provide for more growth closer to Motueka.
The extra infrastructure spend would enable development by 2032 of a significant area of land in the Lower Moutere Hills, which is earlier than planned under preferred option. Four days of deliberations have been scheduled from May 17 to 21 on the council’s draft Long Term Plan, followed by a workshop on the effect of the deliberation decisions on June 4. The full council is to consider adopting the final Long Term Plan on June 30.