Should the rural zone be predominantly a working environment or
is there room to accommodate a growing number of residential
lifestylers?
Farming is accepted by most as an appropriate use of rural land
but other rural activities like gravel and sand extraction are
facing considerable opposition where new development is proposed.
Often the opposition stems from potentially affected residents
occupying smaller lifestyle blocks who have moved to the country in
the search of a quieter existence. It appears that often proposed
quarry developments cannot meet the expectations of their
residential neighbours.
The policies in the current plans in Canterbury provide little
certainty for quarry operators as they are balanced and seek to
maintain amenity while also enabling rural activities. For example,
the Christchurch District Plan contains a policy which seeks to
maintain amenity and one which seeks to enable access to aggregates
by providing for quarrying in rural zones
