Feedback Sought on QLDC District Plan Review

QLDC is inviting public comment on the strategic direction of its District Plan review, in the latest phase of the major project begun in 2010.

All Councils must review their District Plans every ten years, and QLDC intends to simplify the plan’s provisions, better reflecting community aspirations and ultimately lowering the cost of processing resource consents.

“The Council is acutely aware of the unique challenges our district faces and the importance of a simple and accessible District Plan. This is the key document that guides land-use and development in line with Council’s wider strategic priorities, which include protecting our distinctive landscapes,” Mayor Vanessa van Uden said.

Many people have already given feedback on the key aims of the Review, and work done by the Shaping Our Future Energy Future Task Force was also being considered. Taking that feedback into account, the Council has drafted a new “strategic direction” chapter, which will provide the framework for how the rest of the District Plan will address community aspirations.

“We started off with a clear intention to simplify things, and that still holds true,” Mayor van Uden said. “A lot of work has already been done, and the feedback we’ve received from the public in the earlier consultation will all be built into the reviewed plan. But having looked at what people were telling us, we realised that we needed to step back and look at the bigger picture first.”

As a result, the Council has developed six high level goals:
• To develop a prosperous, resilient and sustainable economy
• The strategic and integrated management of urban growth
• A quality built environment taking into account the character of individual communities
• The protection of our natural environment and ecosystems
• Our distinctive landscapes are protected from inappropriate development
• To enable a safe and healthy community that is strong, diverse and inclusive for all people

“It’s important that we have a clearly articulated strategy to guide the development of the District Plan,” Mayor van Uden said. “Getting the strategic direction locked down at the outset provides a constant reference point and keeps us on course.”

The Council is keen to test the assumptions in the new strategic direction chapter by having informal discussions with the community to canvas people’s views on what’s proposed. Taking the opportunity to provide input at this stage doesn’t commit anyone to further involvement or tie them to a particular point of view. Equally, deciding not to be involved at this stage won’t exclude anyone from taking part in the formal submissions process later.

Full information, including the six strategic goals, is online at www.qldc.govt.nz. The next formal phase of consultation will begin next year.

ENDS

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