But concerns remain about the implications the government’s proposed reform of planning laws could have after the Dunedin City Council’s $11 million second generation district plan (2GP) becomes operative.
The 2GP is a document setting out the rules and requirements for land use and development in Dunedin.
Councillors voted to approve the plan as fully operative last week, meaning it will formally replace the previous district plan later this month.
It comes half a year after the government unveiled its overhaul of the Resource Management Act (RMA) that it estimated could remove the need for up to 46% of resource consents.
Mayor Sophie Barker said she was ‘‘extremely concerned’’ about the proposed new planning rules.
It would make it harder for the city to protect its heritage and there would be less opportunities for public engagement and consultation.
The key to the 2GP was about making sure Dunedin people had a great city to live in, Ms Barker said.
‘‘It is about looking after our city, looking after our environment, making sure that we have sensible, good planning to ensure that we have a fantastic city to live in and that we actually have influence over our own city.’’
Councillors were told the total cost of the plan was $11m.
Cr Jo Galer questioned if, under the new legislation, the plan would be ‘‘chucked out’’.
Council city development manager Dr Anna Johnson — who was widely praised along with her team for their work on the plan — said they would be required to do a new plan in a completely different format.
But the foundational thinking was still relevant, and some of the work would still be valid and likely carried through, Dr Johnson said.
‘‘A lot of the work is still applicable and still useful, it’s just it won’t look the same.’’
Cr Galer later said she was quite hopeful the new legislation would give the opportunity to review planning that a lot of Dunedin people were concerned about, as they saw heritage buildings being demolished.
There were issues around public notification, and a lot of work still needed to be done around provisions for heritage precincts.
The community needed to be involved in such planning issues.
‘‘I think we’ve got a long way to go before we get this right.’’
Deputy mayor Cherry Lucas said the 2GP was seen by the many people who had worked on it as a major milestone in the history of the council.
It was started in 2012, publicly notified in 2015 and received more than 1000 submissions, followed by a further 450 submissions.
There were 35 public hearings of which there were 770 speakers, as well as 29 decision reports and 83 appeals.
The plan was ‘‘for the future of Dunedin city’’, Cr Lucas said.
‘‘And whatever’s happening with the future legislation and the new spatial plans, at the heart of it is that we want a city that we can all love to live here and allow the city to grow and be a thriving economy.’’
The concern with the new legislation was there would be less notification and people would be ‘‘more disturbed about what’s happening in their neighbourhoods’’.
‘‘I don’t necessarily think we’re going to end up in a better place.
‘‘The public at the moment think it’s going to be great, because the RMA is going to be changed, but I think, in reality, that may not actually be the case.’’
