Major milestone for air base project

Big housing plans for the former Hobsonville Air Base have reached a milestone with approval of land use consents covering 1100 homes over 60ha.

It is the first stage in plans for 3000 homes that Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey calls the country's largest single development.

"It is like the entire town of Blenheim moving up and being built from scratch," he said.

Hobsonville Land Company - a Housing New Zealand subsidiary - outlined its comprehensive development plan for detached, medium-density and apartment units in the Buckley Hobsonville part of the old base at a hearing in December.

The plan includes shops, two schools and a large park.

In a reserved decision, planning commissioners say the comprehensive plan meets the proposed Plan Change 13 rules for allowing urban growth on the Hobsonville Peninsula, which has rural lifestyle blocks and defence base housing.

The plan would have "more than minor adverse effect" on local amenity values, said commissioners Les Simmons and Kitt Littlejohn.

Their site visit showed the quiet, green, open and unhurried lifestyle of residents on Scott and Clark Rds beside the airfield.

"To those residents, Plan Change 13 and the [consent] application must signal the fast approach of the city to their doorstep and with that the loss of their rural-residential lifestyle." However, the commissioners said this could be met by conditions imposed on the consent. "Good urban design principles will deliver a variety of homes, energy and transport efficiency ..."

Housing would be at a higher yet appropriate density and encourage people out of cars by integrating pedestrian and cycleway networks.

Effects on Hobsonville Rd traffic would be eased by the SH18 deviation and works.

At the hearing, the company abandoned a proposal that the 1100 houses would include up to 15 per cent state rental housing and up to 15 per cent affordable housing, in response to the new Government's wishes.

An 8.21ha site had been bought for a secondary school and a primary school site was in a future development area of the 111ha base.

There was also a potential 10ha public park at Bomb Pt, giving visitors views down the Waitemata Harbour and access to a 4.5km coastal walkway.

Yesterday, the Environment Court said it had received appeals against the decision from five parties.

Lawyer Alan Webb, who acts for two of the parties, said there was a fundamental objection to the development proceeding under the proposed Plan Change 13 as well as adverse effects on the social and economic wellbeing of residents.

Hobsonville Land Co chief executive Sean Bignell said earthworks for the first housing stage were scheduled to start in October and other stages would follow to fit market demand.