District Plan panel cancels tower blocks

In a decision that’s likely to please Pukerua Bay residents, the latest version of the Porirua City Council Proposed District Plan has removed any possibility of high-density housing being built in Pukerua Bay.

Read the latest version of the Porirua City District Plan here.

Kāinga Ora had proposed that every part of Pukerua Bay within 800 metres of the train station should be rezoned as ‘high-density housing’, which would have allowed at least six-storey buildings taller than 22 metres. We were worried that the panel was going to agree to that proposal, or at least rezone all the land within 400 metres of the station, which was the original Kāinga Ora proposal.

PCC has accepted the latest version without change as the new proposed plan. In this, the whole of Pukerua Bay is now locked in as ‘medium density housing’, which is the default for the Wellington region. This allows for up to three houses of three storeys each (up to 12 metres high) to be built on all residential properties as a permitted activity (i.e. without needing a resource consent).

Many Pukerua Bay residents, including the Residents Association, sent in submissions opposing the high-density proposal, and the Association is very pleased to see there won’t be any here.

The current version can be appealed to the Environment Court, but unless the court makes any changes, the latest version will be the final operative plan everyone has to follow.

Climate change and resilience added to District Plan

We were also very pleased to see that the panel added a new section on climate change and resilience to the introduction to the District Plan variation that covers the new developments off Muri Road and the Mount Welcome deer farm (i.e. Variation 1 Northern Growth Area).

We had pointed out that there was no mention of the need to both build to anticipate and prevent the impact of climate change in the new developments, and not do anything that would make it any worse. The panel added proposed wording directly from our submission:

The development will incorporate design principles that anticipate the effects of climate change, to mitigate its impacts, to avoid contributing to it and to increase community resilience.

District Plan panel cancels tower blocks Read More »

Sh 59 Pukerua Bay-Plimmerton Chip Sealing

Waha Kotahi has provied the following information regaring re-sealing of the highway from Pukerua Bay to Plimmerton. Not that you will not be able to turn into Airlie Rd when heading towards Plimmerton but will need to divert to the Plimmerton Roundabout and head north.

ROADWORKS: Laying a new surface of chipseal on the state highway

WHERE AND WHEN: 

State Highway 59, 2 separate sections south of Pukerua Bay to Plimmerton roundabout

Monday 30 October daytime, subject to postponement because of weather 

  1. 7am – 10am approx: a  short 100m section of the 2 northbound lanes beside the Airlie Road intersection
  2. 10am – 4.30pm approx: a 1km section of the 2 southbound lanes from the Weigh Station to Plimmerton roundabout 

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT: 

7am-10am: AIRLIE ROAD – HOW TO ACCESS THE INTERSECTION OR AVOID IT WHILE WORKS ARE TAKING PLACE

  • No right turn into Airlie Road if heading south from Pukerua Bay

o    Either continue south to Plimmerton roundabout, turn back north and use the slip lane into Airlie Road

o    Or use the main access to access Plimmerton at the Steyne Avenue traffic lights

  • Access north or south onto the state highway from Airlie Road
  • Left or right turns – traffic controllers will stop and hold vehicles until it is safe to wave you through
  • Or travel through Plimmerton to the southern exit at Steyne Avenue lights

10am-4.30pm: SOUTHBOUND LANES FROM PLIMMERTON WEIGH STATION TO ROUNDABOUT

  • One lane closed for works, traffic uses the other lane beside the works at restricted speed limit

UP TO 2 DAYS FOLLOWINGTHE WORKS:  

  • A temporary speed restriction will be in place following the works while the chips bed into the new seal 
  • 30km/h is the usual speed at first as this slower speed helps protect your car and others from loose chip
  • The speed limit will rise as traffic helps settle the chip into the new seal on the road surface

Sh 59 Pukerua Bay-Plimmerton Chip Sealing Read More »

Porirua Funders Expo on Wednesday October 5

Funders and support agencies will be on-hand on Thursday 5 October to help local groups as the Porirua Funders Expo is held again at Pātaka.

This event is for organisations looking for funds to support community-focused projects around sports, the arts, supporting youth, the environment, or other areas that provide local benefit.

For more info, including times and workshops, check out the attached poster.

Porirua Funders Expo on Wednesday October 5 Read More »

New constitution for Pukerua Bay Residents’ Association

The government has changed the legislation on incorporated societies (The Incorporated Societies Act 2022, passed on 6 April 2022), and this has some impact on both the Residents’ Association’s constitution and some of our practices. As a result, we need to change the constitution and have the changes approved by the Annual General Meeting on 11 October 2023.

New constitution for Pukerua Bay Residents’ Association Read More »