How do you think Palmy should grow?
Published on 28 September 2022
Residents are being asked what they think Palmy’s growth should look like in the lead up to a proposed District Plan change to allow more housing in the city.
New government standards are now directing councils throughout New Zealand to make room for more new homes by building up as well as out. While the government’s changes require higher density housing across most of the land in bigger cities, we’d like to meet the requirements in a way that suits Palmy’s character and needs.
To meet the standards, and provide places to live in our growing city, we’re proposing a change to the District Plan called Plan Change I: Medium Density Residential Zone. The aim of this is to rezone parts of the city as medium density areas so that more homes can be built near to the infrastructure and amenities we already have.
A medium density residential zone would allow housing that is a bit higher and closer together than we have right now. Our plan is for this zone to be in areas that are within walkable distance to things people need, like local shops, parks, schools and bus stops.
Chief Planning Officer David Murphy says making our own plan would mean local decision making could guide how our city grows, rather than central government.
“Building more housing across the entire city could mean having to provide new or upgraded infrastructure all over town, which we think would be too expensive for our ratepayers, and not the best outcome for our environment. It could also result in a more random style with no real structure. Having a plan with set building requirements would make it easier for new homes to be built in places with easy access to the local amenities.”
Our proposed plan change would allow builds up to 3 storeys on a minimum 150m2 section without needing to notify neighbours or get resource consent. Mr Murphy says the smaller site sizes and higher levels enable a wider range of housing options.
“These measurements are just what would be permitted, not what has to be done. What actually gets built will be up to landowners and developers. It may be multi-housing units on one site and your traditional three-bedroom home on another. Palmy needs a range of housing and this proposal is simply about providing more options to meet different people’s needs.”
He says while the market will decide what types of housing gets built, the proposed plan change will have a range of requirements to make sure new homes are of good quality, give access to sunlight and fit in with the wider neighbourhood. All new houses will still require building consents to ensure they are well-built and safe.
“The proposed plan change will cut red tape. Meeting the requirements without having to go through a resource consent process will mean more housing can be built faster, and therefore cheaper.”
Allowing more housing within the urban area we’re already using can reduce our climate emissions by making it easier for people to walk, bus, scooter or bike, instead of relying on cars to get around the city. Mr Murphy says it also helps reduce the need to expand into our rural environment.
“To protect the soils around Palmy which help us grow and produce food we need to keep housing within set boundaries. Allowing uncontrolled urban sprawl would also mean we’d have to build infrastructure and services for homes further and further away from our city centre. This would be expensive and use too many resources.
"Instead, we have set a target for 55% of our growth to be built within our city’s current boundaries over the short-term, and 45% over the next 10 years. This means using our city’s space to its full potential, including our airspace - building up, not out.”
We’re keen to hear your early views on where we should allow more homes within Palmy and why. Higher density rules are coming, and we want to make sure our plans for growth are done by us, not to us.
To make medium density work for Palmy we’ll need your help to come up with the best plan for our city. Let us know your ideas on Palmy’s growth or learn more about our proposed plan change at pncc.govt.nz/growing
We’re getting some early feedback from now until 19 October. This will help us solidify our proposal of where medium density housing should be, and before Christmas we’ll share more details, along with some maps for you to consider. Early next year we’ll formally consult on the proposed change to our District Plan. This is when we’ll ask for formal submissions and if you’d like to give your views in person in a Council hearing.