‘A mockery’ - locals react to fast-tracking of housing development plans
Monday, 7 October 2024
Progressing a large residential subdivision in North Canterbury’s Ōhoka is a slap in the face to the council, the community and the independent commissioners who decided against it.
That is the view of Waimakariri councillor Al Blackie after the controversial development was included in the Government’s list of proposed “fast-track” projects, released on Sunday.
Independent commissioners and Waimakariri District Council last year rejected Carter Group’s 840-home subdivision project at Ōhoka out of concern for unsustainable growth. The project also includes a retirement village or school.
Blackie said choosing the project made a “mockery” of the independent hearing process and local-government planning.
“He who has the deepest pockets wins,” Blackie said. “The locals will not be pleased.”
READ MORE: Fast track bill: An ‘explosive’ Rolleston expansion, NZ’s largest solar farm make the list
The fast-track list includes 149 projects - about a third are in the South Island, with 22 in Canterbury.
Some 8385 more homes could be built in Greater Christchurch if the projects are approved - 4727 in the Selwyn district, 3130 in the Waimakariri and 528 in Christchurch.
Sarah Barkle, chair of the Oxford-Ōhoka community board, was surprised the Ōhoka project was chosen to be fast-tracked given its viability had been reviewed multiple times and rejected.
“If something has gone through its due process and it’s been turned down time and time again, then there must be reasons behind that.
“It will be interesting to see what the process will be like with the fast track and how much local voice is going to be heard.”
Tim Carter, of Carter Group, said the group was “delighted” its projects were included.
Carter Group co-director Philip Carter, in his personal capacity, donated $59,500 to the National Party in 2023, according to the party’s annual return.
Rolleston population could explode
The fast track bill could grow Rolleston’s population (estimated at 29,600 in 2023) by 41%, overriding years of Selwyn District Council’s efforts to block “explosive” growth.
Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton was concerned local leaders would end up “taking the heat” for unpopular projects getting the green light.
The Selwyn District Council rejected both the Carter Group Rolleston West development - mooted to build 4200 homes across four new suburbs - and Birchs Village’s plans for over 500 new houses near Prebbleton.
“We elect local leaders to make decisions and understand the outcomes that will happen locally,” Broughton said.
Many residents opposed it too, with the mayor saying locals were clearly telling the council to build taller and stop the sprawl into rural zones.
Allowing developers to build on an ad-hoc basis, outside of the council’s development boundaries, could make infrastructure more expensive, he said.
The council had heavy boundaries around its towns to make sure infrastructure was planned strategically.
The huge investment in housing hadn’t been matched with investment in services. Broughton said the Government needed to think beyond “just a house with a street” and invest more in hospital beds, schools, public transport and police.
Rolleston College was at capacity with 1800 students and has a projected roll of 3000 by 2030, but the Government has delayed building a second campus.
Timaru, which has a comparable population, has five secondary schools which run to Year 13.
Selwyn councillor Sophie McInnes, a representative for Rolleston, said people want Rolleston to catch up to its own population so new developments don’t become “dormitory suburbs” for Christchurch.
West Coast projects
The bill includes 19 mining and quarrying projects, allowing for the expansion of existing mines and new work.
On the West Coast, the Fast Track Bill allows an expansion of the existing mining site on the Buller Coal Plateaux and supporting and extending current Stockton mine operations (Bathurst Resources/BT Mining/Buller Coal/Bathurst Coal).
TiGa Minerals and Metals’ TiGa Minerals and Metals’ open cast sand mineral mine at Barrytown near Greymouth made the list, but has already received the green light after an Environment Court resolution.
It also revives a controversial Westpower hydropower scheme on the Waitaha River in Westland, scrapped by the last Government, which would generate enough electricity to power about 12,000 households.
Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones said the projects would help rebuild the economy, fix the housing crisis, improve energy security and close the infrastructure deficit.
The fast-track list could also speed up construction on a new Ashburton bridge and see Aotearoa’s largest solar farm built next to the home of one of the world’s rarest birds - The Point Solar Farm project in the Mackenzie Basin, near Lake Benmore.
Colin O’Donnell, a Department of Conservation (DOC) principal scientist, wrote a 13-page report outlining the solar farm’s potential threat, describing it as “potentially catastrophic” to the long-term viability of kakī - which only has 169 wild adult birds - and other rare birds.
The final list was decided by Cabinet. Once the bill becomes law, the projects listed can apply to the Environment Protection Authority. An expert panel will assess each project and apply any relevant environmental protections.