Otatara subdivision gets approval despite opposition

A 31-section subdivision will be built at Otatara after the developer has been granted consent, despite opposition from Invercargill Airport.

Independent commissioner Rob Enright, on behalf of the Invercargill City Council, granted DLC Properties Limited consent to subdivide a 29 hectare site at 60 Otatara Rd, and a 1.2ha vacant portion of the adjoining Invercargill Golf Course on Dunns Rd, into 31 new allotments of 1ha each.

The land, currently paddocks located north of the golf course, is under the airport’s flight path.

The airport company opposed the application, arguing the creation of 31 new properties created the risk of annoyance and/or sleep disturbance for future residents from aircraft noise overhead.

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It also said it would be preferable to avoid development in the event of a low probability, high impact event [understood referring to the risk of an aviation related accident].

However, DLC Properties said future property owners at the subdivision would be on notice of airport noise effects by way of no complaints covenants, so would be fully informed.

There was “no evidence” of frequent late night scheduled flights to or from the airport, and relatively limited activity at the airport.

And DLC Properties pointed to the existing residential dwellings, in Otatara and the wider city, already located under the eastern flight paths to and from the airport.

It acknowledged future residents of the Otatara subdivision would experience noise effects from overflying aircraft approaching or taking off from the airport in a westerly direction.

On Monday, DLC Properties director Dan Chisnall said conditions of the consent included that properties built in the subdivision would have acoustic insulation requirements, mainly in the ceilings of the houses, to reduce inside noise to a certain decibel level.

“It’s an overhead noise … so it’s mainly [insulation] requirements in the ceiling.”

He did not believe the aircraft noise would be an issue for homeowners at the subdivision.

“It’s up to the individual what they are comfortable with. Having stood on that site and listened to planes going overhead my personal opinion is it’s not loud … and there are very infrequent late night flights anyway.”

The granting of consent, after a nearly three-year process, was a good result for himself and the people of Invercargill, he said.

“It gives people more options of where to live.”

He believed it was also a good result for the golf course, which had supported the application and would now discuss selling 1.2ha of its unused land to him. If purchased, it would link a short walking track from the subdivision to the Otatara School and cafes.

He was unable to say when he would start developing the sections, but noted the consent lapsed in five years.

Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark said he believed the subdivision would be a good thing for the city.

“The more houses we can develop the better, we do have a shortage of housing in both volume and quality and we’ve got a lot of industry coming our way in the next five years.

“Some will need housing for their workers, so the more we develop now the better off we will be.”

The commissioner’s decision says the subdivision is appropriate because it meets the district plan framework for management of noise effects on airport operations.

Any adverse effects were acceptable, including in relation to airport noise, his decision says.

Invercargill Golf Club president Wayne Hamilton welcomed approval of the subdivision.

The boundary fence between the golf course and subdivision would be removed so the subdivision would be open to the golf course, he said.

Invercargill Airport commercial and business development manager Julie Jack said they had just received the commissioner’s decision so did not have any comment to make.