Latest news with #PhilMauger
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
'Kick in the guts': Government knocks back most of Christchurch council's housing plans
Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger says the government's knock-back of the council's housing plans is a "kick in the guts". Photo: RNZ/Nathan Mckinnon The mayor of Christchurch says a government knock-back on it's three year battle to create a custom carve-out of national housing intensification rules feels like a "kick in the guts", but others are welcoming the certainty of the move. On Friday, Minister for Resource Management Act Reform Chris Bishop issued a final decision on 17 of 20 recommendations the city council had referred after rejecting recommendations from an independent panel on the council's plan to shape a bespoke Christchurch response to national housing density policy). Minister Bishop rejected the bulk of the council's proposals. In 2021, the then-government released its National Policy Statement on Urban Development, a plan to ramp up housing intensification across most urban areas but focused on the five high growth centres of Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch, amid bi-partisan support for the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, though the National Party would later withdraw its backing . The bill contained Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS), which detail what development can occur without the need for resource consent, public notification and consultation in the areas identified as most in need of housing intensification. Those rules were intended to apply across all residential zones in those identified cities, unless "qualifying matters" made intensification inappropriate. In 2022, the council voted to reject the standards , despite warnings a commissioner could be appointed . Instead, the council began several years of consultation, submissions and hearings on Plan Change 14 - its proposed changes to the district plan that would give effect to the Medium Density Residential Standards, but in a way it claimed better acknowledged the character and context of the city. The council temporarily halted the process following the last election, and was later granted an extension until the end of this year on some aspescts of the plan change. Minister Bishop declined a further extension request last month. The council's stance culminated in an Independent Hearing Panel (IHP), which reported back in the middle of last year. The council accepted the majority of the IHP's recommendations, which were incorporated into the district plan. But it rejected various aspects of the proposed plan, making twenty counter-recommendations that went to the Minister. The minister announced on Friday he had rejected 14 of the council's recommendations, accepted three and deferred his decision on three more. Minister for Resource Management Act Reform Chris Bishop has rejected the bulk of the council's proposals. Photo: VNP/Louis Collins The decision means some parts of the city will be zoned higher-density housing and taller buildings, while the council will not be allowed to use several different "qualifying matters" to refuse consents even in high density zones - most controversially, one that hinged on the impediment of sunlight and proposed the Garden City should get an exemption because its southern location meant sunlight angles differ. Bishop's announcement locks in changes for areas in and around the CBD, and the "town centres" of Riccarton, Hornby and Linwood, which will be zoned high density residential. Taller buildings will be allowed within 600 metres of shopping areas in some suburbs - 32m (around ten storeys high) for the Hornby shopping area, 14m for high density residential zones surrounding the shopping area, 22m (around six storeys) for Linwood's town centre, and 14m for high density residential zones around it. The council's bids to create qualifying matters on the basis of sunlight access, recession planes (a line or plane which limits how close a building can be to a property boundary), or by location - such as 'the City Spine' (major transport routes) or Riccarton Bush - also failed. Nor did the minster accept areas around Peer Street in Ilam or the Papanui War Memorial Avenues should be excluded from density rules or allowed special consideration. The council proposals the minister did accept were Local Centre Intensification Precinct - intensification around eight of the city's commercial centres, including Barrington, Prestons and Wigram; increasing the building height overlay for the former stock yards site on Deans Avenue (a prime spot adjacent to Hagley Park, currently used as car parking for the Christchurch Hospital shuttle service) to up to 36m; and allowing high density residential zoning for Milton Street (the site of the Milton St substation, which Fletchers plans to build 80 homes on). All other council alternative recommendations were rejected in favour of the hearing panel recommendations. The minister has deferred decision-making for the heritage listing for Daresbury - a historic home in Fendalton; Antonio Hall - a derelict historic home on Riccarton Rd; and Piko Character Area - a Riccarton residential neighbourhood made up of many original state houses from the 1930s - until the council decided on the underlying zoning. "In putting these decisions forward to the government, we obviously wanted to get all of our alternative recommendations approved. So to only have three of them get the tick is a kick in the guts," mayor Phil Mauger said. "This plan change has been a huge undertaking for our city, and we've said right the way through that we want to get the best outcome we possibly can. This doesn't feel like the best outcome. "To that end, we'll keep working hard as a council, and there are still major decisions yet to be made when it comes to housing density and planning across much of Christchurch, so watch this space." The decisions come into effect immediately and cannot be appealed to the Environment Court. