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Last modified: 17 Jan 2023 10:54am

image of square wooden Castle Hill Village sign with a wood house and mountain behind

Substantial changes are proposed for the Castle Hill Village Reserves Management Plan to better manage the area’s reserves, trees and local assets.

Selwyn District Council is inviting submissions on the draft plan from today until 5pm, Friday 17 March.

The aim of the Reserves Management Plan (RMP) is to provide a clear vision for the reserve areas in Castle Hill Village and guide the day-to-day management and development of these spaces over the next 10 years. The original Castle Hill Village RMP was adopted in June 2011.

The Council has worked closely with Castle Hill Community Association and the wider village to review the RMP, including surveying property owners on a range of reserve topics. Several key issues and challenges were identified through this process, which are addressed in the draft RMP.

The proposed changes to the RMP include:

  • guidance on trees planted next to houses to limit the potential for trees to shade homes in winter. This is to assist with decisions about new plantings as well as the removal of existing trees.
  • adoption of Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s advice to provide a 10-metre tree setback from dwellings to reduce fire risk.
  • contained areas of planting for trees and other plants to balance areas of planting with sufficient open space to maintain alpine vistas where possible.
  • individual planting concepts for reserve areas to guide their future landscaping.

Read the draft Castle Hill Village RMP and make a submission online or visit Selwyn District Council’s offices in Rolleston or the Darfield Library and Service Centre. You can also make a submission via email or post.