At a closed “workshop” on Tuesday, Hastings Councillors came to the following consensus on Ocean Beach:

1. Abandon the Council’s own structure plan, adopted in 2007, which envisioned in the range of 286 or so house lots at Ocean Beach. If in the future any developer wishes to propose a development scheme for Ocean Beach, they will need to take the initiative, seek a plan change, and bear all costs of making the case.

2. Provide for long term public road access to the beach, reaching an appropriate agreement with Maori landowners.

3. Explore the possibility of creating a public reserve including Haupouri Flats.

While a formal Council decision will need to be taken to ratify this consensus, probably early next year, effectively the Council has closed this chapter of the Ocean Beach saga. The Council will not on its own initiative be proposing any change to the current District plan regarding Ocean Beach .

The people spoke. The Council listened.

Amen! Thank you Mayor Yule and Councillors.

That said, we’ll await the official decision and more detail re next steps on road access and any reserve proposal before we break out the bubbly.

Tom

Share



Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *