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: Ocean Beach Charrette - 'Open Day' this Saturday
People who missed the Ocean Beach charrette workshops and public presentation evenings will have a chance to see the draft master plan and have their say at an Open Day to be held this Saturday (12 November).
The open day, to be hosted by Hastings District Council, will be held at the Haupouri Station Woolshed between 9am and 5pm. It will be beneficial for people who know little about the charrette process which took place between 4 and 13 October. People will be able to learn about what happenned at the charrette, view the proposed plans for the area and talk to the designers, landowners, council officers and others on site.
The unique planning and design charrette process was jointly commissioned by Hastings District Council and Hill Country Corporation. It saw world renowned town planners and urban designers, DPZ Pacific (America) and Roberts Day (Australia) hold a series of workshops with local experts and members of the community which resulted in the team identifying long-term development and conservation potential for the entire area.
The charrette area canvassed 9km of privately-owned coastal land as well as council-owned reserve.
Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule encourages people to attend the Open Day and have their say.
Council is involved in the process because it wants to put a special district plan change in place to protect the area from 'ad hoc' development over the next 50 -100 years.
“The issues at Ocean Beach are complex in terms of philosophy and practicality and our aim is to develop a set of rules that will be enduring and sustainable for the next 50 to 100 years,” said Mr Yule.
“The charrette process is an international planning and design process which seeks to put all the planning issues on the table at one time to develop a draft option for moving forward.”
Mr Yule said some people had questioned why council was involved in the process with landowners.
“Hastings District Council has a statutory responsibility to develop planning rules for the whole district and Ocean Beach is already covered by existing rural rules. These rules are generic for the whole of the district and do not adequately address the special nature of Ocean beach – a similar problem occurred on Te Mata Peak until a special Te Mata Peak Character Area was developed.
“The issues for Ocean Beach are complex. We have property owners who have existing development rights. Maori owners who own land, on which are located a number of illegal baches. A legal council road which is now in the sea. No legal public access to the surf club reserve. A wilderness beach which deserves special protection. A public wish to have a right to drive up and down the full length of the beach. Damage being caused too the special dune areas by 4-wheel-drive vehicles, and probably the most contentious, a mixed view in the community about what should occur at this special part of Hawke’s Bay.
“Out of all of this, Council has begun a planning process to get some resolution and rules for the next 50 to 100 years of which the hearing and decision making will be done by a panel of independent commissioners,” said Mr Yule.
Now that the charrette is completed, Hastings District Council will continue to consult further with the community and seek submissions as part of its district plan change process in late 2006.
The 'Open Day' on 12 November is just one of many awareness and consultation exercises Council will hold between now and late next year.
