Council given another year to consider housing density in Christchurch

Wednesday, 27 March 2024

The Christchurch City Council has until December next year to decide the level of housing intensification it will allow in the city’s residential areas.

Housing minister Chris Bishop confirmed earlier this month the Government planned to approve the council’s request for an extension. The new deadline was announced on Wednesday.

The Government still expects the council to continue to the original deadline of September 12, 2024 to allow for greater heights and densities in and around the city centre, and in commercial centres including Riccarton, Papanui and Hornby.

The extension gives the council until December 12, 2025 to figure out what housing intensification will look like in residential areas beyond those commercial centres.

The original intensification plan allowed three residential buildings of three storeys each across vast parts of the city, without a resource consent, and higher limits in main suburban centres.

The plan, which garnered strong opposition from residents’ groups, provided enough space for housing for the next 150 years.

Mayor Phil Mauger said the process had been a big decision for the city.

“We’ve always said we want to get the best result, and having more time means we can consider whether we continue with this aspect of Plan Change 14 or change it.”

Plan Change 14 was designed to bring Christchurch’s District Plan in line with the former Government’s national direction to allow multi-unit housing developments and to allow greater intensification in and around the central city and suburban centres.

Public hearings on the plan change were held throughout October and November last year. The six remaining hearing days will happen between April 15 and 24.

The council said its staff were working through the next steps and an update would go to the council in April.