'Intensification on steroids': Nelson housing plan rejected
For almost two years, Nelson City Council has been working on Plan Change 29 – a controversial overhaul of its planning rules to make it easier to build high-density housing across the city.
But many of the council's goals have since fallen over after the hearing panel that oversaw the process recommended that most of the plan change's proposals be rejected.
Nelson's elected members accepted the panel's recommendation today which saw many elements of the plan formally scrapped.
Opposition to the plan was widespread and vocal as submitters sought to protect their sunlight access, and councillors' commentaries often declared the result a win for residents.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mayor Nick Smith said the council had overreached by proposing "intensification on steroids". (Source: LDR / Max Frethey)
Mayor Nick Smith described the plan as 'intensification on steroids' and said the council needed to learn from the 'strong kickback' from the public and engage earlier with the community in the future.
Included in the scrapped measures were residential zones and overlays that would have allowed buildings of up to six storeys to be built on some sites without a resource consent.
The changes that weren't rejected will focus intensification in the inner city and city fringe, and most natural hazard provisions were also kept.
Councillor Pete Rainey said the changes for the central city were a 'really positive step in the right direction' but added that 'the issues facing the city are not going to go away. We need to do something about them'.
More than 1200 households in need of affordable housing – survey
The council's original proposal was deeply unpopular, with hundreds gathering to oppose the plan in September 2023. (Source: LDR / Max Frethey)
ADVERTISEMENT
A recent Nelson Tasman Housing Trust survey showed that 1222 households in the region were currently in need of affordable housing.
Under the council's revised planning rules which have now largely been rejected, the number of commercially feasible dwellings over the next 30 years was expected to climb by 23,450 for attached homes and 6825 for detached dwellings.
But the current planning rules only enabled 6500 attached and 3175 detached dwellings over the same period.
Now that most of the new rules have been rejected, council staff were unsure how many extra dwellings would be feasible.
Even though the changes for the inner city and city fringe were approved, they're only expected to provide 'relatively modest' boost for capacity.
Housing demand was still expected to be met until 2027, but council staff were uncertain if the limited changes agreed to today would be able to meet Nelson's housing need over the next 30 years.
The council had originally proposed the planning changes to adequately cater for growth as required by the 2020 National Policy Statement on Urban Development.
ADVERTISEMENT
However, the hearing panel's recommendation to reject large parts of the council's plan change essentially boiled down to the proposal not adequately considering urban form and amenity value provisions that were outlined in the council's own 1997 regional policy statement.
That determination from the panel would be embarrassing for the council as it had paused work on updating its regional policy statement in 2021, which had been drafted and would have likely allowed many of the intensification proposals to go ahead.
The pause was attributed to ongoing uncertainty from central government about Resource Management Act reform.
Not the end of intensification
Deputy mayor Rohan O'Neill-Stevens said the city's intensification didn't end with the Plan Change 29 process. (Source: LDR / Max Frethey )
Several councillors said the fault lay with the elected members of the current and previous councils who pushed on with the process despite the uncertainty.
Smith added that the process had shown the 'fundamental problem' of the Resource Management Act, which needed to be reformed.
ADVERTISEMENT
'Despite hundreds of thousands of dollars in investment, and some of the very best experts in the RMA… we've been tripped up by provisions that date back to 1997.'
But despite the hurdles, elected members were clear that today's rejection of these specific higher-density zones was not the end of intensification in Nelson.
The region's future development strategy expects about 78% of Nelson's long-term growth to be accommodated by intensification.
'We need to engage strongly with our community to shape future work, whilst acknowledging that status quo is not a static option,' said deputy mayor Rohan O'Neill-Stevens.
'Together, we can find a way forward that we can all be proud of.'
The decisions are expected to be formally notified to the public on Tuesday, starting a 30-working day period where appeals can be lodged to the Environment Court.
Approved changes:
ADVERTISEMENT
Increased building heights and revised development standards for the inner city and city fringe to enable greater residential and commercial development
Updated flood, fault, and liquefaction hazard overlays and associated rules
New provisions allowing papakāinga development within the inner city and suburban commercial zones
Amended provisions for the Manuka St hospital site to provide opportunities to enable the on-going operation of the facility
Rezoning of the St Vincent and Vanguard St industrial area from industrial to inner city fringe to allow more diverse and intensive land uses in this key location.
Rejected changes:
The general, medium, and high-density residential zones and their related rules for housing development
Increased building heights in suburban commercial areas
Most heritage changes, including the removal of the Church Hill view shaft
The state highway noise overlay
The slope hazard overlays and its associated rules.
Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
King runs for Tasman mayor one last time
Tasman's two-term incumbent mayor, Tim King, said this election will be his last. Photo: LDR / Max Frethey Tasman mayor Tim King has decided to run for the position once again, but he might not have if it wasn't for the two deluges which have left the district sodden and reeling. He said he had made the decision to seek re-election "27 times in the last six months". "I must have made it, and unmade it, and made it again multiple times." But the "final catalyst" for his decision were the repeated bouts of heavy rain which flooded communities across Tasman. "You do this job, obviously, as part of a community, and it is all about people," King said. "The last six weeks, [I've] definitely seen the people side of the community and all of its guises - the great things, the really difficult things, frustration, challenges, anger, all of the things that come out of these sorts of events - but it really reminds you of why you do this job." King, pictured ahead of surveying flood damage with Ministers David Seymour and Mark Mitchell, said Tasman's storms were the "final catalyst" to confirm his decision. Photo: Supplied/Tim Cuff He added that having several "very experienced" councillors choosing not to re-stand also played a role in his decision. "Providing people with the option of someone who has experience, both in the council generally and in the leadership role is, from my perspective, going to be quite important for the next council." That next council will have to grapple with a prolonged recovery from the June and July storms, similar financial problems to those faced by councils nationally, and significant central government reforms of the local government sector, King said. He saw his priority as moulding and leading the elected council "to get the best out of those people and all the different views that they're likely to bring to the table" as the council navigates though challenges. Despite his "umming and aahing" over whether he'll run again, King was certain that this election would be his last. "The one thing that hasn't changed in my mind is that, whether I'm successful or not this time around, this will definitely be the last time I put my name forward." He said the job had a "big impact" on your personal life. King also runs his own farm and was "passionate" about coaching children's sport. "This consumes a huge amount of your time, and you're never really off, there's no downtime, unless you get away, and I don't get away that often." King, pictured alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Waimea Irrigators Ltd chair Murray King, opened the Waimea Community Dam earlier this year. King said he should be judged on his mayoral record. Photo: LDR / Max Frethey The "increasingly negative, and often quite personal" rhetoric about local government was also a factor weighing on his decision to run again. "It is quite a negative conversation around local government in general, as it has been for the last couple of years, and obviously this government has kind of amped that up to quite a degree over the last few months." King said that there was "no doubt" that atmosphere was dissuading people from running for council, beyond the time considerations. "I've talked to literally dozens of people who have thought about standing for local government in this election… there're maybe two people who have ultimately decided to put their hand up… which is very unfortunate, because the community deserves to have choice." King didn't think he would change many people's minds over the next few months and so his campaign was expected to be "pretty low-key" - "don't expect to see me popping up on social media, or popping up on Stuff ads, or too many billboards floating around" - as he relied on his track record over the last six years of his mayoralty. "As a sitting mayor… ultimately, you should be judged on what you have done, not necessarily what you say you might do in the future," he said. "Not everyone agrees with the decisions that I've made or the council's made. That is part of politics. If I didn't believe that I had done a reasonable job in the circumstances that have presented themselves in the last six years, I wouldn't have chosen to put my name forward." Running against King for mayor were Maxwell Clark, Richard Johns, Timo Neubauer, Richard Osmaston. Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Mayor's work car advertisement questioned
Southland Mayor Rob Scott's signwritten work car, promoting his election campaign. PHOTO: MATTHEW ROSENBERG/LDR Southland Mayor Rob Scott's work car has been covered in advertising for his election campaign, but the council says he is not breaking any rules. However, a former mayor, who is running again, says he would not do it. Scott's council car has been signwritten: 'Rob Scott my vote (again)', with a cartoon picture of the mayor. District council electoral officer Anthony Morton said the vehicle was provided as part of Scott's salary package and came with unrestricted private use. "The mayor can choose to add campaign signage to the vehicle at his own cost, provided it is removed before the end of the salary package arrangement," Morton said. No issues with council policy had been identified, and the mayor took a smaller salary for his unrestricted use of the vehicle, the council said. Former three-term mayor Gary Tong is also contesting the mayoralty and said it was not something he would do. Tong said he did not think it was "right" and had not heard of a standing mayor taking that approach. "You see it on their own private vehicles and trailers and that, but certainly not on their one that they have for their work every day. "It's not something I ever considered." Scott defended his decision, saying he had sign-written his personal car last election and was not breaking any rules. "I put it on and I'll take it off after the election period," he said. "It's just part of putting my best foot forward for the campaign. It's a job that I've thoroughly enjoyed over the last three years." The vehicle in question is a 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander which was purchased by the council in September 2023 for $58,063 plus GST. Pre-election guidance from the Office of the Auditor General says councils need to carefully manage communications during the lead-up to prevent sitting candidates from gaining an advantage. The use of council resources for re-election purposes was unacceptable, a spokesperson for the office said. "Council staff need to take particular care to make sure that council communications are not used, or appear to be used, for electioneering purposes. "If ratepayer funds are used, or appear to be used, to promote electioneering then public trust and confidence in the outcome of elections will be put at risk." The advice was non-binding and the office was not able to make rulings, they told Local Democracy Reporting. The Local Government Commission did not wish to comment because the matter was outside of its responsibility. Election day is set for October 11 and voting documents will be delivered next month. ■LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Wairoa mayoral candidate Camden Gaskin wants council-run cannabis business
'Every cannabis business that has tried to grow under lights has gone broke, apart from the ones that import product. All you need is sunlight. 'At a retail price of $100 an ounce, a mail order business will bring desperately needed cash flow and employment opportunities to Wairoa, but it would have to be kept away from under 18-year-olds.' He said if elected he would also like to help revive a culture of pub drinking, and bring horses back to Wairoa racecourse. 'The racecourse is the strongest marketing asset in town. We could have race meetings, concerts, and other events that would attract visitors to our region.' Gaskin said his father was an alcoholic, but he never knew that until he was 17. 'He would always drink at the pub. Reviving this tradition would stop drinking and smoking in households where children live.' Gaskin, now 70, said he ran a taxi business for 30 years in Wellington and then lived in Christchurch for 10 years. He landed in Wairoa in 2018 after Googling the cheapest section available in New Zealand and coming across the town. 'After living in concrete jungles and having Boeing 747s flying overhead, I love it here where it's all birds and bush,' Gaskin said of his residence. 'It's God's little acre.' Gaskin said the town should consider running its own telephonic network, delivering free Wi-Fi to its residents. 'That would save ratepayers a hundy a month.' He would also, if elected, push for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the flooding in Wairoa during Cyclone Gabrielle. He has multiple plans for the town if elected, including a container retirement village. He said methamphetamine use was rife in the town and was an issue he wanted to talk about and address. 'If you want change, you have to vote for it.' LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
