The Hastings District Council has started a formal five-week public consultation and consenting process on proposals to establish a new racecourse in Hastings by late 2029.
It started with public notification of applications on Saturday.
The public has until 5pm on June 26 to offer feedback and make submissions on the plans for a greenfields development on 44.5ha off southwestern Flaxmere boundary Portsmouth Rd.
The board of Hawke’s Bay Racing (HBR) unveiled proposals at the start of last September. They included what was called effectively a land-swap to enable the current inner-Hastings racecourse bounded by Railway, Prospect and Southland roads to become a residential development.
With the green-light from members at a vote in December, three applications have been lodged by Portmouth Land Co on behalf of HBR.
Council chief Nigel Bickle stressed that no decisions have been made, and the council role now is to independently manage the legal process, assess the applications under the relevant legislation, and hear from the community before making any decisions.
“This is a private proposal that has been lodged with Council, and no decisions have been made,” he said in a statement.
“Our role is to ensure there is a fair and transparent process, and that the community has the opportunity to understand the proposal and have a say.”
Three separate but related applications have been lodged:
• A private plan change (rezoning the site from Plains Production and Open Space to Stadium Zone and Racecourse Precinct) to enable the racecourse and related activities;
• An application to purchase council-owned land known as Ramsey Crescent Reserve;
• An application for an easement over part of a reserve at the end of Flaxmere Ave to provide access to the proposed development.
Under the private plan change application, the council will consider matters including traffic, noise, lighting, water infrastructure, effects on neighbouring properties, cultural and environmental values, and how the development would look and function within the surrounding area.
Bickle said it was important that people understood they could comment on any or all parts of the proposal.
If approved, the private plan change would not automatically allow construction to begin, for further approvals, including resource consents, building consents and engineering approvals, would still be required.
People can review the proposal and make submissions on the plan change and reserves applications online at https://www.myvoicemychoice.co.nz/hdc/
It can also be done by completing a paper submission form at Hastings, Flaxmere or Havelock North libraries, or by posting submissions to Hastings District Council, Private Bag 9002, Hastings 4156.
The applications propose that, if successful, earthworks would start in November this year and, with further building consent and engineering approvals, construction could start in July 2027.
Doug Laing is a Hawke’s Bay Today reporter, with more than 50 years’ experience in journalism, the last 39 consecutively covering events and issues in Hawke’s Bay, since starting a second stint with the Daily Telegraph in Napier in 1987.