June 2022 Update —- the Urban Task force is appealing Plan 27 in the Environment Court.

Flood Plan 27 - send an online form letter below to the CEO Tauranga City Council requesting the Consultation Period be extended to April 30 2021.

If you haven’t heard about Council’s Flood Plan Change 27 (PC27) then you need to read this immediately. And look in your letter box for the letter from the Tauranga City Council. All of Tauranga is impacted. Submissions close 18 December 2020, which is an unrealistically short time period and looks like “Imposition not consultation”.

Check out the effect on your property at https://gisapps.tauranga.govt.nz/plan_change/ and get your submission underway!! Or add your name and email to the form letter below and send to the CEO, Tauranga City Council.

For more information click here to go the Tauranga City Council website

See the example below and note Overland flow path and depth of water in Flood prone area.

ONLINE Form Letter to send to marty grenfell CEO Tauranga City Council

Fill in your name and email address and hit Submit at bottom of letter and it will automatically be sent. Pass this letter around your neighbours and friends in Tauranga.

Subject

Flood Plan 27 Consultation Period is too short for meaningful community feedback.

Dear Marty, 2 December 2020 Attn: Democracy Services, Marty Grenfell, Susan Jamieson, Carol Hair, I am writing in response to council letter dated 10 November regarding proposed Plan Changes including Plan Change 27. I formally request that the Council: · send letters to ALL property owners outlining the issues of Plan Change 27 · make the information more accessible and easy to understand · clarify misleading information in letters to public · send information to ALL properties that clearly highlights plan change 27 impacts everyone · urgently extend the submission period to 30thApril to allow adequate time for consideration · provide more information sessions for the public to attend · amend the submission format to be easy to understand. Conduct a peer review on the data and methodology by an independent professional engineering company. Relying on the results from one assessment is flawed and has led this council to bad outcomes recently. The information available online fails to adequately highlight the actual impact on property owners going forward, this is unfair as it does not provide the necessary information for property owners to fully understand the changes. Let the record also show that I formally request Council to extend the submission timeframe out to 30 April 2021, I further request that the Council make information sessions available in February when people and professionals have had a chance to get back to normal work and when Council staff have returned from holidays. These combined efforts would adequately enable property owner’s the required time for information gathering, assessment of the proposed plan with professionals and proper submissions to be made. Respectfully,

Add any further comments

Name

First Name

Last Name

or copy and paste the letter below and send to Tauranga Council.

democracy.services@tauranga.govt.nz, marty.grenfell@tauranga.govt.nz, susan.jamieson@tauranga.govt.nz, janine.speedy@tauranga.govt.nz, coral.hair@tauranga.govt.nz

December 2, 2020

Attn: Democracy Services, Marty Grenfell, Susan Jamieson, Carol Hair,

I am writing in response to a council letter dated November 10, 2020 regarding proposed Plan Changes including Plan Change 27.

I formally request that the Council:

· Send redrafted information letters to all property owners affected by Plan Change 27 containing clearer information and explaining the potential implications of the change on home owners and residential development.

· Extend the submission period to April 30, 2020 to allow adequate time for consideration.

· Make information sessions available in February to provide a timely opportunity for all residents to digest the information and respond.

· Amend the submission format to allow homeowners to make submissions in their own words, rather than in a prescribed format.

· Conduct a peer review on the data and methodology by a professional independent engineering company before implementation.

The information available online fails to describe the impact on property owners. As such it is misleading. This time frame for submissions is unreasonable and I note is on the cusp of the festive season when residents are planning holidays.

The letter council sent contains an error in that it tells readers the changes took legal effect on November 16, 2020. Notwithstanding that, many residents impacted by the changes have received no communication from council.

The times and locations of the public consultations discriminate against anyone working full time as sessions are largely during work hours (3-6pm). Just one weekend option is available.

Yours sincerely,

Some of the important points are as follows.. ( Supplied by a member of PRRA)

- PC27 significantly restricts the use of impacted properties through requiring consents for MINOR any property upgrades/changes (including fences and ground level changes) and in many cases eliminates the ability for property upgrades/development (eg parking, office, house extension, pool or BBQ areas). This is because PC27 establishes each individual property as “part of the storm water system” instead of designing a storm water solution to manage flooding. By restricting property use Council pushes drainage cost and responsibility of stormwater on to individual property owners who must install engineering designed stormwater drainage to “protect the storm water system” when any minor upgrade/development is made to their property.

- If this was not insulting enough, PC27 means Council receives an easement in their favour over the flood area – effectively taking control of your property. This represents an alarming precedent of infringement on property owners rights and entitlements.

- Property values will be negatively impact as PC27 “risks and restrictions” are recorded on LIM reports, once a property is identified with these risks insurance is more difficult and bank loans more difficult – similar to leaky homes – PC27 properties become higher risk and lending may be restricted (eg higher equity/deposit) further reducing property value

- PC27 enables Council to avoid its fundamental responsibility – flood protection through stormwater management. Flooding issues are unfairly represented in existing/longstanding suburbs, and reflects the long term and ongoing lack of stormwater and drainage investment in these areas. PC27 fails to provide an integrated solution to stormwater issues.

- The timeframe for public consultation is extremely short for such a significant issue. There are just 12 days left before submission deadline on 18 December 2020.

- Beware —Council say the flood mapping will change – your property is not safe – even if no flooding is on your property now – it could be included anytime there is an update. Meaning any change in the model assumptions (rain frequency, volume etc) would mean your property is now unable to be developed or upgraded. Make a submission now – protect your right to a storm water system that does not take away your right to use your property.

Comments:

The avoidance of responsibility is severe with Councillor Larry Baldock stating that “some areas need to be retreated from” which implies property owners could lose the entire value of their property. Councillor Baldock said he didn’t want the council to be lumped with flooding claims from impacted properties. It isn’t acceptable to place a risk notice and restrictions on private property and claim the job is done. How about fixing the real problem and upgrade the stormwater system?

Further, why is the flood event risk set so high? What are the alternatives? Why are these not open for public consultation? Why is Council hiding behind a plan change instead of addressing the real issues?

Why is the consultation time so short? Why is it right on Christmas time? Why is it being announced during a Mayoral resignation? Could it be to make sure that the people of Tauranga are too preoccupied to notice such a significant change? Could it be that Council doesn’t want anyone to know about such a major change until it is too late? Submit the form letter above.

Flood Plan 27