By Kerryn Penn, Planner, Baseline Group, | Apr 21, 2023
It is a well-known fact that New Zealand has a shortage of affordable housing. Often the question asked is: “How has this happened?” Numerous academic reports over the years have attempted to dissect what we now refer to as the ‘housing crisis’.
From these reports, it was determined that the Economic Law of Supply and Demand, is at the heart of the issue. Meaning, New Zealand has been experiencing a large growth in housing demand (due to other determining factors) while the supply continues to decrease. This lack of supply has forced the price of housing to increase thus becoming more and more unaffordable to the average New Zealander. Turning this Law on its head is thought to be the solution to the lack of supply. To do this, New Zealand must increase the supply to make the average house price fall, and in turn housing shall become more affordable.
To increase the supply, Central Government has sought to remove restrictive development rules through the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021, to enforce medium density in residential development. Through this new legislation, territorial authorities, including Selwyn District Council, are required to implement medium density housing standards into their District Plans as soon as possible. In Selwyn, the Council chose to implement these new standards into the District Plan through the creation of a new Medium Density Residential Zone which, is to be applied to existing residential land in Lincoln, Rolleston and Prebbleton.
This new zone will allow for the construction of three units on one site (with a minimum area of 400m2), built to a height of 11 m and covering 50% of the property. While this encourages an increase in residential density, this does not mean that urban design has been disregarded. Additional standards are required to be complied with, otherwise, resource consent will be required. This will require the proposal to undergo an assessment against its merits in respect to the District Plan as well as assess any actual or potential effects to the environment. Even if resource consent is not required, professionals including planners, architects and urban designers who are involved in the conception of these developments will be working behind the scenes to ensure that design principles are given effect to.
While these changes can appear confronting, the introduction of medium density will have the immediate benefit of increasing the local housing supply. As a result, the population of Selwyn may increase, thus bringing more education and employment opportunities, local businesses and overall growth for the local economy.
This new zone may appear at first glance, to be aimed at greenfield developers who only want to maximise their business investments, but it is also there for anyone who owns land in the District. There is a surplus of possibility when it comes to land development, which is why it is encouraged to engage a land development expert such as a planner, to help unlock your property potential.
Articles you might be interested in
- Time's up on the RMA
- Commercial Activity in a Rural Zone – What’s the Harm?
- Planning Rules can Affect Property Value
- Importance of Sediment Management in Land Development Projects: Simple Techniques for Effective Sediment Runoff Control
- Crime Prevention Through Environment Design (CPTED)
- Balancing Common Sense and Legal Process under the RMA: Protecting Communities and the Environment
- Rivers, Lakes and Coastline, Public Space for All
- What does The Selwyn District Plan (appeals version) mean for the planning process and consent?
- Good District Plan provisions save time and money
- Crunch Time For New Freshwater Legislation
- Flood Management – An Update
- Boundary disputes – What are they and how can you resolve them?
- What does an activity status mean for your land development?
- Navigating New Opportunities: The Importance of Land Development Planning in 2024
- District Plan in Selwyn – How will it Affect You?
- Our History - How We All Play a Part in its Protection
- The Role of Planning in the Climate Change - Discussion for Agriculture
- Have your say on Development Projects
- Rural allotment sizes set to double in West Selwyn
- Negotiating with Neighbours Under the RMA
- Is it a Wetland or Not?
- Buildings under exemptions may still need resource consent
- A Practical Guide for District Plan Reviews
- Minimum car parking requirements to be chopped
- The importance of knowing your boundaries
- Planning Permissions – Resource Consent or Plan Change?
- New Indigenous Biodiversity Legislation Mandates Significant Natural Area Identification
- Burning crop stubble on your property?
- Why we have complicated septic tank disposal rules
- But that’s the way we have always done it!
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Who Pays for Infrastructure in Greenfield Land Development?
- Housing Intensification – Not for Everyone Says CCC
- Spotlight on District Plan Provisions
- Managing Cultural Heritage Sites
- The Great Forestry Debate
- Minimum Car Parking Requirements to be Chopped
- Game changers for housing under the RMA
- Your Rights as an Affected Neighbour: Navigating Development Under the RMA
- Indigenous Biodiversity: what does it mean for a farmer?
- Hazardous activities, land contamination and resource consent applications
- How to navigate Rural Land Development Under the National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Soils
- Flood Management | Changes in Selwyn
- The dream of subdividing your land
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan - What next?
- How lizards might affect your new development
- Changes to Resource Management Planning Signalled in Proposed Legislation
- With increasing density, good design matters
- Historic Heritage Challenges for Landowners
- Cross lease titles - an overview
- RMA changes are coming, are you ready?
- Time matters – With Resource Consent
- State highways, noise and reverse sensitivity: what’s the buzz?
- Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes - effect on farming
- Is the RMA really the problem?
- Make Your Additional Land Profitable Under the Selwyn Proposed Plan
- The rise or fall of rural lifestyle blocks in the Selwyn District?
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan Update
- Risks to farmland in the planning framework
- The Role of Planning in Land and Property Development
- A recent Baseline Group project was recognised at the 2022 Canterbury Architecture Awards
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Land Development opportunities and times of change
- Confused by Environmental Legislation? You are Not Alone.
- Rural Allotment Sizes set to Double
- What to do when you inherit land
- How might Development Contributions affect you?
- Managing Wastewater in Rural Canterbury: A Guide for Property Owners
- Wild Weather and Resource Consent Requirements
- Planning land use to be resilient to natural hazards
- The costs of subdividing hitting Selwyn | development contributions
- The impact of consent notices when purchasing land
- The National Policy Statement for Natural Hazard Decision-Making and its effects on Resource Consents
- Fundamental Culture Shift in New Zealand Planning Legislation.
- Housing Growth continues in Selwyn with Legislative Support
- What does a professional planner do?
- Selwyn District Council Changes Urban Allotment Sizes
- Tiny Home Revolution May Not Save Costs
- Change isn't coming, it's here!
- Who Shapes our Planning Rules?
- How Tree Canopies Transform Neighbourhoods and Enhance Lives