KEY POINTS:
The Environment Court has imposed limits on the number of house lots in the Swanson Foothills of the Waitakere Ranges - to the delight of campaigners against suburban sprawl.
In a long-awaited decision, the court has confirmed a structure plan for a maximum of 52 lots during the life of the Waitakere District Plan.
This is compared with a total of 200 new lots that a landowners' group claimed could reasonably be created by subdivision of their properties.
The Waitakere City Council's revised structure plan proposal of 116 lots drew 18 objections, including those from the Auckland Regional Council and Waitakere Ranges Protection Society.
The city council argued that its plan was kinder to the foothills environment than the present system of controlled subdivision down to 4ha lots.
However, Judge Jon Jackson and three commissioners decided that the number of properties allocated a subdivision opportunity should be limited if the purpose of the Resource Management Act was to be achieved.
The court also decided that subdivision beyond that should be prohibited within the structure plan area for the life of the district plan. This is usually reviewed every 10 years.
The court said the Swanson Foothills were "on the cusp of no longer being rural right now".
Commenting on the decision, ARC planning chairman Paul Walbran said the ARC thought 52 lots was appropriate and that prohibiting further subdivision gave certainty for the future.
Mr Walbran said the decision emphasised the importance of the Waitakere Ranges and foothills and supported the principles recently cast in the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Act.
He was pleased that the court found the foothills were unique and an important ecological and visual buffer between metropolitan Auckland and the ranges.
Landowners were meeting last night to discuss whether the decision should be appealed to the High Court.
"We are not greedy landowners and we don't want suburbia in the foothills," said resident John Newick, of Strategic Property Advocacy network, which has 1000 members spread over the ranges foothills.
"We say we are responsible conservationists. We are disgusted and angry that a council decision, based on expert opinion and exhaustive public consultation, can be disregarded."
