Federated Farmers Submission on Tasman Distrcit Council Proposed Plan Change 60: Rural Land Use and Subdivision Policy Review
For farmers and other large landowners, land is a critical asset and there are important implications arising from regulation of subdivision that need to be appropriately considered.
Inappropriately designed or located subdivision can result in the inefficient use of natural and physical resources and can give rise to adverse environmental effects. We broadly agree that these concerns should be addressed through the District Plan, in a way that provides certainty for developers and landowners, and which aligns subdivision provisions with Council’s broader strategic planning.
However, it is also important that the District Plan recognises that unnecessary constraints on otherwise appropriate subdivision can also result in adverse effects. In considering the proposed rules around subdivision, Federated Farmers seeks to ensure there is a degree of flexibility for landowners in the rural area. This flexibility is necessary to recognise that the economic and social drivers for subdivision differ between farming operations, and that these different drivers often require different treatment.
Farmers undertake low impact subdivision for a variety of reasons. These vary from diversifying their business into tourism operations (lodgings and or associated tourism development and infrastructure), providing for or disposing of a surplus dwelling on the property where a neighbouring farm is purchased, providing for a family member or staff member to live on the farm or to implement a succession plan for multiple siblings through small lot subdivision.
A farm may be valued considerably beyond its underlying productive capacity, simply because of where the farm is located – for instance its proximity to an urban centre and urban infrastructure, particular views, if it is beside the coast or an area where the public wish to live or holiday – or its potential value for other land uses. This results in the example farm paying considerably more in rates or facing significantly increased opportunity costs from continuing to farm the land, as opposed to subdividing the property for some other land use. This in turn creates a significant economic driver for subdivision.
In addition, returns from farming are variable due to a number of factors outside the direct control of the land owner including weather conditions, economic conditions, individual property circumstances and market demands. Like any business, diversification, flexibility, responsiveness and cash flow are critically important to retaining the viability of farming.
For more, please see the full submission