Ignore Ocean Beach plans says group | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

CHRIS GARDNER

A pressure group concerned with the future of Ocean Beach is asking the Hastings District Council to go back to the drawing board before approving any development there.

The Future Ocean Beach group, which claims to have around 1000 people on its database, wants the council to ignore provisional plans for a trio of settlements at the southern part of the 9km-long beach. The plans were formulated by the Hill Country Corporation, following a series of intensive public planning workshops, known as a charrette, in October, which were partly funded by the council.

The group has sent out a newsletter seeking broad community involvement in the development of the beach and urging the council not to take shortcuts.

"We are a group of people who are concerned about the council supporting and allowing a development of 540 houses and various other 'community' buildings at Ocean Beach," the newsletter said.

"We represent hundreds of citizens who wish to see full public consultation to establish a vision for the future of Ocean Beach - one of Hawke's Bay's most important coastal areas."

The group urged people to talk to Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule, as well as district councillors, and ask them how they stand on the development as well as pushing for a fair hearing on the development.

Te Awanga resident Tina Symmans, who is heading the group with Brian Chambers, Van Howard, Paddy Maloney, and Charles White, said they wanted the council to engage in proper public consultation over the beach's future rather than relying on the charrette. The group was not necessarily opposed to development at the beach.

"It's about process," she said.

"The council does not appear to have undertaken full consultation. Start from scratch in terms of the public consultation process."

The group is also asking for a public meeting, in February, to discuss the issue.

Mr Yule said there would be 'heaps of opportunities' for people to have their say on the provisional plan which is to go before the council for the first time on December 8. The final plan will be adopted next November, following public consultation, if it is not thrown out.

"They seem to think that we are making some type of final decision on December 8, which we are not," Mr Yule said.

"There's a whole lot of work to be done in the next year.' Should the district plan remain unchanged developers can subdivide every 20ha of the beach.