Planning for our future

A long history of poor 3 Waters and roading infrastructure to the marae, kāika and surrounding communities may be addressed if the Dunedin City Council (DCC) adopts the recommendations of the Future Development Strategy Hearings Panel.

At an April hearing, Edward Ellison and Matapura Ellison, supported by Aukaha planners Michael Bathgate and Yvonne Takau, discussed the history of the native reserves – those areas set aside for Kāi Tahu settlement and use from the 1840s, including areas on the Otago Peninsula, and at Waikouaiti, Karitāne and Puketeraki. Cultural evidence was also prepared by Brendan Flack.

The Future Development Strategy (FDS) is a spatial planning document to guide how Dunedin should manage urban growth and how infrastructure should be provided over the next 30 years. The FDS informs changes to the DCC’s District Plan and Infrastructure Strategy.

Issues raised at the hearing included:

• Lack of 3 Waters (drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater) infrastructure beyond Portobello.
• Peninsula Connection roading upgrades stopping at Portobello.
• Effects of water takes on the Waikouaiti awa, along with the need for resilient water supply for northern communities.
• The risks associated with the wastewater treatment plants at Waikouaiti and Warrington.
• The effects of septic tanks on the moana at Blueskin Bay and the Otago Harbour.
• The planning restrictions that have made it difficult for Kāi Tahu whānau to settle in the native reserves as was originally intended.