Growth in the Hills

Read The GreenField Growth Capacity Review Download this discussion document  

Napier is growing. While there’s some space in existing neighbourhoods, we also need to extend our urban boundaries to meet demand. We call this ‘greenfield growth’. Napier needs to provide for another 2,500 houses over the next 10 years.

Background

For a number of reasons, we can’t continue to rely on Napier’s flat land for greenfield growth. That’s because:

• it is subject to natural hazards such as flooding and tsunami inundation. Continuing to build on the flat becomes costly when we need to find solutions to reduce risk to people, property and infrastructure;
• the soil of the Heretaunga Plains is high quality and better used to grow food and crops for the benefit of our communities and economy.

Growth in the hills will reduce the challenges we face with development on flat land. With any future greenfields growth, we can ensure a quality design that celebrates landscape, cultural and environmental values through thoughtful planting and stormwater management, and the integration of publicly accessible walking tracks.

Structure Plans

In order to understand how the District Plan could support future urban growth of the city in the hills to the west of Napier and Taradale, separate consultants were engaged to produce high level structure plans for those areas of the hills identified as being the most likely to support residential expansion. 

The purpose of the structure plans is to identify land that is suitable for housing and supporting land uses such as neighbourhood centres, reserves, and transport routes; determine a reasonable yield analysis of how many dwellings can be accommodated in each area; and demonstrate how the areas can be serviced by key infrastructure including the costs of doing so.

The structure plans report has essentially determined that the growth options in the hills are expensive, produce relatively little yield and therefore are considered unfeasible for market driven development at this stage. 

Council is however continuing to look at options for providing long term growth in light of the upcoming review of HPUDS in 2021 and has initiated work on a ‘Spatial Plan’ as a precursor to the sub-regional growth strategy.  The purpose of the spatial plan is to identify appropriate areas for housing and business growth, including areas of intensification within the urban area, as well as potential greenfield growth options.

 READ THE GREENFIELD GROWTH HIGH LEVEL STRUCTURE PLANS

Moving forward

The Mission Residential Precinct, which will provide for around 550 homes, is one step in the process of shifting Napier’s growth to the hills. And now we have an opportunity, through the District Plan Review, to signal where additional future urban growth in the hills may be appropriate. This is only the first step in the process and we would need to eventually rezone suitable land.  This would occur at a later stage and only following detailed planning and opportunities for community consultation.

A report we commissioned from WSP-Opus identified opportunities and constraints for residential development in the western hills: Taradale Hills, Tironui Drive and surrounds, and Poraiti.

The Esk Hills were not assessed due to their high cultural value, significant natural areas, and because they are relatively remote city centre and Taradale.  from key amenities in the