Submissions reopen for Waimakariri District Plan
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
The Waimakariri District Council is seeking further feedback on the proposed Waimakariri District Plan.
Council staff have notified a summary of submissions to the proposed District Plan, which was first notified in September last year.
The summary of submissions includes variations notified in August in response to new medium density housing standards applying to the Greater Christchurch area.
This followed the passing of the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 in December.
This directed the council to adopt medium density housing standards for the district’s main urban areas.
The new standards allowed for up to three homes and buildings of up to three storeys to be built on some sites without a resource consent, provided certain conditions were met.
Conditions included maximum heights, setbacks from boundaries, no more more than 50% of land covered by buildings and at least 20% of the section must be landscaped with trees, grass or garden beds. Building consents would still be required.
The legislation allowed councils to identify areas deemed inappropriate for medium density housing and the submissions process was an opportunity for residents to help council staff to identify those areas. Qualifying reasons included natural hazards, lack of infrastructure and character.
The proposed District Plan, notified last year, also introduced a rural lifestyle zone in the east of the district with a four hectare minimum section and a general rural zone in the west with a 20-hectare minimum.
This was in a bid to protect the district's rural character.
The new submission process is an opportunity to comment on the submissions which have been received, but not a call for new submission points, council staff said.
The summary of submissions can be viewed on the council’s website, waimakariri.govt.nz/districtplanreview, or by visiting a council library or service centre. Submissions close at 5pm on Monday, November 21.
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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