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon New Zealand has one of the most unaffordable housing markets in the OECD. Urbanist collective Greater Ōtautahi welcomed the minister's decision. Chairperson M Grace-Stent said the decision finally brought some certainty after years of delays, decision making, submissions and hearing panels. "What we're most excited about is that Ōtautahi Christchurch is set up for the future, it has certainty around where it can grow and where it can continue to develop in the future." The decision will not mean apartment buildings spring up overnight, they said. "It's still going to be a slow developing process, just as our cities always continually change. This is just another step." The city also needed to turn its attention to improving public transport. "Ōtautahi Christchurch definitely needs a reevaluation of its transport system. We've been calling for the introduction of mass rapid transport across the city to support and facilitate the kind of growth and development that needs to happen, and to make sure that everyone has a choice about how they're getting around the city and aren't forced to just pick cars." Grace-Stent said the debate touched on ideas embedded in the national psyche about how and where New Zealanders live. They said the quarter-acre dream of a stand alone house on a large section is unsustainable and doesn't not always produce greater social outcomes. "Not everyone wants to live the exact same lifestyle - allowing more housing to be built allows people to make that choice for themselves. So if people want to be living on 1/4 acre block, they're allowed to, and if people want to be living in an apartment close to their friends and amenities and where they work, they also have that choice." They acknowledged that some medium and high density housing is not built to high standards, but said some of that was due to limitations of the current zoning process, which can mean the lowest bidder builds on these sites. "This is just the first step into assuring that everyone has a home that is liveable and that works for them, and is good quality. There also needs to be changes throughout the way that we are think about housing and building houses across the country," Grace-Stent said. The decisions, which come into effect immediately, are final and cannot be appealed to the Environment Court. The council has until the end of the year to decide on density rules for the rest of the city. It was unable to confirm by deadline how much it had spent fighting the density rules, but had budgeted for $7 million dollars between 2021 and the middle of this year. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Chris Bishop rejects Christchurch City Council's intensification rules
Chris Bishop. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The government has issued its final decision on Christchurch City Council's bid to carve its own path out of national housing intensification rules. Minister Chris Bishop rejected 14 of the council's 17 recommendations and deferred his decision on three more, after the council refused to accept all of the recommendations of an independent panel. The minister's decision will mean some parts of the city will be zoned higher-density housing, and the council won't be allowed to refuse consents based on sunlight access. Mayor Phil Mauger says the decision feels like a kick in the guts. The council has until the end of the year to decide on density rules for the rest of the city.
Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Direct flights from Christchurch to Adelaide coming
Photo: Christchurch Airport For the first time ever, Air New Zealand will operate direct flights from Christchurch to Adelaide twice a week this summer. The flight will leave Christchurch every Friday and Monday from October 27 to March 28. The flights will depart Christchurch in the early evening and arrive in Adelaide in the late evening, with the return service leaving Adelaide the following morning and touching down in Christchurch afternoon. The service will provide more than 15,000 seats across the summer season. Christchurch and Adelaide have officially been sister cities for over 50 years and signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2022 to deepen ties across tourism, trade, education and culture. Christchurch Airport chief executive Justin Watson said the route will add strength to the airport's growing network "This service is another fabulous addition to our trans-Tasman network. It builds on a strong civic and regional connection and supports more Kiwis and Aussies to explore each other's backyards all year round." Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said the announcement was another milestone in the long friendship between the two cities. "Adelaide and Christchurch are sister cities with shared values and strong ties. With over 50 years of formal connection behind us, this new service is awesome, it opens the door to even more exchange, tourism and opportunity.' Adelaide Airport managing director Brenton Cox also welcomed the move. "We're delighted that Air New Zealand has recognised the strong pent-up demand between Adelaide and Christchurch," he said. 'Our data shows that close to 50,000 passengers are travelling indirectly between Adelaide and the South Island each year, with a relatively even split of inbound and outbound travel, so we're confident that there will be significant interest in this new service. The majority of travellers between Adelaide and New Zealand are either on holiday or visiting family and relatives. 'We have no doubt a non-stop service to Christchurch will prove attractive to South Australians. The announcement rounds off a bumper few weeks for Christchurch Airport following Qantas's decision to increase capacity on its Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne routes, Singapore Airlines boosting international summer connectivity, and Air New Zealand's jet service addition to the Christchurch–Hamilton route. Air New Zealand also announced 36 new flights between Auckland and Christchurch between June and October, adding 14,600 seats to their schedule. Christchurch to Adelaide schedule Flight No. Origin Destination Departure Arrival Days of Operation NZ 261 Christchurch (CHC) Adelaide (ADL) 17:50 19:55 Monday^, Friday NZ262 Adelaide (ADL) Christchurch (CHC) 07:00 13:45 Tuesday, Saturday ^ Mondays services will be operated 18:50 – 20:55 between 27th October till 24th November 2025.
Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
New direct flights from Christchurch-Adelaide
Photo: Christchurch Airport For the first time ever, Air New Zealand will operate direct flights from Christchurch to Adelaide twice a week this summer. The flight will leave Christchurch every Friday and Monday from October 27 to March 28. The flights will depart Christchurch in the early evening and arrive in Adelaide in the late evening, with the return service leaving Adelaide the following morning and touching down in Christchurch after noon. The service will add more than 15,000 seats across the summer season. Christchurch and Adelaide have officially been sister cities for over 50 years and signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2022 to deepen ties across tourism, trade, education and culture. Christchurch Airport chief executive Justin Watson said the route will add strength to the airport's growing network "This service is another fabulous addition to our trans-Tasman network. It builds on a strong civic and regional connection and supports more Kiwis and Aussies to explore each other's backyards all year round." Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said the announcement is another milestone in the long friendship between the two cities. "Adelaide and Christchurch are sister cities with shared values and strong ties. With over 50 years of formal connection behind us, this new service is awesome, it opens the door to even more exchange, tourism and opportunity.' Said Adelaide Airport managing director Brenton Cox: "We're delighted that Air New Zealand has recognised the strong pent-up demand between Adelaide and Christchurch. 'Our data shows that close to 50,000 passengers are travelling indirectly between Adelaide and the South Island each year, with a relatively even split of inbound and outbound travel, so we're confident that there will be significant interest in this new service. The majority of travellers between Adelaide and New Zealand are either on holiday or visiting family and relatives. 'We have no doubt a non-stop service to Christchurch will prove attractive to South Australians. The announcement rounds off a bumper few weeks for Christchurch Airport following Qantas's decision to increase capacity on its Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne routes, Singapore Airlines boosting international summer connectivity, and Air New Zealand's jet service addition to the Christchurch–Hamilton route. Air New Zealand also announced 36 new flights between Auckland and Christchurch between June and October, adding 14,600 seats to their schedule. Christchurch to Adelaide schedule Flight No. Origin Destination Departure Arrival Days of Operation NZ 261 Christchurch (CHC) Adelaide (ADL) 17:50 19:55 Monday^, Friday NZ262 Adelaide (ADL) Christchurch (CHC) 07:00 13:45 Tuesday, Saturday ^ Mondays services will be operated 18:50 – 20:55 between 27th October till 24th November 2025.
Scoop
03-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Adelaide, Here We Come. New Direct Flights From Christchurch
Press Release – Christchurch Airport For the first time ever, a direct commercial air service will connect Christchurch and Adelaide, with Air New Zealand today announcing a new twice-weekly route launching this summer. The service marks a historic step forward in trans-Tasman travel and strengthens the long-standing sister city relationship between Christchurch and Adelaide. Operating out of Christchurch every Friday and Monday from 27 October 2025 to 28 March 2026. The flights are perfectly timed for long weekend escapes or easy business trips. Flights will depart Christchurch in the early evening arriving in Adelaide late evening, with the return service leaving Adelaide the following morning and touching down in Christchurch after midday. The service adds over 15,000 seats two-ways across the summer season. Christchurch and Adelaide have officially been sister cities for over 50 years, they celebrated the milestone in 2022 with civic events and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen ties across tourism, trade, education and culture. This new direct air link brings that partnership to life, connecting people and places. It offers Kiwis a new gateway to explore South Australia's rich food, wine and cultural scene, and as easy for Australians to experience the South Island's alpine beauty, adrenaline-fuelled adventures and world-famous hospitality. Christchurch Airport Chief Executive Justin Watson says the route adds strength to the airport's growing network: 'This service is another fabulous addition to our trans-Tasman network. It builds on a strong civic and regional connection and supports more Kiwis and Aussies to explore each other's backyards all year round.' Mayor of Christchurch Phil Mauger says the announcement is another milestone in a long and proud friendship: 'Adelaide and Christchurch are sister cities with shared values and strong ties. With over 50 years of formal connection behind us, this new service is awesome, it opens the door to even more exchange, tourism and opportunity.' Hon. James Meager, Minister for the South Island, says the new service reflects the region's appeal: 'The South Island is one of the most spectacular tourism destinations in the world. A direct link gives even more Australians the chance to experience our unique landscapes, adventure and culture, and it's a major win for our economy heading into the busy summer.' Adelaide Airport Managing Director, Brenton Cox, said: 'We're delighted that Air New Zealand has recognised the strong pent-up demand between Adelaide and Christchurch. 'Our data shows that close to 50,000 passengers are travelling indirectly between Adelaide and the South Island each year, with a relatively even split of inbound and outbound travel, so we're confident that there will be significant interest in this new service. The majority of travellers between Adelaide and New Zealand are either on holiday or visiting family and relatives. 'We have no doubt a non-stop service to Christchurch will prove attractive to South Australians. The announcement rounds off a bumper few weeks for Christchurch Airport, following Qantas's decision to increase capacity on its Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne routes, Singapore Airlines boosting international summer connectivity, and Air New Zealand's jet service addition to the Christchurch–Hamilton route. And earlier today, Air New Zealand announced 36 new flights between Auckland and Christchurch between June and October adding 14,600 seats to their schedule. Together, these moves are a bold endorsement of the South Island, and a proud reminder that Christchurch Airport is not just connecting regions but delivering for New Zealand. ^ Mondays services will be operated 18:50 – 20:55 between 27th October till 24th November 2025.
