LGOIMA Request Details: LG2427

Your request is set out below, followed by Council’s response to each item. Any documents referred to below are contained in this link - Withheld under section 7(2)(a) of the LGOIMA  - to preserve an individuals privacy.

1. I request the name of the female officer from the Manawatu District Council who entered onto our property and confirmation that she is an employee of MDC. 

The site inspection at *** Pharazyn Road, Feilding was undertaken by Joy Ma, Building Officer, acting on behalf of Manawatū District Council in relation to a recently lodged building consent application. 

At the time of the inspection: 

The purpose of the visit was to identify the siting of the building, which is a standard part of Council’s process for new and relocated dwellings. 

Upon arrival, the Building Officer met briefly with a woman on site, introduced herself, and explained that Council had recently received a building consent application and that photographs were required to confirm the building’s location. 

During this brief interaction, the Building Officer formed the understanding that there was no objection to proceeding with the site inspection. 

The Building Officer then took photographs of the site and left the property without further interaction. 

Council notes that the majority of site inspections are undertaken on vacant sites, and it is standard practice for Building Officers to attend such inspections without owners or agents present. Where an owner or agent is on site, officers are required to identify themselves and explain the purpose of their visit, and to produce their warrant of appointment if requested. 

All photographs taken during this inspection are contained within the site visit report, which is provided in response to your request. 

2. If this woman is an employee of MDC I request copies of all photo images taken by this person. 

The photographs taken during the site inspection at *** Pharazyn Road, Feilding are contained within the site visit report. 

Please refer to the attached site visit report, which includes all photographs taken by the Building Officer acting on behalf of Manawatū District Council at the time of the inspection. 

3. In an email from Madi Williams to Central House Movers she states “on the plan this is labelled as a dwelling if so, will this be the second dwelling on this property”? Can I please have a copy of the plan Madi is referring to. 

The plan referred to in the email from Ms Madi Williams is contained within the building consent application lodged with Manawatū District Council on 7 April 2005. 

Please refer to the attached building consent application and associated plans submitted on 7 April 2005, which identify a dwelling on the site. 

Subsequently, Council received a new building consent application for the property. The plans submitted with the new application identified the building as a sleepout, which differed from the earlier plans held on Council’s records. 

As part of the processing of the new application, Council’s Planning team reviewed the historical consent information and noted the inconsistency between the earlier plans and the current proposal. To clarify this matter, Council’s Planning Officer contacted Central House Movers to confirm whether the proposed building would result in a second dwelling on the property. 

This was discussed during a phone call between Council’s Planning Officer and Central House Movers on Wednesday 28 January, during which it was confirmed that the reference to a dwelling related to a previously submitted plan, and that the current application related to a sleepout.