District Plan Changes Hearings Delayed

Hearings for Taupō District Plan Changes 28-33 were adjourned and will reconvene toward the end of June with a date and venue to be advised.

On Saturday 26 May Commissioner, Kathleen Ryan was admitted to Auckland Hospital for minor emergency surgery. According to the hearings Chairman, Hamilton Barrister, Doug Arcus, the commissioners had previously granted an adjournment to allow Taupō District Council to adequately consider all the matters raised in the course of the hearings before presenting its reply.

Taupō District Council has adjourned the hearings of the remaining submitters with the expectation that Ms. Ryan will recover in time to take part in the full proceedings once they have reconvened in June.

Helen Gilbert, Policy Manager, Taupō District Council said: “We deliberately selected commissioners with different skill sets. We are pleased that the Chair has recognised the value each Commissioner brings to the decision process. If at all possible we would prefer to retain those skill sets within the panel.”

The hearings will consider Council’s proposals to re-zone land for future industrial development, introduce rules to reinforce the role of the Taupō town centre as the primary commercial centre and relax some existing provisions to make it easier to develop in the town centre.