In this section

In this section you can find information on the hearings of submissions and further submissions on the Proposed Selwyn District Plan.

Hearings have been scheduled based on the topics they fall into. At these hearings accredited hearing commissioners will consider all submissions and officer report recommendations.

We will contact submitters before the hearings start to let them know about how they can speak to their submission and when any expert evidence will need to be provided.

Check the latest provisional schedule of all the hearings.

Latest update

Hearings of submissions seeking to rezone land through the Proposed Plan will occur between 30 January and 21 April 2023, prior to the hearings of submission received on the variation.

On 20 August 2022 the Council notified a variation to the Proposed District Plan .

The hearings are being held at the Selwyn Health Hub on Norman Kirk Drive, Rolleston, which is opposite the Selwyn District Council offices. They commence at 9am each day and generally conclude at 5pm.

All hearings are livestreamed on Council’s YouTube channel. Recordings of all the hearings to date can also be found on Council’s You Tube channel.

Hearing Panel recommendations on each topic-based matter will not be released after each of the hearings. An overall recommendation report will be prepared once all the hearings are completed, and this will then be considered by the Council. The Council’s decision on the provisions and matters raised in submissions, including submissions on the Variation will therefore not be released until August 2023.

Section 42A Report: Overview and NPS - HPL

This report provides the Hearings Panel with an overview of the District Plan Review, including higher order statutory requirements, what consultation was undertaken, key issues developed through the review and the hearings process.

Want to attend a hearing?  

You can expect to hear from us 25 working days ahead of the scheduled hearing for the topic that your submission(s) falls under. At this stage we will advise you of key dates for the exchange of evidence and list of submissions to be considered at the hearing. You will then need to let us know at least 15 working days prior to the hearing if you still wish to be heard in relation to your topic.

timeline proposed district plan hearings

About the Hearings Panel

The Council has appointed a Hearings Panel with six independent commissioners of which two are iwi commissioners, and four councillors:

  • Rob van Voorthuysen (chair of the panel), Gary Rae (co-chair), Lindsay Daysh, Andrew Willis, Yvette Couch-Lewis, Raewyn Solomon
  • Councillors Malcolm Lyall, Nicole Reid, Debra Hasson, Mark Alexander.

The first three scheduled hearings, which cover strategic topics, will be heard by the full Hearings Panel. The rest will be heard by one of two separate panels, chaired by either the chair or the co-chair.

Hearings Panel directions and minutes

Here you can find the Panel’s directions and minutes as they are issued:

Communications to the Hearings Panel

This section includes all general formal correspondence to the Hearings Panel, including responses from submitters and Council, as required. Examples of such correspondence are requests to the Hearings Panel for a change to the hearing procedure or to consider material which may not have been received within the timeframes set out by the Hearings Panel. In these circumstances, the submitter needs to provide compelling reasons and the panel has the discretion to accept or reject such requests. Correspondence to the Hearings Panel that relates to specific hearing topics can be found under the link for that hearing topic.

All communication is to be sent to the Hearings Administrator, Emma Robertson, at hearings@selwyn.govt.nz

All formal correspondence can be found on the Submitters Correspondence to the Hearings Panel online database.

All formal correspondence from Council Officers can be found on the Council Officers' Correspondence to the Hearings Panel online database.

Hearing topics and schedule

The hearings on submissions and further submissions have been scheduled based on the 30 separate topics the submissions cover. To help submitters plan ahead, below is the provisional schedule. This schedule may change as the hearings proceed. Any changes will be posted here:

Process for rezoning requests

A slightly different process will be followed for those submissions on the Proposed District Plan which relate to requests to rezone particular areas of land in the district. For more information visit the Rezoning requests under Proposed District Plan webpage.

Procedural reports

There may be occasions where reports need to be provided from Council staff to the Hearing Panel to assist with procedural matters and an efficient hearing process. Examples include reports of late original and further submissions which the panel may either accept or reject before commencement of the hearing.