Further submission consultation on Proposed Selwyn District Plan Variation

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Consultation closed at 5pm on Friday 18 November 2022.



The hearings panel decisions on the variations were notified on 19 August 2023, following public hearings.

There is no right of appeal to the Environment Court on decisions on submissions to the Intensification Planning Instrument. 

The variations are now included in the Partially Operative District Plan

The hearings panel decisions on the variations were notified on 19 August 2023, following public hearings.

There is no right of appeal to the Environment Court on decisions on submissions to the Intensification Planning Instrument. 

The variations are now included in the Partially Operative District Plan

Consultation closed at 5pm on Friday 18 November 2022.



  • Further submissions open on new housing intensification rules

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    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

    A chance for affected parties to have their say on submissions received on new housing intensification rules, which allow for more housing and at greater heights in relevant residential areas in Rolleston, Lincoln and Prebbleton, opens on Monday 7 November.

    The further submission consultation follows the notification of mandatory variations to the Proposed Selwyn District Plan and to eight private plan changes to the Operative Selwyn District Plan in August earlier this year.

    “This is an opportunity for those affected, certain interested parties and the Council to respond to an original submission”, says Council Group Manager Development and Growth Tim Harris.

    A total of 118 submissions were made on the variation to the Proposed District Plan, covering around 1,200 individual submission points.

    A total of 26 submissions were made on the variation to the private plan change (PC) 68 and PC72 in Prebbleton, PC69 in Lincoln and PC71, PC75, PC76 and PC78 in Rolleston, covering around 300 individual submission points.

    “Topics attracting most attention through submissions included rezoning land from rural to residential, and the new medium density residential zone, including the permitted density rules allowing for up to three houses, three storeys high without requiring a resource consent”, says Mr Harris.

    Further submissions can only be made by a person who has already made a submission on the variation, someone with an interest greater than the public in general (for example if they own property that someone submitted to have rezoned), someone representing a public interest group, or the local authority itself.

    A summary of the submissions, along with the original submissions, can be found at www.selwyn.govt.nz/yoursay. Supporting information on how to search the submissions and how to make a further submission is also available online. This information can also be viewed online at all the Council libraries and service centres.

    To help with queries about the submission process, people can also contact a free Friend of a Submitter service, provided by the Ministry for the Environment. More details are available at www.selwyn.govt.nz/yoursay.

    The further submission period is open until 5pm Friday 18 November.

  • Introducing medium density housing in Selwyn

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    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

    The Selwyn District Council is consulting with residents on new housing intensification rules, which will allow for more housing and at greater heights in relevant residential areas in Rolleston, Lincoln and Prebbleton.

    The Council will publicly notify mandatory variations to the Proposed Selwyn District Plan and to eight private plan changes to the Operative Selwyn District Plan on Saturday 20 August.

    The variations are required following the Government’s introduction of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) 2020 and the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021.

    The Government legislation brings in new rules requiring five of the largest urban environments in New Zealand – including parts of Selwyn – to enable an increase in housing supply by introducing a new Medium Density Residential Zone in relevant areas.

    Within this zone, new medium density residential standards will allow landowners to build up to three buildings at a maximum of three storeys high without requiring a resource consent.

    In Selwyn, the Council is proposing to rezone the following land to Medium Density Residential Zone:

    • The existing General Residential Zones in Rolleston, Lincoln and Prebbleton.
    • Land covered by the following private plan changes (PC): PC68 and PC72 in Prebbleton, PC69 in Lincoln and PC71, PC75, PC76 and PC78 in Rolleston. These are private plan changes that have already gone through public consultation and the Council has made a decision on. (Note: the land covered by PC73 in Rolleston will not be included in the variation to the Proposed District Plan, but will be subject to a variation to the private plan change.)
    • The Housing Accords and Special Housing Area and COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) areas in Rolleston.
    • Land on six different sites within the Future Development Area that are in between existing residential and private plan change areas in Rolleston.

    The new standards will have immediate legal effect from the date of notification on 20 August 2022. This means developers and landowners will have the option to apply the density standards to current residential land in Rolleston, Prebbleton and Lincoln from this date.

    The changes set out by the Government to encourage housing supply are not optional, however, the consultation gives people the chance to shape the details of what is affected, says Council Group Manager Development and Growth Tim Harris.

    “While there are legal requirements we have to meet, there is an opportunity for people to have their say on how these rules are applied in their area.

    People can make a submission about new land that is proposed to be rezoned from rural to residential. There are also places that the Council can deem inappropriate to have the medium density standards applied. That includes to protect significant infrastructure, or the history, cultural or ecological value of a place. That is something we want to hear from local communities on.”

    To help the public understand these variations and what they can cover in their submissions, people can also contact a free Friend of a Submitter service, provided by the Ministry for the Environment. Contact Jane West at selwynmdrs@jwest.co.nz or call (03) 324 3324.