Waimakariri council seeks feedback on urban housing rules
By DAVID HILL, Local Democracy Reporter
The Waimakariri District Council is seeking feedback on new urban housing rules.
The passing of the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 has directed the council to adopt medium density housing for the district’s main urban areas.
As a result, the council is notifying variation 1 and 2 to the proposed Waimakariri District Plan, which was notified in September last year.
The changes will affect Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Woodend (including Ravenswood) and Pegasus.
Planning regulation and environment general manager Tracy Tierney said the new standards would allow development of up to three residential units and buildings up to three storeys high.
There would be a height limit of 11 metres (plus 1m for a pitched roof) without a resource consent.
‘‘The council is required to adopt the density standards, objectives and policies, meaning there is limited scope to influence these standards – both by council and the community,’’ Tierney said.
‘‘However, your submissions on the variation are still important and may influence the way in which they are incorporated into the District Plan.
‘‘We encourage everyone to participate in the process to let the council know your views.’’
Tierney said there was still some scope for the council to deem some areas as ‘‘inappropriate’’ for intensification.
This included ‘‘parts of Kaiapoi that have been identified as potentially having a natural hazard risk due to flooding’’.
‘‘We would appreciate local intel as well,’’ she said.
Public drop-in sessions will be held in Rangiora, Kaiapoi and Woodend/Pegasus to give the community the opportunity to talk to planners.
Council staff expected to notify the summary of submissions to the proposed District Plan later this year.
Hearings on the proposed District Plan and variations 1 and 2 are likely to be held at the same time next year.
■ For more information and to make a submission go to waimakariri.govt.nz/planning/district-plan/district-plan-changes/council-plan-changes.
Drop-in sessions:
Tuesday, August 23, Ruataniwha Kaiapoi Civic Centre, 3.30pm to 6pm.
Thursday, August 25, Pegasus Community Centre, 3.30pm to 6pm.
A ‘Friend of the Submitter', Jane West, is available to assist residents in making a submission. Phone 03 3243324 or email WDCMDRS@jwest.co.nz.
Submissions on variations 1 and 2 to the proposed District Plan close on Friday, September 9.
Waimakariri district plan faces more delays amid changing rules
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
Changing Government legislation is causing headaches for council staff, as Waimakariri’s new District Plan is set to be delayed again.
Waimakariri District Council development planning manager Matt Bacon said he was relieved when the last of the public hearings ended last week.
But with final council reports due on December 13, staff will have just two working days to present the final District Plan on December 17. A district plan helps to control and manage the development of the district or city.
‘‘We are working through what it looks like and we will update the council at its meeting on December 3,’’ Bacon said.
‘‘But we will likely seek another extension from the environment minister and the Resource Management Act (RMA) minister.’’
The council first notified its draft District Plan in September 2021, but within months legislation was introduced with new medium density residential housing standards (MDRS).
‘‘We needed to call for further submissions and we had to create a separate hearing panel to consider the plan variations to allow for the MDRS,’’ Bacon said.
‘‘We have tried to merge the process as much as possible, as well as looking at re-zoning and incorporating other new legislation.’’
When the draft plan was first notified there was no National Policy Statement (NPS) for Indigenous Biodiversity, but an NPS was introduced - and then replaced.
The Natural and Built Environment Act came into being last year and then repealed, and then there is the NPS on Urban Development and the Greater Christchurch Spatial Plan.
The Government is now working on more RMA reforms and Environment Canterbury is working on the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement.
And then there is the Fast-Track Approvals Bill, which includes three proposed housing developments in Waimakariri - two of them outside of the future urban development areas identified in the Greater Christchurch Spatial Plan.
All three housing developments in the Bill have been included in submissions to the District Plan, including a proposed 850-home development at Ohoka, near Rangiora, which is also subject to an Environment Court appeal.
‘‘We haven’t seen the detail, so whether it is the same proposals, we don’t know, but they are different processes so we have to just keep doing what we are doing, until we are told otherwise,’’ Bacon said.
‘‘It might just be a timing thing, but we just don’t know.’’
Bacon said delaying the District Plan until new legislation is in place is not an option.
‘‘We are looking at what we can control and having a watching brief, and we will look at transitional timings because we don’t always have to immediately change planning documents when new legislation comes in.’’
Planning manager Wendy Harris said navigating changing Government legislation is a normal part of council planning work.
‘‘If we waited we wouldn’t do anything and we would go nowhere.’’
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
The tiger who came to tea
Trays are such a useful item to have in the home – they are obviously great for serving food and drinks, particularly breakfast in bed! Find out how to create your own with Resene wallpaper and Resene Colorwood wood stain with these easy step by step instructions.
Loading…
