Waitaki District Council has done an about-turn and will now consider a petition protesting proposed changes to its draft district plan.
A standing order quibble over a petition signed by hundreds of Waitaki ratepayers has been set aside by the council.
The reason the petition was not accepted in the first place was the scope of the 210-signature petition, which, including the wording, was above the 150-word limit requirement.
But on August 27, Waitaki councillors unanimously voted to receive it on the basis the petition reflected community concern.
The petition, opposing new land classifications in the draft Waitaki District Plan, will be referred to the Waitaki District Plan subcommittee.
A staff report authorised by Waitaki District Council chief executive Alex Parmley said the 336-word count was 186 more than allowed.
Waitaki District Plan subcommittee chairman Cr Jim Thomson said the issues in the petition had been aired before, but it did reflect ongoing community concern.
"I don’t feel comfortable in dismissing the petition, and I will be advocating that we receive (it)", he said.
Mayor Gary Kircher said the petition organisers had gone "to a lot of trouble".
"They have expressed their concerns. Council should receive the document as an extension of (their) concern."
On August 27, landowners reinforced the concerns driving the petition before the council vote.
Special zones for Significant Natural Areas (SNA) and Outstanding Natural Landscape (ONL) have been a particular concern.
Ngapara farmer and farm consultant Kate McGregor said the council needed to pause the district plan process until the outcome of the Government’s proposed resource management reform, and the court hearing into the Otago Regional Council’s Otago Regional Policy Statement, were finalised.
The ORC policy statement as a document overarches and sets parameters for district council plans, including the required SNA and ONL overlays.
Ms McGregor said the district council might have to amend its proposed overlays anyway.
"Should there be a case that there be a requirement for WDC to amend, it will cost ratepayers, including Environment Court action", she said.
"As ratepayers, we’re asking council to delay the notification of the district plan in line with the change of national (policy).
"The best way is to work with us."
Five Forks farmer Jane Smith said under the process, landowners felt their livelihoods were being "threatened by our own council".
"I stand here today for those who have been ignored or pushed aside by lack of consultation and those who are, quite frankly, scared and intimidated by your planning and compliance staff", she said.
She said landowners who took issue with council planning staff about the proposed land classification on their farms had then found themselves "slammed with larger areas".
"I am ashamed to say that we live in a district where the opinions of outside contracted landscape architects and lobby groups appear to have a higher standing than the property owners themselves", Ms Smith said.
"The irony is that the reason that many of these areas can still be identified today as significant is that the property owners have looked after these areas over generations ...
"We hope that the words of concern listed by your ratepayers when signing this petition are far more important than writing 186 too many words", she said.
