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Fishing News index> May 2007
Ryton Bay development – a summary of the issues and how you can make a submission
A company called Ryton Holdings Ltd propose a new subdivision in the area known as Ryton Bay, on the shores of Lake Coleridge. If granted the necessary resource consents, the new settlement would replace the existing fishing huts with a 232 lot subdivision and 100-site camping ground.
Many people have rung our office concerned at the potential impact of this development. Some people fear the urbanisation will degrade the natural ‘wild and scenic’ character of the area. Others are worried about the impacts of development on water quality in Lake Coleridge and the Ryton River.
In response, we have put together this information package.
Remember that anyone who wishes to submit on this proposal must lodge submissions with the Selwyn District Council and Environment Canterbury by 5pm, Monday 14 May.
Some key facts about Ryton Bay
- Situated on the northern shore of Lake Coleridge, on Ryton Station.
- Bounds Lake Coleridge to the south, Lake Coleridge Station to the east, the Ryton River to the west, and the Harper Road and University of Canterbury land to the north.
- Has been used as an unofficial public camping area since the 1930s.
- A classic wild and scenic Canterbury high country environment
- Lake Coleridge supports populations of Chinook salmon and brown and rainbow trout. It is the largest and most heavily fished lake in North Canterbury.
- The Ryton River (which enters Lake Coleridge in Ryton Bay) is the largest tributary of Lake Coleridge. It is known to support spawning runs of several hundred trout and salmon.
Brief summary of the proposed development
- 232 lot subdivision with lot sizes ranging from 400m2 – 1000m2.
- 100 site camping ground.
- Associated infrastructure including roads, lighting, water supplies, sewage and stormwater disposal.
- Flood protection works to control Ryton River.
Consents required for the development to proceed
Ryton Holdings Ltd requires consents from both the Selwyn District Council and Environment Canterbury. As discussed later, this influences what you need to do in order to make your concerns heard.
Consents required from the Selwyn District Council include:
065457 Subdivision consent to establish a 232 lot residential development and camping ground.
065458 Land use consent for earthworks for road, section development, flood control and the erection of dwellings.
Consents required from Environment Canterbury include:
CRC071654 Discharge consent for odour from a sewage treatment plant.
CRC071655 Discharge consent for approximately 214 cubic metres per day of effluent to land from a sewage treatment plant.
CRC071656 Land use consent to install, use and maintain a community sewerage scheme. The scheme will include a piped network, pump station and sewage treatment plant.
CRC071658 Discharge consent for stormwater to land from roofs, roads, hardstand and car parking areas within the subdivision.
CRC071659 Discharge consent for stormwater into water from roofs, roads, hardstand and car parking areas within the subdivision.
CRC071660 Water take consent for groundwater for community potable supply purposes at a rate of 232 cubic metres per day.
CRC071661 Land use consent to install a flood protection structure in and along the bed and banks of the Ryton River.
CRC071662 Land use consent to install a jetty, concrete boat ramp, and gabion baskets within the bed of Lake Coleridge. The proposed structures will be over 100 metres in length and cover over 1,000 square metres of the lakebed.
CRC072682 Land use consent to undertake earthworks for the construction of roads, car parks, lots and campground.
CRC073026 Water take consent to abstract water from groundwater for site de-watering during the undertaking of proposed earthworks.
CRC073027 Discharge consent to discharge water from proposed de-watering to land.
Possible issues
This is a large-scale residential subdivision in a previously undeveloped high country lake environment. Such proposals always raise questions such as:
- Is any residential development appropriate for a high country environment such as Ryton Bay?
- What precedent would this development set for the future of Lake Coleridge or other high country environments within the Selwyn District?
Applications to Selwyn District Council
In your submission to the Selwyn District Council, you may wish to consider covering some or all of the following issues (you will no doubt have others too):
Loss of natural character and landscape values arising from:
- Residential development including buildings and gardens (landscape concerns about residential development in a high country environment are varied, including introduction of artificial colours, glare from windows and roofs, inappropriate vegetation in gardens, etc etc.)
- Influx of people, pets, and weeds
- Roads
- Lighting
- Flood control works on the Ryton River.
- Any artificial structures visible from Lake Coleridge, or its shores.
Any effects on the factors that contribute to recreational enjoyment of the area. For example:
- Effects on ‘peace and quiet’ and the ability to escape ‘city life’.
- Ability to enjoy the night sky uninterrupted by artificial lighting.
- Loss of landscape values (as above).
