What is the Proposed Wairoa Development Plan,
and why are we against it?

The purpose of this Proposed Plan Change is to create a Wairoa River Maritime Village which will enable the establishment of a new Coastal Settlement based around a canal housing scheme in the lower reaches of the Wairoa River.

The full Proposed Plan Change & Summary of Submissions can be viewed at www.manukau.govt.nz/tec/district/intro.htm. (Click on the Plan Change Register and go to Proposed Plan Change No 13).

Some main details about the plan are:

• 4.5km North of Clevedon Village
  
• 297 residential sections on 44ha
  
• Lot sizes as small as 650m2 (about the size of a home tennis court)
  
• Canals formed to the side of the Wairoa River
  
• A lock system to hold water in the canals
  
• Dredging of the river
  
• Est. 1 million cu m of earthworks to form canals & house sites (that’s 100,000 truckloads)

Why this Plan Change should be withdrawn

• It would require a zone change from Rural 1 to special Wairoa River Maritime Village Zone
• The size, scale and type of development will change Clevedon from a unique rural Village into just another suburb of Auckland
  
• This is an urban development in a rural area, well outside the Metropolitan Urban Limits
  
• The area is not designated a growth area in the Auckland Regional Growth Strategy
• DOC identified the Estuary as an 'Area of Significant Conservation Value'
  
• It is contrary to MCC own planning and policy documents, ARC planning & policy documents, NZ Coastal Policy Statement and Auckland Regional Council Policy Statement
  
• Precedent setting – a zone change makes it easier for other landowners to have their land re-zoned
  
• There is no structure plan in place for how growth should be handled in the Clevedon area
  
• Clevedon has no public transport
  
• The road which serves the proposed development is notorious – it is winding, subject to slips and has had fatalities in the past years
  
• The size of this development will overwhelm existing Clevedon Village facilities
  
• There are no infrastructure improvements planned to cope with this development, other than an upgrade of a small section of North Road
  
• No account has been taken of the effect of the development on Clevedon Village – pre-school, kindergarten and school facilities are already full, many existing businesses do not forsee any benefit
  
• The river has enormous cultural and historical significance for Maori and Pakeha
  
• The environmental effects of this development are not mitigated by the proposal – there will be inevitable light, noise, water and other pollution, far greater than under a Rural 1 zone
  
• The effects of this development on the ecology of the river and estuary will not be minor
  
• Clevedon is still predominantly farm based with farming activities – there is great potential with this type of development for pressure to come on farmers to limit necessary farming activities, such as spraying
  
• The development is within the low flying training area, used by aircraft from Ardmore Airport
  
• It is not clear that there is any demand for this type of housing in this area
  
• there has been virtually no community consultation on what would be a very major change to the way of life in Clevedon

Why destroy that which people come to Clevedon for, whether to visit or live? If you want to help us, click here for ways to get involved.