Market layout changes ‘unsafe’
Forest and Bird could take legal action against Hutt City Council for abandoning plans to protect native habitat.
The council has decided to scrap its plan to map Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) on private land, something which Forest and Bird says it is legally required to do under the Wellington Regional Policy Statement.
‘‘We’re considering seeking a declaration in the Environment Court to that effect,’’ Forest and Bird general counsel Peter Anderson said.
Hutt City Mayor Ray Wallace apologised to Eastbourne residents after the decision by the council to ditch a proposal to use its District Plan to protect biodiversity on private land.
Yesterday the council issued a statement saying it had voted to map SNAs on council land, and to work with landowners who voluntarily agreed to protect biodiversity on private land.
‘‘With the involvement of mana whenua, landowners and other groups, we will be able to lift the profile of this issue and it will give us the opportunity to understand more about the importance of biodiversity to our community, as well as what we can do as a community to protect and enhance it.’’
The issue over Significant Natural Areas (SNA) had proved highly divisive, with residents claiming the council plan was a land grab.
Thursday night’s meeting went for six hours until midnight, with more than 200 people present to explain their position to the council.
Much of the debate centred around the impact on private land of having it declared an SNA and listed in the District Plan.
Opponents said they would not be able to develop their land and it would impact negatively on property prices.
Much of the debate focused on whether or not the council could legally replace SNAs with a voluntary regime.
Council staff argued that a ruling by the Environment Court provided a warning of what could happen if the council did not use SNAs.
In that case, New Plymouth District Council decided to take a ‘‘soft’’ approach to SNAs so it could work with farmers.
Forest and Bird took the council to the Environment Court, which ruled the council was wrong not to include SNAs in its District Plan.
A number of speakers also objected to the accuracy of mapping used to identify significant areas of bush on private land.
After six hours of heated debate, the hearings committee rejected the use of SNAs and agreed that the council should work in partnership with landowners to find ways protect native bush.
At 11.30pm, Wallace called a council meeting and issued the public apology to landowners.
He said the process had caused angst for landowners and had been deeply distressing.
There was a need for ‘‘healing’’ and the council would have to rebuild its relationship with the community.
Wallace successfully moved a plan to include SNAs on council land and said the council would work with private landowners who wanted to protect their property with covenants or an SNA.
The council would also work with Forest and Bird, local Ma¯ ori, the regional council and landowners to highlight the benefit of SNAs. Wellington’s Basin Reserve will swap stumps for kegs with about 5800 people expected to guzzle 14,000 litres from 25 craft brewers at Beers at the Basin.
In its second year, today’s event has spread itself out: more space, brewers, flavours – such as pina colada and rose – and Waitoa Social Club has even brewed a Beers at the Basin special.
The focus will be light beers and sours, which were favoured over darker brews in the event’s first year.
There will be wine, cider, mocktails, cocktails and bands belting out some tunes for a festival vibe spread out over the lush, velvety turf adorning the hallowed Basin Reserve.
It’s not all about the liquid with 20 food trucks set to offer up everything from Kiwi delights, oriental tastes, simple pleasures and sweet treats.
The weather looks mainly fine, high cloud, a balmy temperature of 22 degrees Celsius with a chance of a shower, according to MetService. Beers at the Basin event manager Damien Hochberg said Wellingtonians were ‘‘resilient’’ people who wouldn’t let the sky get in the way of a day out.
‘‘Beer used to just be beer but now, people are experimenting with it a lot more. I like the idea of a festival atmosphere and for me that is sitting down and, hopefully, enjoying the sunshine, and chilling out with your mates.’’ Stallholders at a Saturday vegetable market say changes to the layout pose a safety risk to shoppers and could affect attendance.
From this weekend, Lower Hutt’s Riverbank Market will be an island of stalls clustered in a car park with traffic moving around it.
Hutt City Council made the changes to reduce traffic management costs that were introduced earlier this year.
A $2 parking fee was introduced to help cover traffic management, but since late October parking revenue had totalled $12,000 against a cost of $72,000.
All stallholders spoken to by Stuff declined to be identified for fear of losing their stalls. However, most were concerned for the safety of marketgoers who would have to contend with increased traffic inside the car park.
‘‘I don’t know who the hell thought it would be a good idea,’’ one stallholder said.
It could be particularly dangerous for children who attended the market with their parents, he said.
Another stall manager said, ‘‘People are used to walking over the bank and walking straight into the market.
‘‘They are now going to be walking into a car park and [effectively] crossing a road. It’s unsafe.’’
Council city development manager Gary Craig said the car park was a shared space where both drivers and pedestrians needed to take care.
The layout had been reconfigured because the market operator wanted ‘‘to create a vibrant hub’’ and expected the changes to ease traffic and reduce traffic management costs.
Mayor Ray Wallace said the new configuration had been planned by experienced traffic engineers. The traffic management cost would come down from $4000 a week to $1200.
He understood the stallholders’ concerns and said if the new layout was ‘‘horribly wrong’’, the council would have to reassess it.
Stallholders and workers said the previous layout change and paid parking had resulted in fewer people attending the market, and the new layout would put even more people off.
One stallholder had experienced a ‘‘20 to 40 per cent drop in business’’ after the layout change earlier in the year.
She said the market ‘‘used to be vibrant’’ but was now questioning the viability of doing business there.
Opponents said they
. . . it would impact negatively on property prices.