Land Use Policy recommends control of development in environmentally sensitive areas

The draft Land Use Policy notes that there has been increased pressure on the environment by improper and largely uncontrolled development in sensitive areas of wetlands, sloping lands and the foreshore.
Without safeguards, such developments can lead to soil erosion where the mud is washed down the streams where the fine silt can and does smother the marine life in the lagoons.
Extensive development along the coastal strip for tourism development is leading to problems along the foreshore leading to beach erosion and public complaints to National Environment Service about illegal developments.
For instance the foreshore work at one major resort in Puaikura, which was approved by NES but as a result of legal challenge in the High Court and later in the Court of Appeal, was held to have been unlawful. Another instance, of the landowner in Rutaki who built rock retaining walls on the beach to protect their 2 new unit on the seaside but which led to severe erosion and sea surge to a neighbouring house and land.
The risks from lagoon pollution, beach degradation, and exposure in times of cyclones and extreme weather and climate change make it even more urgent for appropriate policies to be in place. These then need to be put into action, coordinated and monitored to ensure compliance.
These problems are in Rarotonga and also in some of the outer islands such as in say Aitutaki where issues of non compliance and lack of enforcement of building codes, health regulations re septic tanks and the Environment Act are becoming apparent.
A check list of environmental issues include rainwater storage, water conservation, groundwater pollution; loss of species and ecosystems, beach and sand mining (undermining the coast as well as leading to pollution of reef and lagoon. Waste disposal of sewage, household and commercial refuse and unauthorized rubbish dumps are also of concern.
Challenges include resistance by landowners, lessees, and developers to such requirements, the heavy reliance on tourism, land tenure problems and limited population base and the continued exodus of our people especially from the outer islands.
Given the development pressures and tourism growth in the Southern Group, land is becoming a more valuable commodity. However, there is no land use planning or zoning policies in place which causes confusion for the use of land for particular purposes.
Right now, agricultural and residential areas can suddenly find they have inappropriate commercial and industrial uses right next door or vice versa.
Such as the chicken farm which started off in a quiet rural area and is now surrounded by residences and accommodations which complain of the stench, or the family that suddenly finds a noisy licensed bar allowed to operate next door, or the homeowner with asthma who has to contend with a concrete making business which creates a huge amount of air pollution of dust and dirt allowed to operate right up to her boundaries.
Land use policies are overdue but the difficulty will be in getting buy in from the community to accept such changes given that landowners may only have that piece of land to work with or a developer is determined to go ahead with their projects despite any risks to environment, good relations with neighbours and so on.
Copies of the Land Use Policy are available from the Office of the Prime Minister, Policy Division.

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