North Canterbury's councils want the new government to listen to their communities
By local democracy reporter David Hill:
"Listen to our communities" is the message from North Canterbury’s council leaders to the incoming government.
The councils are united in their call for the Government, which is elected after October 14, to engage with and listen to local government.
Councils have been bombarded by a number of reforms from central government, including the affordable water and Resource Management Act reforms, and the future for local government review.
Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said if the incoming Government is prepared to listen, "we are in business".
"But if they want to centralise and regionalise everything it will complicate things and make it difficult for communities to be heard."
Hurunui mayor Marie Black said her council was waiting on the outcome of the election to see what direction the proposed reforms will take.
"We are just waiting for October 14 to know what’s going to happen with all the reform.
"We are definitely waiting for some clear policy direction."
Black said she wanted the incoming government to put more resourcing into rural health.
Kaikōura mayor Craig Mackle said engaging with Canterbury councils "should be easy".
He said the Canterbury Mayoral Forum worked together well and presented a united voice.
"You expect being a wee voice, you are not going to be heard - I’m going to be stomped on, but there seems to be an understanding that what’s good us is good for them."
The reforms needed cross-party support, otherwise tax dollars were wasted by the next government unravelling the previous government’s legislation, he said.
Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon said he wanted "a commitment to localism" and a review of the funding model to support local government.
He also wanted water infrastructure to remain in local ownership and control.
The ongoing reforms created "an environment of uncertainty", he said.
"These reforms all affect the very core of what we do as councils.
"It is important the successful Government is transparent and inclusive of local government in its review and decisions around these changes.
"We support local decision making as opposed to centralised services that are at arms-length from communities."
As a growth district, the Waimakariri District Council looked forward to projects like the Woodend Bypass, a replacement of Skew Bridge in west Kaiapoi, and the proposed Rangiora eastern link road, Gordon said.
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand 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.
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.
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…
