Kaiapoi locals left in dark over parking changes
From local democracy reporter Adam Burns:
Community leaders in the Waimakariri are pumping the brakes on a parking restriction overhaul in Kaiapoi, because they suspect many affected residents are oblivious of the proposed changes.
This is despite claims of positive feedback from locals and subsequent endorsements by the town’s community board.
Waimakariri District Council staff have been sent back out to talk to residents, following concerns around the level of awareness and engagement of the changes following a round of consultation last year.
Several changes to parking restrictions around Williams St, Hilton St and Raven Quay were recommended by council, including reductions from P120 to P60 in three areas and increases in two areas, from P15 to P60 and P120 respectively.
The Kaiapoi-Tuawhi Community Board formally backed the changes at a February meeting after three weeks of community engagement in 2021.
But concerns were raised at last week’s District and Planning Regulation Committee meeting around council’s communication with residents during consultation on the plans.
Councillor Kirstyn Barnett queried why residential property owners — facing tougher parking restrictions on Ravens Quay — had been left in the dark after council staff admitted it only canvassed views of businesses in the area.
"Why wouldn’t you notify the residents with a letter that there were proposed changes outside their houses."
Deputy mayor Neville Atkinson said there were business owners on Hilton St who also "had no idea".
Between 60 to 70 flyers around the parking proposal were delivered to businesses and retailers in the CBD, a council report said.
Council business and centres advisor Vanessa Thompson said approaches were made to retailers and property owners "directly affected" by the changes, but some may have been missed.
Atkinson suggested another round of engagement with the community to avoid a "possible uproar".
Mayor Dan Gordon also had reservations and recommended further discussions with Kaiapoi locals.
The report said an online survey was also conducted around the changes, recording a total of 30 responses.
"Community feedback indicates that the six proposed parking restriction changes are generally supported with the majority share in favour."
Further feedback outlined frustration about a lack of consistent parking enforcement, but the matter was not specifically addressed by its recommendations.
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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