Ohoka has never been considered a suitable for large-scale, residential development, Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon says.

He was speaking at the handing over of a petition, signed by over 3000 people — more than the population of the small village —opposing the fast-track request and asking the House of Representatives to remove the Ohoka Subdivision from Schedule 2 of the Fast-Track Approvals Act 2024.

Mr Gordon said there was significant concerns around “flooding, transport, and the ability to service a development of this scale in a small rural settlement”.

"Ohoka has significant drainage challenges that cannot be ignored,” he said at the Ohoka Domain where he and Labour MP Dan Rosewarne accepted the petition from Ohoka community members.

“The Carter proposal in Ōhoka has already been considered through two independent processes —  the private Plan Change and the District Plan — and declined.

“For it now to be considered again through Fast-track is simply not appropriate. We have been consistent in saying this."

Mr Gordon congratulated everyone involved on the work they had done putting the petition together and for “taking up the good fight on behalf of their community, and working together to oppose this development”.

“This is why, through our District Plan process, we carefully considered where future development should occur and identified land that was appropriate for growth.

“Independent Hearing Commissioners determined that the district could sustainably accommodate up to 17,000 new dwellings over the next 30 years, providing capacity for just shy of 50,000 additional residents and ensuring we can meet our future growth needs.

Mr Gordon said he had also joined with mayors from other fast-growing districts — Auckland, Queenstown Lakes, Tauranga, and Selwyn — in an open letter to the government calling for a pause on existing greenfield housing Fast-track applications, and for all political parties to support legislation removing residential development in rural areas from the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024.

"Both Selwyn and Waimakariri are experiencing ongoing and persistent growth – and have

done since before the Canterbury earthquakes. Our councils have planned for that growth,

investing considerable time and resources considering where that growth should occur and

what infrastructure would be needed/is ready to support it.

planning processes and enable growth outside the areas identified, sequenced and planned

for through our respective District Plans. These documents have been developed with

significant community consultation, input from developers, consider councils’ infrastructure

pipelines, and have only recently been adopted following review from independent hearing

commissions.

Specifically, we are concerned Fast-track is being used as a pathway to progress projects that

sit outside this planned growth, including, in some instances, projects that have already been

tested and declined through established planning processes.

The letter points out the proposeded Ōhoka development as an example, of seeking Fast-track

approval for approximately 850 new dwellings.

Previous investigations have determined this land is unsuitable for large-scale development.

This was due to significant constraints, including historical flooding issues, the absence of

supporting transport infrastructure, and widespread community opposition, the letter says pointing out the project had been reviewed “independently twice and has been declined both times’’.

Likewise, the proposed development of the Pegasus Golf Course also raises significant

concerns about cumulative growth, the Mayors say.

Meanwhile a Fast-track application for Pegasus to be referred to the Fast-track process has been declined by the Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop.

However, Wolfbrook has indicated it will continue to pursue the development of a residential subdivision of 1000 homes on about 77 hectares of the former Pegasus Golf Course.

This follows significant opposition to the Pegasus subdivision with 16,000 signatories opposing it being dealt with through the Fast-track process, negating hearing the views of the community.

Pegasus community coomiii chair Mat James says Wolfbrook could re-apply to have the proposal referred to the Fast-track process which has considerable costs attached, or it could take the traditional route through Resource Management Act process.

Mr James said the traditional route would take a lot lonter, and “all the same people would be in our corner’’.