The rules around what people can do with land in Dunedin are being reviewed.
A series of papers on "issues and options" for a new district plan were released by Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull and city development manager Dr Anna Johnson yesterday.
While options ranged from residential to commercial development, the council was open to any suggestions from the public, Dr Johnson said.
Mr Cull said most of the present plan, which was developed in the early 1990s, was up for revision, although recent revisions, such as hazardous substances, earthworks and transportation revisions, and the stadium and harbourside plan changes, would not be changed.
The review would update parts of the plan that were unclear or not working, recognise changes to land use and development in Dunedin, and align the plan with changes to national policy and the recently adopted spatial plan, he said.
Three of the main changes centred around rezoning the warehouse precinct to allow inner-city living and creative industry, putting stronger controls in place to keep industrial land affordable and restrict encroaching retail, and increasing well-designed in-fill and multi-unit residential development.
Dr Johnson said the council needed feedback from those who regularly used the plan, such as developers, planners, lawyers and designers, but the changes affected other residents, too.
The series of short papers were developed over a year based partially on submissions to the spatial plan process.
Dr Johnson said district plans were by nature detailed technical documents and some of the issues and options reflected technical solutions which would mainly be of interest to people who regularly used the plan.
However, a summary paper on how proposed changes to the plan might affect homeowners in urban areas was available.
The papers and a questionnaire for people to fill in were available on the council's website, at the council and public libraries. People had until March to provide feedback.
The plan was expected to be publicly notified in early 2014, with public submissions sought and hearings to follow.
