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Last modified: 20 Aug 2023 10:38pm

Selwyn’s proposed new rulebook has taken a major step closer to being adopted with the notification of decisions from the hearings of public submissions.

Over the past two years the Council has heard and considered public submissions on the Proposed District Plan and the decisions on submissions and further submissions were notified today, 19 August.

The decisions cover changes to reflect new legislation, national policy direction, and issues raised through submissions. It creates new urban zones, strengthens protection of highly productive land, protection of properties from natural hazards, protection of historic and culture heritage, important landscapes, as well as updating rules for what activities can occur where.

The appeal period is now open for 30 working days for submitters to appeal decisions on the Proposed District Plan if they wish to.

In addition, the Council also notified decisions on Variation 1 to the Proposed District Plan and various Private Plan Changes, as required by central government legislation. The legislation requires Council to provide for medium density housing in Rolleston, Lincoln and Prebbleton.  These rules are now operative, with no right of appeal.

The Hearings Panel considered 605 submissions, covering around 9,300 individual submission points. Notification of decisions by the Council is major milestone for the new plan.

Council Acting Chief Executive Tim Harris says    “A huge amount of work has gone into getting us to this point. The District Plan is very important document for setting up the District for the future - helping keep Selwyn a great place to live. We’re grateful to the Hearings Panel and the submitters for helping us with getting this right and we are looking forward to the final stage of getting the new plan into place.”

The next step in the District Plan Review process will be to receive and resolve any appeals on the Proposed District Plan. Parts of the Proposed Plan that are not subject to appeals now become operative.

The Proposed District Plan will be fully operative after all appeals have been resolved.

Find the decisions on submissions and further submissions, and further information.

Decisions include:

  • Greater protection of highly productive land in line with the National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Land and submissions.
  • Introducing new zones to provide for a range of business services and employment opportunities.
  • Rezoning 2,532ha of existing urban zoned (residential, commercial or industrial) land to a new urban zoning category. This includes 1,922ha of residential intensification to Medium Density Residential Zoning. And rezoning 1,371ha of rural zoned land to urban and special purpose zones. The rezoning has come from submissions accepted by Council, updating areas where consents had been granted but the zoning hadn’t been changed and to comply with national legislation to increase housing supply.
  • Further protections from wildfire and flood hazards, including new setbacks around rural properties to reduce wildfire risk and new flood assessment certificates for new buildings to specify minimum building floor height requirements.
  • Areas of significant natural biodiversity are identified and protected where they meet specified criteria.