Public safety issues for future residents including risk of:
- Earthquakes or landslides
- Flooding
- Extreme weather events
Any perceived positive or negative effects on the public’s ability to use the area arising from:
- Alterations to existing formed (but not legal) road to the existing settlement
- Any fencing or other infrastructure which may affect public access to or around the lake or the Ryton River.
- The proposed new camping ground and associated storage area.
- Changes to the location and infrastructure for launching or retrieving boats, and parking vehicles and trailers.
Effects on water quality (temporary or permanent/ongoing) arising from:
- Initial earthworks
- More people - more rubbish
- Stormwater and sewage.
You may also wish to include any perceived positive effects.
You can either indicate you oppose these consent applications outright, or alternatively, that you oppose aspects of them in their current form but would be open to considering any changes to the proposal which might alleviate your concerns.
Applications to Environment Canterbury
In your submission to Environment Canterbury, you may wish to consider covering some or all of the following issues (you will no doubt have others too):
Effects on water quality in Lake Coleridge and/or the Ryton River caused by:
- Earthworks in the water or on land which may lead to contamination of water (including temporary and permanent/ongoing effects)
- Discharge of contaminated groundwater during dewatering of areas for earthworks.
- Stormwater discharges (including from roads, driveways, roofs etc)
- Sewage discharges.
Effects on water quantity in Lake Coleridge and/or the Ryton River caused by:
- Lowering of groundwater table as a result of dewatering during earthworks
- Takes of groundwater which are linked to surface water.
- Any changes to the direction of groundwater or surface water flows.
Effects on instream habitat (e.g. for trout, salmon, native fish, aquatic insects, plants, algae and plankton) caused by:
- Reduced water quality and degraded bed substrate (e.g. increased sediment loading may smother clean gravels, affecting spawning and aquatic insects and plants which are the base of the food chain)
- Lower flows in the Ryton River
- Channelisation of the Ryton River
Effects on the natural character of the area, including Lake Coleridge and/or the Ryton River caused by:
- Works on the river or lake bed (e.g. flood control works or works to construct permanent structures)
- Permanent structures on the river or lake bed including a jetty and boatramp, and flood control structures on the Ryton River (the latter will permanently change the behaviour of the Ryton River by channelising the lower reaches).
- Any changes to water quality/water quantity including consequential effects on instream habitat (see above).
- Discharge of odour from the sewage treatment plant.
You may also wish to include any perceived positive effects.
You can either indicate you oppose these consent applications outright, or alternatively, that you oppose aspects of them in their current form but would be open to considering any changes to the proposal which might alleviate your concerns.
Information to help you write submissions
Links to submission forms are provided here (in pdf format):
Selwyn District Council submission form
Environment Canterbury submission form
Remember that these Councils have different functions. The list of consent applications above shows that the Selwyn District Council decides the subdivision and land use consents, while Environment Canterbury decides discharge consents, water takes, and land use consents where the activity is in the bed of a water body.
For more information on the functions of each Council, clicking on the link below will take you to a legislation database – go to the Resource Management Act 1991. Sections 30 and 31 of that Act explain the relative functions of regional councils (Environment Canterbury) and territorial authorities (Selwyn District Council).
Legislation database
If you are in doubt as to what matters you should address in each submission, it is better to include your concern in both submissions.
When drafting your submissions to both Councils, it is also important that you:
- State your qualifications. They don’t need to be formal qualifications – you may be an expert if you have a strong personal connection with the area. Explain your history with the area, why you value it, and how that value would be degraded or improved by the proposal, or aspects of it.
- Don’t just repeat what you’ve read here – your submission should be based on what you or your organisation think, and what you are concerned about. Fish & Game make no guarantee that we have covered every possible issue of relevance to you.
- Cover all potential issues in your written submission. You cannot introduce new issues at a later stage of the decision-making process (e.g. the hearing) which were not within the scope of your original written submission.
- Keep your submission general. You need to find a balance between making it clear why you oppose (or support) the proposal or aspects of it, without narrowing your focus too much so that you have restricted yourself later on in the process (see above).
- If you are really concerned about this proposal, tick that you wish to be heard. Appearing at the hearing gives you the opportunity to expand upon the points you have raised in your written submission.
- Complete all sections of the submission forms and ensure they are received by the respective Councils by 5pm, Monday 14 May.
- Send a copy of your submissions to the applicant, as soon as practicable after 14 May. Their address is as follows:
Ryton Holdings Ltd
c/- Pritchard Group Ltd (M Brown)
20 Addington Rd
RD 1
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