Further submissions open on the Proposed Selwyn District Plan

A chance for affected people to have their say on changes requested to Selwyn’s district rulebook opens today (Monday 19 April).

The further submission period for the Proposed District Plan is open until 5pm Monday 3 May. It is an opportunity for those affected, certain interested parties and the Council to respond to an original submission or submission point.

A total of 470 submissions were made on the Proposed District Plan, covering around 7,700 individual submission points. Of these, 62% of submission points were fully or partially supportive of the Proposed District Plan.

Submissions were received on all chapters of the Proposed District Plan. Topics attracting most attention included rezoning land from rural to residential, indigenous biodiversity and ecosystems protection, flooding hazard areas and commercial activities in residential areas.

Other topics generating multiple submission points include the proposed changes to minor residential units (‘family flats’), noise standards, residential density controls and high vehicle trip-generating activities.

Council’s Environmental and Regulatory Services Manager, Tim Harris, says it’s been good to see the way people have got behind the plan and taken an interest in the way the rules will affect them and the district as a whole.

“It’s a great milestone after years of hard work to have got here and to see the positive reaction from the public and the support that they have given the plan.”

Further submissions can be made by a person 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 Summit Up - our online summary of submissions database. This information can also be viewed online at all the Council libraries and service centres.

The Council has also developed a submission map tool to help people find properties affected by submissions on rezoning, or other map-related changes.

[Note: The District Plan is the district’s 10-year ‘rule book’ which sets out rules and policies to define what activities are allowed on properties as of right (permitted activities) and what activities require a resource consent. It is a separate process from the Long-Term Plan, which is also currently open for consultation, until 30 April.]