2 Mar 2023

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Christchurch City Council will soon notify proposed changes to its planning rulebook for housing and business growth.

Councillors voted yesterday to proceed with consultation on proposed changes to the city’s District Plan – the Housing and Business Choice Plan Change (Plan Change 14) and the Heritage Plan Change (Plan Change 13).

Notification on both plan changes will open on 17 March and people will be able to give feedback on them until 3 May.

Plan Change 14 has been designed to bring the city’s District Plan in line with the Government’s National Policy Statement for Urban Development and new national standards to encourage multi-housing developments, called the Medium-Density Residential Standards (MDRS).

 “It has been a tough decision and it is still not ideal but our team has worked as best they can to tailor this law for Christchurch,” Mayor Phil Mauger says.

“Qualifying Matters are the only way we can make Plan Change 14 work for our city. We’ve run out of road, we’ve been given a clear signal if we did not approve this, the Government would have taken over and put in a law with fewer Qualifying Matters.

“It is really important our residents give their feedback. This is not the final decision, it is the start of the public process. We will work with residents, answer their questions and help them through this next process,” Mr Mauger says.

The Mayor, after consulting with Councillors, will also write to Government Investigator John Hardie, outlining the Council’s views, issues and concerns with notifying an intensification instrument to help inform Mr Hardie’s final report.