Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon has defended the local decision-making process. Photo: David Hill/North Canterbury News
Projects already rejected by councils should not then be fast-tracked, Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon says.
"In my opinion, projects that have already been decided on and declined in district plans or other Resource Management Act processes should not be eligible for consideration by the Fast-track Approvals Act," he said.
"There is a tremendous amount of work, sometimes over several years, that goes in to reviewing the District Plan, and any Act that undermines that process or trumps it is counterproductive."
The Waimakariri District Council rejected a private plan change for a proposed 850-home development at Ohoka, near Rangiora, by Carter Group in November 2023, after a recommendation from independent commissioners. The proposed development was subsequently included in the Government's new fast-track legislation, along with two other proposed housing developments in the district.
All three housing developments were the subject of submissions to the proposed Waimakariri District Plan, which is expected to become operative this year.
In its submission on the Fast-Track Approvals Bill last year, the council supported the Bill in principle, but expressed concerns over the loss of local decision-making.
Gordon told Local Democracy Reporting those concerns remain.
"We do support cutting through the bureaucracy and red tape that surround plan creations and consenting processes," he said. "I think everyone can agree that simplifying and streamlining those processes are in everyone's best interest."
Carter Group appealed the 2023 Ohoka development decision to the Environment Court, with a court hearing still pending.
Ohoka residents have opposed the housing development amid concerns it would ruin the character of the rural town, while the developer says it will create much-needed new homes.
Gordon said the decision to reject the housing development "took into account the type of development and the appropriateness of the location".
A proposed 850-home subdivision at Ohoka has been included in the Fast-track Approvals Act. Photo: David Hill
Under the new legislation, projects selected for the Fast-track process are considered by an expert panel, with local councils invited to give feedback, but Gordon said the extent of the council's involvement remained unclear.
"Like many other councils around the country, we will be waiting to see what this new Act actually means to councils," he said. "There will be a period of adjustment and learning what immediate effect, if any, it will have on current processes.
"Ultimately, the council's concern and that of council staff is ensuring we still have strong local decision-making about what is best for our district now and in the future."
An Environment Ministry spokesperson said applicants could choose whether to seek approval via the Fast-track process or the resource consents process under the Resource Management Act (RMA).
"Expert panels will be responsible for deciding conditions for the project, if they decide to grant it," the spokesperson said.
"Under the RMA, [local councils are] responsible for considering applications and setting conditions for consent."
Under the legislation, the expert panel is required to consider environmental impacts.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
