Nelson Tasman Amalgamation
Originally published August 2011 in
Nelson Marlborough Farming
As someone who deals
extensively with both the Nelson and Tasman
district Councils I do sometimes get asked my
views on the proposed amalgamation of the two
local authorities.
I can see the pros and cons of the arguments. My
main interest is that of how the Resource
Management Act will be implemented and
administered by one large council, and my
concerns mainly are centered around how the
rural sector and rural townships would be
affected. To a certain extent I already have
concerns as to how council staff are treating
these areas and that these problems will only
get worse.
At the moment a subdivision in Tapawera, or
Murchison is treated more or less the same as a
subdivision in Richmond. If amalgamation occurs
Nelson City will be added to this list. To
apply the same residential standards to say
Murchison and Richmond is problematic. For
example the development contributions that
residential developments pay are at such a level
that virtually any residential subdivision in
Murchison is not financially viable. Other
examples exist with regard to servicing
requirements.
The way that rural policy is devised and the way
that various rural resource consent applications
are dealt with do require a certain knowledge
and feel for the rural environment. I am not
sure that I would want a Nelson based townie
planner processing many of the rural
applications I deal with. There is often a
practical commonsense approach required for
these rural applications. It is very easy for
council staff to go through the rule book
and look for reasons to complicate a simple
application, some even feel that it is their
duty to do so.
Recently I was involved in an application
of which the current state of the roading
was an issue. This planner could have
reached for the rulebook and talked about
widths, formation standard, shoulder widths etc.
but instead stated, “I'm from a rural area
and this is a perfectly decent country
road”. That's the sort of practical can do
attitude that is at risk of disappearing with
amalgamation.
As well as the implementation of the rules,
there is also a section of councils devoted to
creation of policy. These folk can be a little
removed from the resource management coal face
and tend to be somewhat theoretical in their
approach. I would hate to see the Nelson Policy
planners let loose in the wider Tasman District,
just as I would not like to to see the Tasman
ones put to work in Nelson City.
In the last ten years the resource consent
process has become increasingly more bloated and
convoluted and less in touch with the
practicalities of the rural environment. I guess
the impression that I have is that with
amalgamation we would not to see an improvement
anytime soon.
This article is general in nature and should not
be a substitute for specific advice from a
suitable professional.
John Cotton specialises in rural surveys and is
a Director of Cotton and Light Ltd a survey firm
that works throughout Nelson, West Coast and
Marlborough. |
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