The Teviot Valley Spatial Plan was signed off by the Central Otago District Council this week.

It was the third spatial planning project undertaken by the council in recent years, following the Cromwell Masterplan and the Vincent Spatial Plan.

The plan was designed to provide direction for growth and development of Roxburgh, Lake Roxburgh Village, Ettrick and Millers Flat for the next 30 years. 

Council’s adoption of the plan enabled plan changes in the Teviot Valley to progress and provided land for housing for the next three decades and beyond, along with a range of housing types to meet demand. 

It would also help deliver more affordable houses (on smaller sections), such as medium density infill housing in the centre of Roxburgh township, bringing vibrancy back to the main commercial area. 

A height restriction of two storeys was considered appropriate by the community for this zoning in Roxburgh, given the existing character and heritage of the town.

The plan also allowed for a consolidated ribbon of Large Lot Residential along part of Roxburgh East Road and Ladysmith Road. 

The land to the north of this Large Lot Residential zoning being retained as Rural aligned with current use and reflected the community’s desire to protect productive rural land on the outskirts of Roxburgh.

A new settlement zone replaced the existing Low Density residential areas in Ettrick, Millers Flat and Roxburgh Village. 

The settlement zoning allowed some flexibility in the development of residential, small-scale commercial, light industrial and/or community activities that would fit with and add benefit to the township;

The plan also allowed for cycle trail connections between the existing Roxburgh Gorge and Clutha Gold trails and Ettrick.

Speaking in the public forum at the meeting, Teviot Valley Community Board chair Norm Dalley said the cycle trails had been cited as important to Teviot's economic development.

In her report to council, principal policy planner Ann Rodgers said that by taking a long-term approach, the plan would ensure the towns continued to be places that supported healthy and vibrant communities, and inform future land use patterns and decisions about potential

new zonings in the Central Otago District Plan.

“It is a high-level blueprint for the future that ensures growth can occur in a positive and sustainable way and allows consideration of growth before it happens.”

The spatial plan was a collaboration between the CODC, the community and the Teviot Valley Community Board, Aukaha, the Otago Regional Council, industry representatives and business owners.

It took place between late 2022 and July this year.

At the meeting, Ann expressed her appreciation for the input received.

"We are very grateful for the generosity of the participants who invested a great deal of their time to help us."

In addition to working with the key stakeholder group, the spatial plan team held multiple, well attended public meetings across the valley, almost filling the Ettrick and Millers Flat halls, to find out about community aspirations. 

The team also met with pupils at Roxburgh Area School.

Ann also talked about the Teviot's unique challenges such as alluvial fan hazards that run through the Roxburgh township, and was working with the regional council, which was in the process of evaluating tenders for the investigation area.

The community chose to plan for aspirational growth, which is 50 per cent greater than growth predictions indicated; this allows an additional 540 new homes in the Teviot Valley during the next 30 years.

It was also important to the community that productive soils were retained and there was as little movement into rural land.

For more information about the Teviot Valley Spatial Plan go to here