NZ: Noise, Safety, and Land Use Concerns Stall Hastings GC Housing Development

A proposed 170-home development at Hastings Golf Club has been put on hold amid serious concerns over noise complaints, aviation safety, and loss of productive land.

The development, proposed by Golf Sport Development Limited Partnership (GSDLP) in partnership with Hastings Golf Club (commonly known as Bridge Pa), would rezone 82.12 hectares of golf course from the Plains Production Zone to a new “Heretaunga Golf Tourism Zone.” The plan included high-end residential dwellings with ‘no complaint’ covenants due to the site’s proximity to the Hastings Aerodrome.

Originally set to be heard by a Hastings District Council panel in early June, the developers requested an adjournment late last month. Their reasoning centered on anticipated changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA), which may ease restrictions on building over productive land. The panel chair, Kitt Littlejohn, approved the delay and instructed GSDLP to keep the council informed of any legislative developments.

However, a comprehensive planning report has already recommended that the application be declined. Authored by council-appointed planner Rowena Macdonald, the 150-page assessment cited numerous unresolved issues despite several technical assessments and 104 public submissions.

Chief among these was the issue of reverse sensitivity — where new residential developments create complaints about established neighboring activities. Macdonald warned that the proposed dwellings, situated directly under a busy flight path at Hastings Aerodrome, could threaten the aerodrome’s long-term operations through legal challenges and noise complaints. She deemed the proposed ‘no complaint’ covenants unenforceable and ineffective in the long term.

The aerodrome, in operation since 1932 and managed by the Hawke’s Bay & East Coast Aero Club, is a significant regional asset. With 54 hangars, 100 resident aircraft, and around 40,000 annual aircraft movements, it plays a vital role in the area’s aviation landscape. Macdonald noted the risk to aircraft safety and residential amenity, calling the development “a significant adverse effect” on both.

In addition to aviation concerns, the development would permanently remove a portion of the Heretaunga Plains from productive use. Macdonald highlighted that some of the proposed site is classified as LUC-3 land—highly versatile and important for future food production. She concluded that urban development would permanently eliminate this land from primary production.

Furthermore, the proposal was found to be inconsistent with key planning documents and the sustainable management principles of the RMA.

Summary of Outcomes:

• The development hearing has been postponed due to pending RMA reforms.

• The council’s planning report recommends the proposal be declined.

• Key concerns include:

  • Potential noise complaints (reverse sensitivity) affecting Hastings Aerodrome.

  • Risks to aviation safety and residential amenity.

  • Permanent loss of highly productive land.

  • Inconsistency with district and national planning frameworks.

Unless legislative changes significantly shift the planning context, the development appears unlikely to proceed in its current form.