Komiti Iti Arotake Mahere ā-Rohe|
District Plan Review Subcommittee
Minutes of a meeting held in the Council Chambers,
2nd Floor, 30 Laings Road, Lower Hutt on
Thursday 22 September 2022 commencing at 2.00pm
PRESENT: Cr S Edwards (Chair) Cr K Brown
Cr B Dyer Deputy Mayor T Lewis
Cr N Shaw
APOLOGIES: M Dentice
IN ATTENDANCE: Cr A Mitchell (part meeting) (via audio-visual link)
A Geddes, Director Environment and Sustainability
K Pascall, Policy Planning Manager (via audio-visual link)
C Page, Intermediate Policy Planner
E Campbell, Pou Whakamahere Kaupapa Here
A Doornebosch, Democracy Advisor
V Gilmour, Administrator – Democratic Services
PUBLIC BUSINESS
1. Opening formalities - Karakia Timatanga
|
2. APOLOGIES
RESOLVED: (Deputy Mayor Lewis/Cr Brown) Minute No. DPRS22401
“That the apology received from M Dentice be accepted and leave of absence be granted.”
3. PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comment.
4. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATIONS
There was no conflict of interest declarations.
5. Minutes
|
Resolved: (Cr Edwards/Cr Shaw) Minute No. DPRS 22402
“That
the minutes of the meeting of the District Plan Review Subcommittee held on |
|
6. |
Approach to listing Notable Trees in the District Plan (22/2129) Report No. DPRS2022/4/191 by the Intermediate Policy Planner |
|
|
The Intermediate Policy Planner elaborated on the report. In response to questions from members, the Intermediate Policy Planner said the 84 nominated trees had not yet been subjected to STEM assessments. He noted if a tree was removed or damaged without authority the process for this would depend on the nature of what had occurred. He advised this would need to go through a resource consent or enforcement process. He said it was likely more prominent trees were already nominated in the city. He noted there could be other trees not yet considered with higher stem scores. Cr Mitchell joined the meeting. The Chair permitted Cr Mitchell to take part in the meeting’s discussions. He advised that Cr Mitchell could not vote on any matter at the meeting. In response to questions from members, the Intermediate Policy Planner noted a contracted arborist had assessed existing notable trees included in Lower Hutt’s District Plan. He said there were instances where trees were protected where they were of significance to the local community. He noted this included if they fell outside of the STEM range. He said the STEM system provided a level of objectivity rather than a subjective threshold of value that determined protection. He said with more intensification there was a risk of loss of vegetation. He advised the District Plan was one tool for protection for this. He noted the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity would allow officers to address wider vegetation through the full District Plan Review. He said members could ask for certain areas to have specific STEM ranges. He noted this could lead to debate on STEM levels and location areas. He highlighted new trees had been nominated in the Wainuiomata, Eastern, and Northern Ward areas of the community in the recent nomination process. He said the addition or removal of a notable tree required a District Plan change. He advised the protection of trees was considered a matter that officers needed to assess under the Resource Management Act. He noted Council’s offer to meet maintenance costs for notable trees would need to be managed if there was an open process to have trees listed. In response to questions from members, the Policy Planning Manager said officers would report back to the Subcommittee for further direction before the process plan was notified. She highlighted the direction given today would give officers guidance regarding a voluntary methodology process. The Chair foreshadowed his intention to move an additional recommendation. He indicated this would allow members to determine a lower STEM score for the Wainuiomata, Northern, and Eastern Wards, which currently have few notable trees listed on the District Plan. He noted this would follow arborist STEM score assessments of the 84 trees nominated in the recent nomination process. |
|
|
MOVED: (Cr Edwards/Cr Dyer) That the Subcommittee: (1) receives the information contained in the report;
(2) reconfirms that listing of notable trees should be voluntary; (3) asks that the STEM score for trees in Lower Hutt city in wards other than the Wainuiomata Ward, the Northern Ward, and the Eastern Ward be 120; and (4) notes that the Subcommittee may determine a lower STEM score for other wards in Lower Hutt city following arborist STEM score assessments of the 84 trees nominated in the recent nomination process. AMENDMENT MOVED: (Cr Brown/Cr Shaw) That the Subcommittee: (1) receives the information contained in the report;
(2) reconfirms that listings of notable trees should be voluntary; and
(3) notes that the Subcommittee may determine a lower STEM score following arborist STEM score assessments of the 84 trees nominated in the recent nomination process. The amendment was declared CARRIED on the voices. |
|
|
Resolved: (Cr Brown/Cr Shaw) Minute No. DPRS 22403 “That the Subcommittee: (1) receives the information contained in the report; (2) reconfirms that listings of notable trees should be voluntary; and (3) notes that the Subcommittee may determine a lower STEM score following arborist STEM score assessments of the 84 trees nominated in the recent nomination process.” |
7. QUESTIONS
There were no questions.
The Chair and members thanked officers for their work over the triennium.
There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed at 2.40 pm.
Cr S Edwards
CHAIR
Jo Miller
Chief Executive