Govt planning rules could 'override the community'
Hurunui District Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said he struggles to see how a proposal to stop councils defining rural-urban boundaries would work.
''If they override something in the planning document, they are not overriding the council - they are overriding the community," he said.
Resource Management Act Reform Minister Chris Bishop announced proposed changes last week which he said will stop councils from stalling housing developments.
''We have had decades of local councils trying to make housing someone else's problem, and we have a planning system that lets them get away with it,'' Bishop said at the time.
The Government proposal would stop councils from imposing rural-urban boundary lines in planning documents.
A Rural Urban Boundary identifies land suitable for urban development, and areas to be kept rural.
The proposal would give the Government the power remove provisions in council plans which impact on growth, and replacing development contributions with a development levy system, increased flexibility of targeted rates, and strengthening the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act.
But Mr Dobbie said preparing a District Plan is ''a long and tortuous process'', as councils strive to find a balance between community aspirations, the need for growth, aspirations of developers and Government legislation.
He said rural-urban boundary lines allowed councils to ensure development occurred where there is council infrastructure.
Drawing rural-urban boundaries was integral to developing spatial plans, which identified areas for future housing growth and protected agricultural land.
The proposal appeared to go against the national direction of developing regional plans, which included spatial planning, to replace district plans, he said.
''I don't know how you can identify areas for housing and agriculture without drawing lines on a map,'' Mr Dobbie said.
''But I might be about to learn something.''
The clause allowing the Government to override District Plan provisions which impacted on growth would be open to interpretation, he said.
''Imagine somebody wanted to build a nuclear power plant or a whale slaughtering station.
''It might be something the community would not want, but the Government would have the power to override it.''
Environment Canterbury chairperson Craig Pauling said the council is considering the proposals and will be making a formal submission.
Parts of the region are facing significant population and demographic change, particularly Greater Christchurch, he said.
''We need to make sure we get the balance right, and we're actively safeguarding the environment, as well as social, and cultural values at the same time.''
Any decisions needed to consider the region's infrastructure capacity, housing availability, labour market, transport connectivity and natural hazards.
Public consultation on the Going for Housing Growth discussion document closes on August 17.
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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