Protecting people and property from flooding is one of the drivers behind a District Plan change being proposed by Christchurch City Council as part of a package of amendments.
The plan change, which is at the pre-notification stage, aims to improve the management of buildings and earthworks near the Waimakariri River stopbanks to avoid risk to life and structural damage from flooding.
Three commissioners will consider an application for a Private Plan change that seeks to extend the commercial zone to the north of the Homebase retail park on Marshland Road.
A hearing has been scheduled for the end of July to consider the application, lodged by Reefville Properties Limited, and the public submissions received on it.
Christchurch City Council’s planning report on the Private Plan Change will also be presented during the hearing. That report will recommend the plan change request is rejected on a number of grounds.
“As part of adapting to a changing climate that is likely to bring more extreme weather events, we need to look at how we manage development in areas that are potentially at risk of flooding. One of the ways we can do that is through our planning rules,’’ says Council Head of Policy and Strategic Transport David Griffiths.
“If the Waimakariri stopbanks were to fail in a major storm event, there is potential for severe flooding to occur so it makes sense for us to use the District Plan to limit the risk, where possible, by having controls in place for both upstream and downstream developments,’’ Mr Griffiths says.
The plan change is one of a suite of changes – collectively known as Plan Change 9 – the Council is proposing to improve the Christchurch District Plan and to make the policies and rules clearer and easier to apply.
The other changes include: