Small country towns hit by urban sprawl

The demise of the rural village in New Zealand is typified by a fivefold increase over three years in the size of Prebbleton on the outskirts of Christchurch, Lincoln University senior lecturer Dr Shelley Egoz says.

"All over New Zealand accelerated residential development is replacing farming landscape."

Ordinary farm land that embraces heritage values important to New Zealand society is not being protected, says the academic, who will present her findings to a heritage conference at Otago University this month.

Prebbleton is a "dramatic" example of urban sprawl and loss of community, she said.

Once the community won a 20-year fight to get rid of a mushroom-composing business, people started to sell land and between 2000 and 2003 the village's geographical dimensions spread fivefold, becoming an "everywhere landscape suburban neighbourhood".

Dr Egoz said people who had lifestyle blocks and small farming businesses got sandwiched in by development and joined the land sales.

Local people said in interviews they did not mind newcomers but felt a loss of community.

Dr Egoz said they felt Prebbleton had become high-density suburbia where they did not know their new neighbours, who sent their children to school in Christchurch.

This kind of ad-hoc, unplanned development without consultation with locals was a concern, she said.

The April 28-30 conference will also hear from Aucklander John Adam about the history of open spaces in the city, and Auckland landscape architect Bridgit Diprose will speak about the risk of city dwellers becoming disconnected from the natural environment and communities.