We have a document called Heretaunga Plains Urban Development Strategy (HPUDS) which is the result of a collaborative approach by the Hastings District Council, Napier City Council and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council towards managing urban and industrial growth on the Plains from 2015 to 2045.

The joint Strategy was first adopted in 2010, then a reviewed version re-adopted by the three councils in early 2017. The next review of HPUDS is due 2021/2022. HPUDS sets a strategic plan to predict and monitor population growth and to target urban and industrial growth areas for development and expansion for the next five years. In the last 2017 HPUDS document, 491ha (over 1,200 acres) was identified for expansion of urban residential development over the Heretaunga Plains.

A further 150ha for urbanization beyond the above probably required. 110ha for industrial areas, with another 225ha believed to be needed by 2045. 976ha in total; all planned on fertile soils. (Over 2,400 acres….!!!) Included in the 2017 HPUDS document, the following areas have been designated for future urban and industrial development:

1. The new designated areas for Residential Growth areas in Napier take up 277 ha of land. Apart from 43 ha on the “Western Hills”, all the rest is on the “Plains” which includes approximately 100 ha in the Te Awa area.

2. In the Hastings area (HDC boundaries), there’s 367 ha designated for Residential Growth...!! 257 ha is on the “Plains”...!! Areas off the Plains, such as Haumoana / Te Awanga (East Rd), Maraekakaho Settlement, Middle Rd / Iona Rd and Waimarama, take up the remaining 110 ha.

3. What is termed Residential Reserve areas such as South Pirimai (Napier), and in the Hastings District, Arataki Extension, Middle Rd (in part) which is each side of Te Aute Rd from the Karamu Stream over to Middle Rd, Murdock Rd / Railway Rd South and Wall Rd (in part) are all areas for possible new future residential development on the “Plains”. The total area of these areas is approximately 150 ha.

4. The designated Industrial / Business areas are: the Awatoto Growth Area, Napier Business Park, Irongate Industrial, Omahu Industrial, Tomoana Industrial and Whakatu Industrial which in total cover another 110 ha (maybe more). Over and above this, there seems to be another 225 ha required for industrial and business expansion by 2045...!!

So in summary:

491 ha is already earmarked for residential growth in the Napier and Hastings areas... all on the “Plains”.
An additional 150 ha for possible new residential growth over and above the above.
Then there’s a further 110 ha already planned for industrial / business development.
A further 225ha required for industrial development by 2045.
That’s a total of 976ha of our Heretaunga Plains gone...!! Gone forever...!!

THIS CAN NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.

Areas of HN Napier and Hastings pre WW2.png

Approximately 5,550 hectares of land has been taken for urban development. This area does not include lifestyle blocks which also become unproductive and non producing!

THIS ECONOMIC VANDALISM MUST STOP.

HPUDS, as the present standing document, needs to be shaken up, shaken out and revamped to prioritize development off fertile soils and onto unproductive soils.