More industry land needed

Wakatu Incorporation is interested to see the industrial component of the planned Motueka West development proceed first in order to create jobs for the town’s expected growing population.

Tasman District Council’s Motueka West and Central Development plan would see about 100 hectares of land, primarily between King Edward and Pah streets, developed for residential and industrial use. About 80 per cent of the land is owned by Wakatu.

Council projections showed that the town needed 635 more houses in the next 25 years, and another 44 hectares (108 acres) of retail, industrial and commercial land in the next 50 years.

Under the draft plan, about 40ha is zoned light industrial, 40ha is zoned residential, and the rest is zoned mixed business and commercial.

Wakatu also has three other subdivisions under way.

Wakatu’s manager of lands Iain Sheves told Motueka Community Board members on Tuesday that stage three of its 100-lot Te Maatu subdivision off Parker St has been completed and the 24-section stage four would be started when the market demanded, while titles to stage one of the 58-lot high end Puketutu subdivision off Old Wharf Rd were expected any day, he said.

It is planned that the 101-lot Grey St subdivision would provide more affordable living square metres to around 700sqmnte, Iain said.

Wakatu director Barney Thomas told board members that while people needed somewhere to live, they also needed places to work and more industrial land was needed in Motueka to provide room for businesses wanting to move to the town.

Board member Paul Hawkes asked if development could initially focus on the Motueka West industrial land to open up job opportunities.

However, Motueka councillor Jack Inglis told the board he was concerned the council’s plans would see the loss of prime horticultural land.