Alexandra’s Buy and Sell Facebook page lit up this week when Taste Central Otago owner Adrienne Lamb posted that the Central Otago District Council (CODC) had banned her monthly community car boot sale.

Adrienne said the council planning department had told her she was not permitted to hold the sale as selling second hand goods at a joint car boot sale or a garage sale is not permitted under the district plan. 

Lamb’s business, Taste Central Otago, is on the corner of Letts Gully and Springvale roads and is zoned rural residential.  

“We have a resource consent to operate our shop as a rural retail selling place,” posted Adrienne. 

However, that consent does not mention second hand goods and planning officers told her “we, or in fact anyone in the same zoning, would be required to apply for a specific resource consent”. 

Application for consent comes with a fee and no guarantee of success.

Many people expressed support for Adrienne on social media, calling council’s enforcement of the rule pedantic and overly officious.

Numerous comments pointed out that the council promotes waste minimisation and shutting down a second-hand sale goes against this ethos. 

Others objected to a perceived overreach of the council into ratepayers’ activities on their own properties.

However, the CODC planning department was keen to dispel the idea that they are the Christmas Grinch.

The CODC office

“Garage sales/car boot sales are a really positive way of moving goods on to new owners, especially at this time of year,” CODC planning and regulatory services manager Lee Webster said. 

“The one-off sales we see around our beautiful district can and should continue as these are temporary activities.”

The challenge is when such sales become more regular, rather than one-offs. 

“Unfortunately, as this occurs there are wider effects that we need to consider…through a consent.”

“So, for 99.9 per cent of car boot/garage sales, there is no change and the grinch is banished from Central Otago,” Lee said. 

The council said it will be in contact with Adrienne to discuss her options regarding holding a regular car boot sale.