By Lisa Perry, Planner, Baseline Group, Christchurch Ph 0800 257 123 E:info@blg.nz | Apr 30, 2024
The one constant we can rely on is change and Selwyn has experienced some significant changes in the past 10 years, most notably, population growth and urban land development. Based on current trends, the Selwyn District is the fastest growing district in the country. More residential land development is needed. The question is, where.
How have changes to the Resource Management Act impacted land development?
2021 to 2023 has seen some significant changes in resource management. In 2021, Central Government introduced the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 (the Amendment Act). The Amendment Act requires specified local authorities to incorporate Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) into every relevant residential zone in their District Plan, which the Selwyn District Council (SDC) has done.
In 2022 Central Government introduced the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land (NPS-HPL), which seeks to provide direction to improve the way highly productive land is managed under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), i.e., protecting good growing land from inappropriate use and development. Selwyn has abundant good growing land, which puts them in a potentially tricky position with pressure to expand urban areas and constraints on what land can be developed.
How have changes to District Plans impacted land development?
2023 saw a change in government and a shift from building up and intensifying urban land development to building out with Central Government’s announcement of their intent to allow Councils to zone 30 years of residential land instead of including the MDRS in their City or District Plans. 2023 also saw Selwyn’s Proposed District Plan come into effect as the new Partially Operative District Plan, which has taken years to develop and millions to put in place. Although it is not fully operative (some parts of the Plan have been challenged and are subject to appeal) it has significant legal weight and provides direction for resource management in Selwyn with new Rules, Objectives and Policies. It comes as no surprise then that landowners may be uncertain what the development constraints and opportunities are for their land development.
Needing help with your land development plans?
If you are uncertain about your next step with land development, seek preliminary advice from Council on your proposal. Selwyn District Council has a knowledgeable and responsive duty planning team who can answer planning related questions. Email: planning.technical@selwyn.govt.nz.
If your application is complex or large, you can request a pre-application meeting. Pre-application meetings are an opportunity to present your proposal, receive feedback about what you may need to consider, and identify stakeholders or affected parties. There is no charge for the initial meeting because pre-application meetings benefit all parties.
The best time for land development is now. Although the future holds uncertainty and change is inevitable, the rules as they exist now are certain.
Articles you might be interested in
- Minimum Car Parking Requirements to be Chopped
- Flood Management – An Update
- Planning Permissions – Resource Consent or Plan Change?
- Indigenous Biodiversity: what does it mean for a farmer?
- A Practical Guide for District Plan Reviews
- Crime Prevention Through Environment Design (CPTED)
- Managing Cultural Heritage Sites
- Navigating New Opportunities: The Importance of Land Development Planning in 2024
- Confused by Environmental Legislation? You are Not Alone.
- Tiny Homes and Granny Flats
- Burning crop stubble on your property?
- State highways, noise and reverse sensitivity: what’s the buzz?
- The National Policy Statement for Natural Hazard Decision-Making and its effects on Resource Consents
- Is the RMA really the problem?
- The rise or fall of rural lifestyle blocks in the Selwyn District?
- Negotiating with Neighbours Under the RMA
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan - What next?
- Historic Heritage Challenges for Landowners
- Buildings under exemptions may still need resource consent
- Understanding Land Covenants: What You Need to Know
- How might Development Contributions affect you?
- RMA changes are coming, are you ready?
- Going for housing growth, to improve housing affordability
- Minimum car parking requirements to be chopped
- Adapting to a Depreciating New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
- Understanding Zoning and Density Rules in Selwyn
- Cross Lease Titles
- Build-to-Rent Development in New Zealand: A Rising Trend in Housing
- Navigating Prior Engineering Acceptance for Urban Developments in Selwyn
- Change isn't coming, it's here!
- Who Pays for Infrastructure in Greenfield Land Development?
- A New Dawn for Granny Flats and Accessory Dwellings
- Crunch Time For New Freshwater Legislation
- Have your say on Development Projects
- Subdividing – The Basics
- Fundamental Culture Shift in New Zealand Planning Legislation.
- The impact of consent notices when purchasing land
- Tiny Home Revolution May Not Save Costs
- Our History - How We All Play a Part in its Protection
- Time matters – With Resource Consent
- Why we have complicated septic tank disposal rules
- How Tree Canopies Transform Neighbourhoods and Enhance Lives
- The dream of subdividing your land
- What to do when you inherit land
- With increasing density, good design matters
- Submissions to a Resource Consent by Affected Parties
- Back to Basics for the RMA Reforms
- Flood Management | Changes in Selwyn
- Time's up on the RMA
- How to navigate Rural Land Development Under the National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Soils
- Planning Rules can Affect Property Value
- A recent Baseline Group project was recognised at the 2022 Canterbury Architecture Awards
- Councils are Increasing Residential Density, but why, who does it benefit?
- Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes - effect on farming
- Good District Plan provisions save time and money
- The importance of knowing your boundaries
- Balancing Common Sense and Legal Process under the RMA: Protecting Communities and the Environment
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Is planning the cause of red tape for land development?
- Your Rights as an Affected Neighbour: Navigating Development Under the RMA
- But that’s the way we have always done it!
- Game changers for housing under the RMA
- The Great Forestry Debate
- The Taking of Esplanades at the Time of Subdivision
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Who Shapes our Planning Rules?
- Rural Allotment Sizes set to Double
- Managing Wastewater in Rural Canterbury: A Guide for Property Owners
- New Indigenous Biodiversity Legislation Mandates Significant Natural Area Identification
- Commercial Activity in a Rural Zone – What’s the Harm?
- What does a professional planner do?
- Granny Flats to Be Allowed, Without Consent: What Homeowners Need to Know
- Housing Intensification – Not for Everyone Says CCC
- What does The Selwyn District Plan (appeals version) mean for the planning process and consent?
- Is it a Wetland or Not?
- How lizards might affect your new development
- Hazardous activities, land contamination and resource consent applications
- Selwyn District Council Changes Urban Allotment Sizes
- Importance of Sediment Management in Land Development Projects: Simple Techniques for Effective Sediment Runoff Control
- Wild Weather and Resource Consent Requirements
- Cross lease titles - an overview
- The Role of Planning in the Climate Change - Discussion for Agriculture
- Risks to farmland in the planning framework
- What does an activity status mean for your land development?
- Spotlight on District Plan Provisions
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan Update
- Managing Waterbodies on Your Property: What Landowners Need to Know
- What does your zone mean for you and your property?
- Ensuring Compliance with Resource Management Laws
- Boundary disputes – What are they and how can you resolve them?
- Changes to Resource Management Planning Signalled in Proposed Legislation
- Housing Growth continues in Selwyn with Legislative Support
- Rivers, Lakes and Coastline, Public Space for All
- District Plan in Selwyn – How will it Affect You?
- Planning land use to be resilient to natural hazards
- Rural allotment sizes set to double in West Selwyn
- Make Your Additional Land Profitable Under the Selwyn Proposed Plan
- The costs of subdividing hitting Selwyn | development contributions
- The Role of Planning in Land and Property Development