Report highlights progress on District Plan Review

Christchurch City Council staff have been acknowledged for their "huge commitment" to addressing key findings of a review into the way the District Plan Review process is managed.

A final report by planning expert Leigh Auton and consultant Robyn McCulloch outlines a range of changes made by Council staff to address issues raised in the McGredy Winder review last year. Auton and McCulloch were appointed to support the Council in the final stages of the District Plan Review and their report was tabled at today’s (9 June 2016) Council meeting.

Chief Executive Karleen Edwards says the improvements span the areas of: governance; capability, capacity and culture; planning processes; key stakeholders; and knowledge of the operative district plan.

“In all areas, staff have implemented - and continue to progress - changes that improve the way the DPR process is being managed and will help ensure a good outcome for the city. Improvements are ongoing and the Council will continue to liaise with key stakeholders on the issues and ensure the DPR process has a successful outcome,” she says.

The report notes that key external stakeholders have been positive about recent improvements and that "staff are to be commended for their professionalism and commitment" in addressing the issues raised in the review.

It says, "…it is acknowledged that there has been significant commitment, focus and plain hard work by the staff of Council to get the DPR to this stage. Indeed all contributors to the process, both Council and those external, are to be commended for their input into a demanding review time frame."

Auton and McCulloch were appointed in November last year to guide the final stages of the District Plan Review, after an independent review of the process raised a number of key issues. While the McGredy Winder review acknowledged the fast-tracked, Government-direct DPR process was always going to put pressure on time and resources, it also raised concerns in some key areas.

The Council developed an action plan to address the issues raised in the review in the areas of governance, quality, process and implementation.

Many of the issues raised in the McGredy Winder review related to the earlier stages of the DPR process, however the Council acknowledged the importance of the work to the city's recovery and took further steps to ensure it would remain on track. The appointment of experienced consultants to guide the final stages of the process provided assurance that the necessary actions were being taken, and their final report confirms good progress.

Their final report shows improvements to address the key issues and gives confidence in the final stages of the DPR process.

ends

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