Housing and industrial growth within the Hastings-Napier region has been mapped by the draft Future Development Strategy 2024-2054 adopted last week.

The draft Strategy has been formulated over the last two years by a Joint Committee of the Hastings, Naper and Regional Councils as well as iwi leaders representing Heretaunga and Ahuriri. Assuming the three councils accept the recommendations of their representatives, the draft Strategy will be presented for public consultation in November.

As BayBuzz has reported previously, the Strategy takes into account population and business growth projection, associated housing and infrastructure requirements, environmental and transportation considerations, weather and other hazard risks, preserving productive soils and amenities such as recreational land. Projections, options and choices have been supported by volumes and volumes of technical analysis by staff and consultants.

Weighing all these, the Strategy in its essentials tilts toward housing intensification as opposed to greenfields development. Assuming population growth of over 40,000 people over the next 30 years, ‘total demand’ for 16,320 dwellings is projected, 6,700 in Napier and 9,620 in Hastings. New greenfield development is limited to 3,520, 62% of those in the Hastings district. 

It is important to note that the Strategy indicates preferred areas for development. Any actual development schemes would still need to go through normal consenting processes where pertinent conditions could be applied.

The Strategy reflects councils’ consensus on most areas identified as preferred for future development. During the final consideration of the draft, Regional Councils reps on the Joint Committee – Councillors Martin Williams and Jock Mackintosh – joined by Hastings Councillor Alwyn Corban, successfully, by divided vote, removed two development sites on Middle Road in Hastings as adversely affecting productive soils. However, they failed by vote to remove a recommended site on Riverbend Road in Napier, their opposition driven by the land involved lying in a high-risk flood zone.

An important addition to the Strategy since July has been the addition of proposed development of the Ahuriri Station, a large parcel of land surrounding the Hawke’s Bay Airport. This very ambitious proposition, sponsored by Mana Ahuriri Trust (who is given the opportunity to purchase this Crown ‘redress land’ as part of the Ahuriri Hapū’s Treaty settlement) involving potentially 1,000 homes, a 380 hectare industrial park and environmental amenities was a recent arrival to the FDS process. Mana Ahuriri intends to purchase the land and has already separately secured acceptance of the project on the Government’s ‘fast-track’ list, soon to be enacted into law. 

The Agenda paper presenting the draft Strategy notes (watered down from previous draft): “Several constraints to redevelopment of the Ahuriri Station site have been identified by Council’s officers and consultants. Significant engineering works would be required to reduce potential or currently modelled natural hazard risks and maintain important environmental values to an acceptable level to enable a sustainable and resilient development both now and into the future.”

If Mana Ahuriri proceeds with a formal fast-track application when that window opens in Jan/Feb, and the project is officially approved, the consent conditions – if any – applied by the Expert Panel would govern the project’s development. NCC, HDC, HBRC would have no further role in setting conditions for the project, let alone make any other judgments concerning the project’s ‘fit’ with the overall Strategy. Councils’ only role would be to enforce any conditions applied by the Expert Panel.

Given that the ‘Expert Panels’ empowered by the fast-track legislation will have 149 projects to evaluate in a short time frame, it’s inconceivable that this huge project, posing major engineering and environmental challenges given the location, would receive more than cursory review.

Whatever the merits of the Ahuriri Station proposal, this situation is just one of many where local governments are being by-passed, even thwarted, by the fast-track legislation. The legislation makes a mockery of prudent planning. On this particular chess board, the Government is saying, ‘We insist you locals do regional planning, but you can’t move this piece.’

With their project now safely in the draft Strategy, hopefully Mana Ahuriri will have a re-think about fast-tracking and elect instead to progress the project through ‘normal’ council channels better suited to its complexity and staged long-term development.

The draft Strategy now goes back to the respective three councils for final approval. Assuming final disagreements across councils are resolved, the Strategy will be presented for public consultation over four weeks beginning late November. Then hearings on submissions in March in hopes of final adoption by July.

All of the draft strategy and supporting information is available online in comprehensive detail with well-illustrated maps.