Media request for details of Fairlie Industrial Zone
1. What is the total area of land within Fairlie’s Industrial Zone that is owned or controlled by the Mackenzie District Council?
There are two industrial zones under the District Plan in Fairlie. Most of that industrial land is owned by a range of private businesses, including a large area of unused industrial land which has been available for sale for approximately 18 months – 5.77 hectares. Note, the larger industrial zone land has no reticulated sewer system, and has flood issues as it is adjacent to the river (witness historic Fairlie floods). The Council owns land in that zone including:
- the Fairlie Dog Park and picnic area - 1.54 hectares;
- the Fairlie Resource Recovery Park – 1.21 hectares (not including the entrance driveway);
- one of the Council’s forestry investment blocks, (which includes the entranceway to the Resource Recovery Park) - 7.11 hectares;
- a small strip of land used as an accessway for a transport company – 0.16 hectares;
- areas leased to industrial businesses – one title of 2.02 hectares and the other part title of 0.78 hectares.
2. What processes, criteria, and guidelines apply to businesses seeking to establish or operate within Fairlie’s Industrial Zone?
Businesses in the industrial zone must comply with the applicable Mackenzie District Plan rules for the Industrial zone, as well as any statutory/regulatory requirements. Any leasing of Council land will also involve the terms and conditions of a lease.
3. Over the past five years, what new operations have been established within Fairlie’s Industrial Zone, and what role has the council played in facilitating those developments?
Council does not require records of private businesses establishing or operating in the zone, except for rating purposes where ownership changes. The Council does not have a formal role in facilitating new private developments, other than consenting (if required) and water supply connections.
4. How does the council view commercial operations in rural residential areas where industrial land has not been adequately considered and provided by the council?
We do not know what is meant by “where industrial land has not been adequately considered and made available by the council”. District Plan reviews consider the need, extent and location of industrial land. Formal analysis of adequate industrial land being available in the Mackenzie District for zoning purposes, as part of the District Plan reviews, concluded there is sufficient industrial land across Mackenzie, including in Fairlie. From our knowledge of potential interest in industrial land in Fairlie we have not seen any indication that more land needs to be zoned. We note that in the larger Industrial area in Fairlie, a large block of 5.77 hectares has been for sale for approximately 18 months, which indicates there is not market demand for more industrial land currently.
In relation to industrial operations in rural residential zones that do not comply with District Plan requirements, the Council will follow up with compliance action as required. We have had community complaints regarding industrial activities in a rural residential zone in breach of the District Plan, which impacted residences, neighbours and their animals, and their home businesses. An example of the type of compliance action undertaken has been published on our website in response to a LGOIMA information request.
5. Has the council identified any cases where businesses have sought to operate in Fairlie’s Industrial Zone but have been unable to do so, and what were the reasons for those outcomes?
We are not aware of any such instance except in one case where the person advised us that they had approached private landowners in the zone, and that they had declined to lease land to that person. In relation to our two areas of leased land, those long term tenancies are ending. The current tenants are interested in having new lease arrangements.
The Council has advised the tenants and some other interested parties that Council proposes to run an open process seeking more formal expressions of interest from the community, and to then enter into new leases with chosen tenants as appropriate – likely to be at commercial rentals (and outgoings), and having terms and conditions of lease (the Councillors’ direction is for commercial rentals in order to generate revenue which offsets rates for the community).