Waimakariri mayor seeks clarity on major roading projects
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
More clarity is needed around Waimakariri’s roading projects, mayor Dan Gordon says.
Gordon said he hoped to get clarity on the status of the proposed Woodend safety improvements, now that the two major political parties are promising to build the Woodend Bypass on State Highway 1.
"It is good to get some certainty around the Woodend Bypass, but we also need to ensure the safety aspects are addressed as well."
The Labour-led Government announced in August that the Woodend Bypass was included in the Government Policy Statement and was set to be included in the National Land Transport Plan 2024-27.
The National Party has also confirmed it would build the Woodend Bypass, if elected.
The Woodend safety improvements were announced in December as part of a $35 million package.
But the proposals did not include an underpass at the Pegasus roundabout for pedestrians and cyclists, which Gordon has been advocating for.
He was also seeking clarity on $19 million of funding Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency had set aside for Lineside Rd, linking Kaiapoi with Rangiora.
The council was also pushing to get a proposed eastern Rangiora link road and a replacement of Skew Bridge in west Kaiapoi included in the National Land Transport Plan.
The eastern link road would provide another link between SH1 and Rangiora, and help ease pressure on the Southbrook business area.
Gordon said the council was exploring different funding options, including the Local Government Infrastructure Financing and Funding (IFF) works programme, in a bid to speed up these projects.
"For a growth council like ours, these projects are very important to address traffic congestion. We need solutions and we need funding.
"We would rather not have to fund it all ourselves upfront because it is a burden on ratepayers."
The council last week approved funding of $1.2m to upgrade the Island and Ohoka roads intersection at Silverstream, Kaiapoi.
The funding is subject to confirmation of a 51% funding share from Waka Kotahi.
The Moving Forward: Waimakariri Integrated Transport Strategy 2035+ has also been approved by the council for consultation.
It will be open for consultation until October 1.
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
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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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