Thursday 7 February 2013
Council seeks views on a proposed plan change for North West Christchurch
Christchurch City Council is seeking the publics’ views on the proposed rezoning of three areas to business in the north
west of Christchurch, following a study of the area.
The Council decided, at its 25 October 2012 meeting, that a plan change* is needed to rezone 100 hectares, currently
zoned rural, for industrial and other business activities to meet demand for land in the north west of Christchurch.
These areas are:
• approximately 15 hectares for industrial and other business uses at 711 Johns Road, north of Waimakariri Road (Area 1);
• approximately 50 hectares for industrial and other business purposes, north of Wairakei Road between Woolridge
Road and Russley Road (Area 2); and
• approximately 35 hectares for industrial and other business uses, between Hawthornden Road and Russley Road (Area 3).
The Council is holding public information sessions where people can find out what is proposed, how feedback can be
provided during the process and to speak with Council staff.
City Planning Unit Manger City Planning Brigitte de Ronde says this is the first stage in the process and the Council
want to hear peoples’ thoughts and ideas which will be considered at the next stage in the process when a plan change is
prepared.
“The rezoning of the three areas for business is important to the recovery and future growth of the city, while
maintaining the natural and physical resources of the North West Review Area (NWRA)**.
“We are very keen to hear about the issues people think the plan change needs to address and how they can be addressed.
We are also keen to find out what people envisage in the proposed business areas, for example, the scale of development
amongst other things,” she says.
“I strongly encourage people living or working in the area, or those who have an interest to come along to the upcoming
Council-led information sessions,” she says.
Come along to one of the sessions and have your say:
Drop-in sessions
• 26 February 2013 4.30pm–7pm
Russley Golf Course and Function Centre, 428 Memorial Avenue Burnside
This session will focus on Area 3 (Between Russley Road and Hawthornden Road).
• 27 February 2013 4.30pm–7pm
Russley Golf Course and Function Centre, 428 Memorial Avenue Burnside
This session will focus on Area 1 (North of Waimakariri Road) and Area 2 (North of Wairakei Road).
Public meeting
• 12 March 2013 5.30 pm–7.30pm
St Mark’s Presbyterian Church Auditorium, 150 Withells Road, Avonhead
The public meeting is to present information on what is proposed and the process going forward. The presentation will
start at 6pm followed by questions and answers.
Comments can also be made:
• online at www.ccc.govt.nz/haveyoursay
• emailed to nwra@ccc.govt.nz
• posted to
Freepost 178
Strategy and Planning Group
NW Business Plan Change
Christchurch City Council
PO Box 73012
Christchurch 8154
or
• hand-delivered to the Council’s Civic Offices, 53 Hereford Street.
The final date for written comments is 5pm on 28 March 2013.
The proposed plan change will be subject to a process under the Resource Management Act 1991, including public
notification, submissions, and a hearing of those submissions. In the meantime, new business activities cannot be
established on the sites identified for rezoning unless a resource consent has been granted, or they are already
permitted in the City Plan.
Background
The Council’s decision for staff to prepare a plan change for rezoning three areas to business came about following the
review of a larger area known as the North West Review Area** in October 2012. The review was informed by feedback from
landowners in the NWRA, guidance provided in planning documents, and natural and physical resources in the area. Natural
and physical resources include the aquifers beneath the NWRA that provides Christchurch City with its water supply, and
the productive soils, historically used for agricultural and horticultural activities.
The review identified a need for an additional 100 hectares of land for industrial and other business uses and
identified suitable locations for this. It was also determined that the rest of the area known as the North West Review
Area should be rezoned to a special ‘Rural Urban Fringe zone’ as part of the next review of the Christchurch City Plan
(also known as the District Plan), which is to be undertaken every 10 years and will next occur in 2014/15. The proposed
‘Rural Urban Fringe’ zone is in recognition of the role of the area as a transition between urban and rural areas.
Activities that are considered appropriate within the area include open space, sporting and recreational facilities, in
addition to the ongoing use of the area for rural activities and associated dwellings.
To read the minutes of the Council’s decision 25 October 2012 click here.
The attachments to the Final Report are below:
• Attachment 1: Map - Location of North West Review Area
• Attachment 2: Map - Location of Proposed Business Use
• Attachment 3: Final Report - North West Review Area
• Attachment 4: Map - Dakota Park Subdivision Plan
• Attachment 5: Letter - Christchurch International Airport Limited
For more information visit http://www.ccc.govt.nz/northwestchchreviewarea
* Before land can be developed for business use, it must first be rezoned in the Christchurch City Plan (also known as
the District Plan) from a Rural to a Business zoning. Land can be rezoned through a plan change, which is a statutory
process for amending the City Plan.
**The North West Review Area is the area between Russley Road/ Johns Road (State Highway 1) and existing residential and
business areas including Harewood, Bishopdale, Burnside and Avonhead. This includes the three areas identified for
rezoning to business.
ENDS