How is Your Property Affected by the Replacement District Plan?

Christchurch property owners can now check how their property will be affected by the Christchurch City Council’s new Proposed Replacement District Plan.

The Council today notified the stage one chapters of its Proposed Replacement District Plan. The notified chapters are now open for public submissions.

The Council is writing to owners and occupiers of properties directly affected by proposals in the notified chapters. There are also letters going to owners and occupiers of properties affected by zone changes and by changes to the level of residential density permitted in some areas.

Anyone wanting to check how their property will be affected by proposals in the Replacement District Plan Review can visit proposeddistrictplan.ccc.govt.nz and look up their property using the property search function. This can be done for any property in the district. There is a video on the website showing how to use the plan.

For those without internet access, hard copies of the plan’s proposals and maps are available for viewing at all Council libraries and service centres (including the Civic offices at 53 Hereford Street).

The District Plan sets the district’s long term land use policy framework, as well as the rules to guide development. At the policy level it determines for example where residential areas, businesses and different activities can occur. It regulates what you can do with your property and what your neighbours can do on theirs.

“The review we’re doing now gives us the opportunity to look at all aspects of the plan to see what has worked well and what we’d like to change,” says Chief Planning Officer Mike Theelen. “It also means we can look at everything we’ve learned since the earthquakes and decide what we want to do in future to help protect people, property and infrastructure from the impacts of natural hazards. We need to put that new information to good use.”

Many of the changes being introduced will slowly begin to take effect as new development occurs. Getting modern relevant standards in place that reflect the community aspirations will help ensure the city is rebuilt in a modern sustainable way.

As part of the District Plan Review, the Council is proposing hazard management areas with rules affecting future activities and development. These will apply in areas at risk from cliff hazard, rockfall, mass movement and flooding. The proposals won’t affect existing use rights but could limit future development on sites in hazard management areas.

“We want to help people understand what the plan means for their property. If you don’t understand what the plan might mean to you, please call us on Ph 941 8999 or come to one of our drop in sessions. Anyone can come to any session,” says Mike Theelen.

Dates and times of the drop-in sessions are in the attached Find Out More section.

“We also encourage people to have their say on the future of our district. If you support what you see in the District Plan, let us know. If you don’t, then tell us why and what you’d rather see. Submissions are open now and close at 5pm on Wednesday 8 October 2014. Now is the time to get involved in the future development of our district.”

A District Plan Review newsletter is being delivered to all Christchurch households and Post Office boxes this week. It highlights some of the areas covered by the District Plan review proposals and has information on accessing the plan, making a submission and the process and dates that will apply to the rest of the review.

About the District Plan Review

The current Christchurch City Plan and the Banks Peninsula District Plan are being reviewed together and the result will be one District Plan for all types of land use across the district.

The Government’s Land Use Recovery Plan (LURP) changed provisions in the current operative City Plan, such as allowing increased intensification in existing urban areas and greenfield priority areas (both residential and business) to assist in the rebuilding and recovery of communities. LURP changes have already taken effect and will carry forward to the new District Plan.
The district plan review is following a shortened process following an Order in Council under the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act. This means the normal review process is fast tracked so that the new plan can play an active role in our city’s recovery. Government Ministers appoint an independent hearings panel to hear submissions and make decisions on the plan, with appeals on those decisions being limited to points of law only.
The Council is taking a two stage approach to the review, with some chapters prioritised because their content is needed more urgently for the rebuilding and recovery of the district.

The first stage chapters include Introduction, Strategic Directions, Contaminated Land, Transport; and parts of the Industrial, Commercial, Subdivision and Development, Residential, Natural Hazards and General Rules & Procedures chapters as well as the definitions and maps associated with those chapters, and non Council designations.
The process from now on for the priority chapters is:

Submissions on the priority chapters open 27 August 2014
Submissions on the priority chapters close 8 October 2014
Submissions published 22 October 2014
Further submissions 23 October – 6 November 2014
Independent panel hearings late 2014/early 2015

The dates for hearings and panel deliberations are still to be confirmed.

This is followed by panel deliberations, decision and the hearing of appeals on points of law only by the High Court.
Meantime, stage two chapters are following the same process; about one year behind the stage one priority chapters. Stage two chapters include Natural and Cultural Heritage, Central City, Coastal, General Rules and Procedures, Tangata Whenua, Open Space & Recreation, Special Purpose Areas, Rural, Future Urban Development Areas, Hazardous Substances & Contaminated Land, Utilities & Energy; and parts of the Industrial, Commercial, Subdivision, Development & Earthworks, Residential, and Natural Hazards chapters as well as the definitions and maps associated with those chapters and Christchurch City Council Designations.
The Replacement District Plan will be completed by April 2016.

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