Developer seeks 84 sections
by Chris Marshall
Seven Oaks Kinloch has advertised a new subdivision proposal for Kinloch, seeking to develop 84 residential sized lots, roads and reserves in several stages.
The new subdivision is proposed for the end of Okaia Drive.
The project is proposed on about 12 hectares of land at the end of Okaia and Kahikatea Drives, west of Kinloch village.
It is the latest stage of the Seven Oaks development which already encompasses several blocks in the area, including a 55-lot neighbouring development known as The Terraces.
In 2023, the developers applied for consent for 100 lots on the same site which attracted 25 submissions, however it was withdrawn in late 2024.
While the latest proposal drops the number of lots to 84 and increases the average size, it will still result in a higher density of lots than anticipated for the Kinloch Low Density zone, by an additional 68 lots compared to 16 lots enabled by the Taupō District Plan
This is due to it having 10ha in the Kinloch Low Density zone and 1ha in the Kinloch Residential zone available for residential lots where the respective minimum and average lot sizes are 1ha and 1.5ha (Kinloch Low Density) and 800m2 and 1000m2 (Kinloch Residential) which results in the potential for only six low density lots (10ha / 1.5ha) and 10 residential lots (1ha / 1000m2).
The proposal’s residential lot sizes range from 800m2 to 2548m2.
Earthworks will be in excess of the permitted limits and for future development on the residential lots to exceed the provisions in relation to building coverage, plot ratio and building setbacks.
In supporting documents submitted by Seven Oaks, Phoenix Ecology assesses the development site to be of moderate ecological value, with low value biodiversity attributes and no indigenous vegetation values. It might provide habitat for the nationally threatened long-tailed bat, at risk short-tailed bat, and New Zealand pipit.
The development site is bordered by the Otaketake Scenic Reserve and Okaia Stream Reserve, meaning the proposed subdivision would bring housing closer to these protected areas.
Phoenix concludes the overall effect of the proposed works to be low, if all its recommendations to avoid and minimise effects are implemented.
These include sediment control and stormwater management, buffering of lighting and noise effects on the adjacent reserve areas through setbacks, and the consideration of wildlife-sensitive features for outdoor lighting to minimise light pollution.
A restoration planting plan would establish corridors to link habitats across the site, as much as feasible, Phoenix noted.
In the landscape and visual assessment, landscape architects Mansergh Graeme argue the development could tidy up the distribution of the different housing densities in Kinloch, and the transitions between them.
The planned transition within the application area, on the western side of Kinloch, terminates arbitrarily at a narrow neck within the proposed residential area which creates an imbalance, its assessment says.
“This imbalance reduces the overall legibility of Kinloch as a whole, as the western transition does not align with the general density transition location expressed on the valley floor and there is no obvious landscape rationale for the transition at this point.”
Applying consistency in the broad location of the transition between densities could be considered to enhance the overall legibility of the village and improve its coherence and aesthetic appeal, the assessment says.
“The proposed increased extent of residential area density reduces this imbalance as it shifts the transition further to the north.”
Mansergh Graeme concludes that overall, from a landscape visual amenity perspective, the areas of non-compliance are not considered to result in any significant effects on the wider receiving environment beyond a compliant Kinloch Residential/Kinloch Low Density subdivision – because it is amongst other residential development.
“This is due to the subdivision’s location on an elevated landform, immediately adjacent to previously consented stages of the Seven Oaks development, with a higher ridgeline back drop to the west and significant extent of surrounding vegetation. As a result, the subdivision will not cause the visual obstruction of any significant features behind it, nor will it appear out of character within the surrounding context.”
Seven Oaks Kinloch has requested a longer lapse period than the default five-year period for the consents, to 10 years for both the subdivision and land use proposals.
In some of the initial consultation with the Kinloch community one couple notes the development would have a serious impact on “lifestyle, views and quality of living” and express concern about “super high density directly in front of our home.”
“We anticipated that (development) would happen eventually. However, for it to be happening so quickly by the circumventing of the Taupō and Kinloch District Plan to allow high density right up to our boundaries, we feel is unacceptable.”
Public submissions on the proposal must be received by the Taupō District Council by 5pm on Thursday, April 3.