Fuel companies have argued restrictions in Dunedin's proposed next generation district plan may cause worse environmental outcomes than a more relaxed approach.
BP Oil NZ Ltd, Mobil Oil NZ Ltd and Z Energy Ltd engaged senior planner Georgina McPherson, of Auckland firm Burton Planning Consultants, to act as an expert witness.
Speaking at yesterday's 2GP district plan hearings, Ms McPherson said the proposed 2GP contained several conditions which caused concern for the companies.
"There are a number of concerns around the blanket approach [of the proposed plan],'' she said.
The proposed 2GP would define service stations as a non-complying activity in residential, rural (except for arterial and strategic roads) and some commercial and mixed use zones, and would be a discretionary activity elsewhere - including being a restricted discretionary activity in industrial zones.
Ms McPherson argued, in her submission to the 2GP hearings panel, that such an approach would be "unduly onerous'' and would have ramifications for existing service stations within those zones when they wanted to undertake upgrade or renewal work.
In this regard, a non-complying activity status may act as a deterrent for a service station operator to undertake upgrade or renewal works, meaning that where those works relate to environmental improvements, such as new fuel storage tanks or dispensers, the benefits of those improvements would be deferred for longer, potentially resulting in a worse environmental outcome,'' she said.
She also raised concerns with some of the evidence provided by the Dunedin City Council in relation to traffic volumes and vehicle queues caused by service stations.
"I accept that service stations generate high numbers of vehicle movements in and out of the site,'' she said.
"However, based on my involvement in such activities over the years, while the percentages may vary according to locations, the traffic assessments I have reviewed conclude that service stations are not a destination activity and that a significant proportion of customers ... using service stations are primarily pass-by trips that result in vehicles diverting into the site and then exiting the site back on to the road to complete the [vehicle driver's] original journey.''
She told the hearings panel, which was chaired by independent commissioner David Collins and which included independent commissioner Gary Rae and councillors David Benson-Pope, Aaron Hawkins and Kate Wilson, that service stations offered many positive effects to the city and its citizens, especially economically.
"Service stations do provide a service to the community,'' she said.
The council had received 1500 submissions on the 2GP and more than 800 would speak to their submissions during the coming months.
The hearings are expected to finish in March next year with public health and safety issues.
