The second community engagement phase for the Vincent Spatial Plan opened this week, with three preliminary options unveiled, at a community event at Alexandra Library on Tuesday afternoon. 

The Vincent Spatial Plan has been in development since March this year.

The Central Otago District Council (CODC) said the plan will address the challenges and opportunities of growth and land use in the Alexandra/Clyde area and Omakau/Ophir, mapping out a pathway for the next 30 years and beyond.

About 30 people gathered at the Alexandra Library to hear the outline of the next stage of the planning process. 

Central Otago District councillors and staff were on hand to answer questions and discuss the project. 

Vincent ward residents and property owners are being encouraged to provide feedback over the coming two months on options for how future growth could be accommodated in the area.

The plan has three workflows, which include growth land use, water and wastewater, and the Alexandra Airport masterplan. 

The latter of which has become its own, somewhat separate plan which Council staff say won’t specifically be addressed in the Vincent Spatial Plan. 

Rationale Infrastructure Engineer Edward Guy, the CODC’s consultant on the Vincent Spatial Plan, said a key part of the next stage of planning is to decide on the options proposed. 

Three options were presented, with all three being “high level” representations rather than end results. 

CODC’s Vincent Spatial Plan consultant presented the three preliminary options at Alexandra Library earlier this week. Photo The Central App. 

The first option proposes managed growth through urban expansion and rural residential infill, where existing sections may be subdivided to accommodate two or more houses. 

The second option is for managed growth balanced between urban and rural, while the third option is for managed growth mostly contained in existing urban areas and some urban expansion. 

Edward said these represent a range of growth scenarios, ranging from resource consents popping up anywhere and judged individually, to a more proactive and constrained planned scenario. 

He said it represented a balanced, down to a more “managed” scenario, and stressed these are just generic options and not yet specific and were designed for guidance through this part of the planning stage. 

Feedback gathered through the community values survey, at workshops and public drop-in sessions has informed the formulation of options for where and how the Vincent area could grow.

Three shortlisted options have been identified for how Alexandra and Clyde and the surrounding basin could grow. 

A concept plan for proposed growth in Omakau/Ophir has also been developed.  

Community feedback will refine options to a preferred design for both regions.

Last week, Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan said the community needs to be heard on what they want their community to be in the future. 

"We need to hear from the community what they think about each of the shortlisted options,” he said. 

“All cater for projected population growth but achieve this in slightly different ways, for example through infill or through residential growth into rural land.

“What is going out for discussion is high level at this stage and represents a direction more than a destination. 

“The final outcome could be a combination of proposed options so it’s important that people tells us what they like or don’t like about the options and why, and where they think we might need further consideration. 

“We want the final preferred option to truly represent what the community wants.”

Vincent Community Board Chair Martin McPherson said earlier, that he hoped for a massive response from the community.

“We had a great response to our earlier phase of engagement,” Martin said. “We would encourage people to keep their eyes peeled for more detail of information sessions the planning team will be holding. 

“People can come along, find out more and ask questions as we appreciate that planning can sometimes be a complex topic to get your head around.”

The engagement period will run through until early February and includes public information sessions and a survey to gather feedback.

More information and a Let’s Talk Options engagement document are available online at www.codc.govt.nz/vincentspatialplan and available at the Alexandra Council offices, Alexandra New World, Omakau and Clyde Four Squares.