NZ Urban Development news from the media | 14 May 2024 | Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District Plan

Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District Plan

The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations.

“Wellington notified its District Plan on 18 July 2022 and is using two different processes to make it operative, including the Intensified Streamlined Planning Process (ISPP) to incorporate the Medium Density Residential Standards and policies flowing from the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD). The rest of the District Plan is being prepared using standard processes.

“The Council’s Proposed District Plan was referred to an Independent Hearings Panel which reported to the Council in February this year. The Council then rejected twenty of the Panel’s recommendations, made alternative recommendations, and referred to them to me as the final decision-maker under Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act 1991. My decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/decisions-wellington-city-council’s-district-plan

Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of Plenty

The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area.

The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new residential areas across Ōmokoroa and Te Puke, where they have access to infrastructure, amenities, and community facilities.
“I was asked by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council to reject four recommendations made by an Independent Hearing Panel (IHP) related to railway noise and vibration, as well as two zoning changes, on SH2 near Ōmokoroa,” Mr Bishop says.

“The Council had accepted the majority of the IHP’s recommendations and incorporated them into their District Plan in March this year. Four decisions were referred to me under the Intensification Streamlined Planning process as set out in the RMA.

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2024-05/Western%20BOP%20DC%20Plan%20Change%2092%20Attachment%20A.pdf

Annual number of homes consented down 25 percent

There were 35,236 new homes consented in the year ended March 2024, down 25 percent compared with the year ended March 2023, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

“The annual number of new homes consented has continued to decrease from its peak of 51,015 in the year ended May 2022,” construction and property statistics manager Michael Heslop said.

https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/annual-number-of-homes-consented-down-25-percent/

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