Christchurch District Plan Still a Deep Concern

Media Release

30 September 2014

Christchurch District Plan Still a Deep Concern

Property Council South Island Branch is still deeply concerned about the Christchurch City Council District Plan.

The Branch held a workshop earlier this month to discuss the Plan and its issues. The feedback was overwhelmingly negative.

South Island Branch President Glenn Taylor says the Plan does not promote a thriving city.

“As we have consistently said in our comments on various draft versions, the Plan needs to provide the foundation for a vibrant rebuilt Christchurch, we are not convinced it will do that.

“Many developers have employed senior planners and lawyers to review the Plan and without exception the feedback from these people is that it is confusing, lacking in direction and complicated by gaps and errors”.

The Order in Council setting out the fast-tracked District Plan process has required the Council to develop a Plan that clearly articulates how decisions would be made with a reduced reliance on resource consents. But the Council has failed to do this.

The Branch is particularly concerned with the significant number of changes the Council itself is seeking to make to the notified version. This indicates that a rushed process may not be appropriate; rather time should be taken to ensure it is robust and accurate.

“Even acknowledging the fast-tracked nature of the process, it is difficult to have confidence in a Plan which is the subject of such extensive amendment from its authors within a month of notification,” Mr Taylor says.

South Island Branch’s concern with the hasty process has always been that there is limited time available to fix flaws in the Plan, especially if they are fundamental.

The Branch will be submitting on the first stage of the Plan and urges the wider public to participate.

“We know that there is a sense of fatigue in getting involved with all of these processes but this Plan will be the foundation for the city for the next 10 to 15 years, and we need to get it right”.

END.

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