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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Frustration as Tomahawk plans stall
Locals are frustrated that plans to turn the former Tomahawk School site into a recreation space have gone nowhere. The Star reporter Sam Henderson explores why the land remains a blank canvas. The site of the former Tomahawk School at the end of Luke St has become a bone of contention as plans to develop it for the community appear to have stalled. The school was demolished in 2019, and six years on, the site remains underdeveloped: a bare concrete slab surrounded by a wide swathe of grass. The local community made a submission to the 2024 annual plan, asking for planning help so residents and council staff could design the space together. When that bid failed, residents spoke at the nine-year long-term plan hearing, asking for at least $800,000 to be set aside to develop the site as a recreation area. The submission noted two community meetings held in 2023, both showing strong backing for redeveloping the site. Otago Peninsula Community Board chairman Paul Pope organised a petition urging the council to fund landscaping at the site, which was signed by about 130 current and former residents. An online survey drew 85 responses, with support for a recreation hub featuring native planting, a playground for young children, a half-court for basketball or netball and a pump track. Resident Sally Dicey said the community was eager to see the site developed. "We are quite special in that we are close to the city, but we have got a strong community identity." But she was frustrated that discussions seemed to have gone nowhere. "There has just been no follow up at all." The area has seen new growth, such as 15 new houses on Sunset Tce and an additional 45 houses new houses expected. "There's a lot of kids in that subdivision, a lot of young kids," Ms Dicey said. "There is a really good vibe among the kids, so for them to actually come and have a basketball court, or a rebound wall for kicking a ball or that kind of thing [would be good]. "We are not asking for any buildings, we are asking for a recreation hub." At present, it felt like development plans were "spinning in circles", Ms Dicey said. Mr Pope said at least three facilitated meetings had been held previously with Dunedin City Council staff about the site's future. "It needs to be built into the parks and recreation's work plan from now until the end of the year to make sure that the community are on the right track." The community would even be willing to help fundraise if the council provided seed money in next year's annual plan and led the design and compliance work, he said. "This is why the group actually need the support of the DCC." Dunedin City Council group manager parks and recreation Heath Ellis said during the nine-year long-term plan process, councillors had considered a range of amenity requests, but decided not to allocate funding for the former Tomahawk School site. Councillors asked staff to work with the relevant Tomahawk groups to present a submission including a plan for consideration at the 2026-27 annual plan process. Dates for when the council's 2026-27 annual plan process would begin were yet to be set. Development stalled • Tomahawk School closed in 2010. • Ngāi Tahu Property bought the site before selling it to the Dunedin City Council in 2012. • Discussion about community uses for the site began as far back as 2012. • In 2016, the Dunedin City Council invited the community to suggest ways to use or develop the site. • For a time, it appeared those plans would be shelved when a 20-year lease was offered to a local kindergarten. • Those plans fell through in 2017, and the school was demolished in 2019.
Otago Daily Times
17-06-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Group appealing 24-lot subdivision consent
An appeal has been lodged with the Environment Court over a controversial development in Bannockburn, with the appellant saying it is "prepared to go the whole way". The DJ Jones and NR Searell Family Trust applied for consent for a subdivision in Terrace St, Bannockburn and after a hearing in April was granted consent with conditions last month. The appeal has been lodged by Bannockburn Responsible Development Inc. The chairman of the group, James Dicey, a Bannockburn resident, presented the group's submission at the hearing. Mr Dicey said, when contacted yesterday, the group had about 80 supporters, most of whom made submissions to the hearing, and the number of supporters was growing all the time. In its appeal, the group, which was set up in 2021, opposes the entire decision and wants consent refused. The 24-lot proposal attracted 38 submissions, 33 of them opposing the development. The development had originally started as 35 lots but was withdrawn in 2021 after more than 70 opposing submissions were received. The development would cover just over 17ha immediately west of the Bannockburn Inlet. Of the 20 residential lots, 12 were said by submitters to be inside the building line restriction (BLR). The BLR was first introduced in 1987. Commissioners Rosalind Day-Cleavin (chairwoman) and Gary Rae said in their decision much of the hearing revolved around the BLR, which the commissioners considered was the "crux" of the issue. The commissioners said it was clear to them the BLR had evolved from what was originally a restrictive planning mechanism to what was now part of a policy and rule framework that, rather than seeking to avoid incursions into the BLR, enabled individual applications to be made and assessed. They said the BLR was not intended to act as an "urban growth boundary". Under the district plan the line, together with its associated rule, acted as a trigger for assessment rather than preventing development beyond the line. Mr Dicey said yesterday the decision would make a big impact on Bannockburn and beyond. "It's going to make a significant and material impact on a whole range of people, including a lot of people who use and enjoy the Bannockburn Inlet," he said. "They're getting away with plonking houses right over a building line, which is going to have a significant effect both on Bannockburn and on the surrounding community as well." The group disputed the commissioners' statements around the BLR. It said the commissioners on behalf of the Central Otago District Council erred in treating the BLR incursion as a mere restricted discretionary trigger, rather than recognising it as a substantive planning constraint fundamental to preserving visual character, landscape coherence and environmental stability. Approval of the application set a dangerous precedent, undermining the BLR's function across Bannockburn and beyond, eroding public confidence in planning protections, the group said. Mr Dicey said yesterday the group was prepared to go the whole way and he had people behind him. The case might end up in the High Court but they would try the Environment Court first. "We've got the community behind us, which the commissioners seemed to ignore, which is a bit surprising." Legal advice the group had received created doubts over the commissioners' decision, he said. He acknowledged there was a touch of nimbyism to the appeal. "Of course there's an element to that. The impact's going to be on my view or the neighbours' views. They purchased a house with a situation where they didn't expect houses and now they've got houses blocking their view completely. "I'd be disingenuous if I said there's no element of nimbyism. But all the rest of us have built in compliance with the district plan and not only with the form of the plan but with the spirit of the plan as well." Environment Court Judge Prudence Steven set a deadline of July 18 to indicate whether the parties would enter mediation or go straight to a hearing.
