Proposed Plan Change 57

Whanganui District Council is seeking public input on Plan Change 57 which proposes to expand the District Plan’s Land Stability overlay to include properties recently assessed as being prone to land instability.

Submissions on this proposed plan change closed at 5.00pm on Monday, 18 March 2019.

The proposed change is the result of a geotechnical study commissioned by Council that reviewed land stability in the urban area. The study categorises areas into high or moderate risk and covers Parkdale / Christies Hill / Virginia Road, Putiki and Marybank, Victoria Park / Denby Place and Durie Hill.

Victoria Edmonds, Whanganui District Council’s Policy Planner, says, “Knowledge around natural hazards has advanced over the years, and as knowledge about hazards becomes available, councils have a responsibility to ensure the community is made aware of them”.

“In identifying land instability prone properties Council is fulfilling its responsibility to the wider community.  It is vital to ensure that future development in the identified areas does not worsen land instability or pose safety risks”.

Miss Edmonds explains, “The overlay applies to the underlying ground, and does not suggest that structures already within the area are unstable. It gives people information so they can look at measures they need to take for future building work on these sites”.

The geotechnical report was made available to affected landowners in October 2018.

View the current Land Stability overlay on the District Plan

More information is available here.

Hard copies of the proposed plan change and submission forms are available from the Council’s temporary Customer Services area at 179 St Hill Street, Davis Central City Library or Gonville Café Library. Please lodge hard copy submissions to the Customer Services area at 179 St Hill Street.

Submissions close at 5.00pm on Monday 18 March 2019