Hamilton Kirikiriroa councillors have requested commissioners delay the public hearing process to deliver on Government’s direction to provide more housing, and higher density housing, in the city.

A meeting of Council’s Strategic Growth and District Plan Committee today (Wednesday 14 June) requested staff look at pushing out the hearing of public submissions on Plan Change 12 due to continue in September. The plan change is Hamilton’s response to Government’s Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act which passed into law late 2021.

The motion was put forward by Committee Chair Councillor Ryan Hamilton in response to a formal request to the Minister for the Environment to extend the deadline for implementing Plan Change 12 to better consider flood hazard work under way in the city. Currently, decisions must be made on the plan change by 31 March 2024.

Councillor Hamilton said he saw value in taking some time to understand the impact of the important flood hazard work to make sure the plan change would deliver the best outcomes for Hamiltonians.

Work has been under way over the past two years to update flood modelling information for the entire city. There is now 70% of the city mapped, with the remaining due to be completed later in 2023.

“While our city was fortunate the extreme weather events that affected Auckland did not fully reach us, we had our own localised flooding,” said Councillor Hamilton.

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“The updated modelling already indicates that areas of the city will be affected by 100-year weather events, including some areas that would be intensified under Plan Change 12. Now that we have that information, we need to make sure we have the right planning rules in place to respond before more intensive housing is built."

Part of the response is Plan Change 14, which will look to change planning rules to align with the most up-to-date flood modelling data in the city. Initial engagement with the community is expected to take place later this year before formal notification of any rule changes in 2024.

“We’ve said all along that our primary consideration when growing was the impact on the environment, and in particular the Waikato River. We have legal obligations to enhance the health and wellbeing of the awa under Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato (the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River),” said Councillor Hamilton.

“It is vital the learnings from Auckland are considered alongside any future housing intensification, so we are growing in a way that is resilient to natural hazards and the impacts of climate change.”

Deputy Chair Councillor Sarah Thomson made an additional request for staff to investigate prioritising a plan change around inclusionary zoning if Plan Change 12 hearings are delayed.

Inclusionary zoning is a planning concept that requires developers to contribute affordable housing as part of their developments. Its use is being considered in Hamilton, alongside Waipā and Waikato District Councils.

Commissioners and staff will now need to consider both requests before any final changes to processes are made.

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