Palmerston North City Council adopts ‘balanced approach’ to growth

Palmerston North's Future Growth Strategy sets out what a well-functioning urban environment means for the city. Photo / ManawatuNZ.co.nz

Palmerston North City Council and Horizons Regional Council have agreed on a plan for housing and business growth across the city and wider district for the next 30 years.

The Future Development Strategy is the blueprint for where and how growth can happen and what infrastructure will be needed, Mayor Grant Smith said.

The strategy proposes a balanced approach to growing Palmerston North, which includes increasing density in some areas within the city and some greenfield expansion around the edges.

The plan for accommodating growth within the city includes introducing a new medium residential zone in some areas, along with infill housing such as granny flats or subdivision of existing properties.

Greenfield expansion for homes includes plans to rezone land in Aokautere and Kākātangiata on the western edge of the city towards Longburn to meet demand over the next 30 years.

In response to feedback from the community, changes were made to some of the plans for expansion at Te Utanganui, to the northeast of the city. These changes were:

• Removal of two long-term growth areas in Te Utanganui on productive agricultural soils near Bunnythorpe
• Including four new properties to investigate for industrial growth and one new possible area for residential growth.
• Transport and stormwater changes in Te Utanganui masterplan to better enable industrial development in the North East Industrial Zone.

A joint steering group consisting of three councillors from each council worked on the Future Development Strategy. The group recommended a range of changes that were adopted by both councils. These included:

• The need for further work to be done on city-wide stormwater risk, flood risk and flood protection infrastructure to inform the next future development strategy
• Greater recognition of the needs of the Pasifika community in the strategy
• Concerns around village severance in Bunnythorpe will be taken into account in the planning of the Manawatū Regional Freight Ring Road
• Increased consideration of economic constraints, future landfill capacity, and natural landscapes when planning for growth
• Enhanced processes to better reflect the environmental impact of the different growth scenarios.

The strategy will be reviewed in three years.

“It’s great to have reached agreement on a cohesive strategy for Palmerston North that will allow us to plan and provide for our future needs in a way that balances demand for growth but also our unique environment,” Smith said.