Please support the Appeal to the Environment Court                                                                         
Hi everyone
You've probably seen in Save the Maitai newsletters or in the Facebook group, that the RMA hearing had a disappointing outcome resulting in the commissioners' recommendation to council to rezone the land in question.  
In response, Save the Maitai Inc is appealing to the Environment Court.   

We are advised that the Environment Court is likely to require far more stringent conditions than have been applied by the RMA commissioners. However, the Environment Court begins the whole assessment process from scratch, having minimal regard to the commissioners recommendations. We therefore have to fundraise again to employ environmental engineers and planners to give expert advice at the Environment Court.

Many of you have donated to fund our environmental experts, thank you. This work is required by law to challenge the plan to build a new suburb in the Maitai Valley.  Our team of environmental experts are guided by our RMA barrister, Sally Gepp, who practises in Nelson.

The team found serious inadequacies within the developer’s plan which may indicate their appetite for environmental risk-taking and short cuts. The RMA process resulted in many new conditions being placed on the proposal which are to be applied at the Resource Consent stage.

However, the RMA commissioners did not require conditions like the preparation of an earthworks plan; a catchment wide flood risk assessment; a noise and air pollution assessment, or a traffic plan for how nearby roads linked to the suburb would cope with 6000–7000 extra daily car movements. The absence of these assessments leaves many doors open for the developers to cause hefty environmental and social damage.

Our appeal to the Environment Court is seeking further assessments and conditions to be placed on the proposal before any permission is given to proceed.

With your help, we have raised about $30,000 of the $60,000–70,000 needed to complete the case. We are now launching the last phase of our financial appeal to challenge this proposal which will spoil and degrade the Maitai River and surrounding suburbs forever.

Our team has prepared their case, now we need funds to get them into the court to argue for the sake of the river, for people living downstream of the development area, and for everyone who treasures the Maitai valley and its lovely recreation spots.

If you can help with funds – no amount is too small – please make a donation now. We are dependent on your funding to complete our appeal to the Environment Court. 
Please donate directly to our Kiwibank account: 38 9022 0507655 00 or via the website www.savethemaitai.nz

With thanks
The Save the Maitai Inc team