In its submission on plan change 13: hazardous substances, the port proposed a new rule catering for general and long-term storage of hazardous substances at its port 2 zone in the upper harbour.
"There needs to be at least one zone or area within the city where these activities can be carried out as of right," port infrastructure general manager Lincoln Coe said.
The port 2 zone, which encompassed the area bounded by Willis and Jutland Sts and the water, was appropriate for such storage "because it is a single large area with no immediate residential or commercial neighbouring land uses".
The port already stored hazardous substances in zone 2 but wanted to continue doing so without having to obtain a resource consent or rely on existing-use rights.
There were occasions when storage of a product was required but the exact product might not be known ahead of time, so "holding a consent was not realistic or practical", Mr Coe said.
It was important for transport and warehouse owners and operators to be able to respond in a timely manner to the demands of the local economy with storage for goods, he said.
It took up to 20 working days to obtain a hazardous substances location certificate, but there was "uncertainty" about the length of time it took to get a resource consent.
Mr Coe said the city needed an area in which the storage of hazardous substances, where a certificate was held, was a permitted activity to make doing business in the city efficient and flexible.
Council senior planner and committee adviser Paul Freeland agreed, saying "we need to acknowledge" the requirement of a place to store hazardous substances, and if it was not at the Port Otago site, "frankly, I don't know where".
Plan change 13 was aimed at bringing the council's district plan rules on hazardous substances into line with the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996.
The changes introduced new classifications for a variety of potentially dangerous materials, including ammunition, petrol, explosive gases, lime and cement, and also limited quantities able to be stored without a resource consent.
The proposed changes prompted 48 submissions.
Forty-seven sought amendments largely concerning proposed substance thresholds or the need to control certain substances and activities that were already governed by national standards or other legislation.
Also heard yesterday was Mercy Hospital, which was concerned about the proposed permitted-quantity thresholds of hazardous substances that could be placed on it, as it occupied residential-zoned land.
Senior resource management consultant Joanne Dowd argued the plan change "should be withdrawn so far as it applies to the Mercy Hospital site", or higher thresholds be permitted for the site.
Committee chairman Cr Colin Weatherall said councillors "clearly understand the uniqueness of Mercy Hospital and the committee will give it due consideration".
The hearing continues today, with deliberations expected to begin in the afternoon.
