Rooney claims proposed Timaru District plan is 'micromanaging'
Monday, 7 August 2023
Waimate businessman and rich-lister Gary Rooney is accusing the Timaru District Council of proposing restrictive planning regulations that will stifle development in the region.
Rooney, owner of Rooney Holdings Ltd and involved in a range of business activities including earthmoving, farming, transportation, and property development, claimed in a submission to the council’s proposed annual plan that it was micromanaging.
“The Proposed Timaru District Plan (PTDP) has been drafted as a restrictive planning document that seeks to micromanage the effects of many activities that have previously been permitted.”
Rooney’s submission was opposed to 69 of the plan’s proposals, with only two in full support, four “support in part,” and one a “generally support”. On four other matters the submission was neutral.
“The PTDP consistently goes that extra step in terms of restrictiveness and micromanagement, compared to other district plans, (it) is unnecessary and will result in additional costs and delays without adding any value in terms of environmental outcomes and sustainable management.”
He claimed the policy direction of the proposed plan provided for the council to take “significant” areas of land without provision for compensation.
“Corner splays, land for legal roads, land for public access, land for cycle ways and public access, are all taken without any provision for compensation.
“Such requirements will deter development, rather than encourage it and lead to more unconnected areas as landowners choose not to develop rather than developing.”
Rooney said the council should provide compensation to landowners where they were required or requested land for the councils’ future needs “over and above the minimum requirements”.
“It would have been preferable for the PTDP to be more enabling and then restricting where necessary to achieve statutory requirements.”
He suggested the PTDP was amended to avoid what he termed “unnecessary overlap” with consenting for regional council activities within riverbeds.
“The Canterbury Regional Plan policy statement allows this, and the draft Waitaki District Plan is an example where this overlap is avoided.”
Rooney presented the same submission six times, from Rooney Holdings Ltd, Rooney Group Ltd, Rooney Farms Ltd, Rooney Earthmoving Ltd, Timaru Developments Ltd, and under his name, G.H.J. Rooney.
The council had extended the time for acceptance of further submissions to the proposed plan until 5pm on Friday.