Waimakariri youth priorities discussed
From local democracy reporter David Hill:
The environment, making Dudley Park more family friendly, recognising youth achievements and ensuring a youth voice are the priorities for Waimakariri’s young leaders.
The Waimakariri Youth Council developed a work plan earlier this year to focus on six key projects over the next 18 months.
Speaking at last week’s community and recreation meeting, Waimakariri District Council community team manager Tessa Sturley said the initiatives were all youth led.
‘‘We are seeing an increased focus on citizenship; the Covid-19 epidemic has seen an increased focus on mental health and having that sense of belonging to a community is really important to them.’’
Community and recreation committee chairperson Cr Niki Mealings said the youth council played an important role in the district.
‘‘It’s about building up our young people to give them the skills, the space to grow and to develop that sense of belonging, so they want to stay here or at least come back when they’ve seen the world.’’
In a report prepared for the meeting, youth development facilitator Emily Belton said the environment was a key focus for the youth council.
An environmental project group was busy supporting community events, building relations with likeminded organisations and raising awareness.
The group was also mapping op shops around the district to help local youth to reduce their impact on the environment.
A river clean-up day in partnership with the Ashley Rakahuri Rivercare Group was also being planned.
Covid-19 has delayed efforts also impacted on the youth council’s plans to develop a family friendly space next to the Dudley Park skate park in Rangiora.
The council granted $20,000 to the project in the 2019-20 annual plan, while a second $20,000 grant was made in this year’s annual plan and the Aotearoa Gaming Trust has awarded a 10,000 grant.
It meant the youth council could proceed with stage one of the project, to install an activation platform.
The youth council was developing a mural concept with a local artist, which ‘‘is representative of Waimakariri youth today’’.
Other proposed stages in the project include installing mounded seating, a natural play mound, a picnic table and a volleyball court.
A growing recognition of the youth council had seen it represented at various committees and events including council committees, Youth Voice Canterbury, the Rangiora Big Splash and ECan’s Public Transport Steering Group.
The youth council has also been working with the elected councillors to develop a youth service award alongside the council’s community service awards, which will be presented next month.
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.
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