Greenfield sites to be freed for development

Just over 100ha in areas such as East Taieri, Wakari and Portobello could be freed up for new residential development in Dunedin.

That could lead to up to 600 new homes being built at greenfield sites to ease growth pressure in the city.

Up to 770 new homes could be built on 267ha in new medium-density areas, such as within Mosgiel, Mornington and North East Valley.

Proposed zoning changes in Dunedin and relaxed building rules for most suburban parts of the city are expected to result in 2500 to 3000 new homes.

The package to adjust the second-generation district plan is being put to the public from today and the consultation period will run until March 4.

Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins said the 3400 new homes already expected to be built under the second-generation district plan rules would have been insufficient to meet short-term and medium-term needs.

Dunedin City Council planners Anna Johnson and Nathan Stocker review planned residential zoning changes in Dunedin. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH

Relaxing rules to allow greater density of housing in some areas would be a key part of the new package.

"We can’t build endlessly outwards," Mr Hawkins said.

"We need to be smart and look at greenfield sites that work to our advantage as a city, while also finding alternatives to urban sprawl.

"This is an important step forward in addressing our city’s housing shortfall."

The council identified 16 greenfield sites and 14 new medium-density areas for its proposal.

Changes in suburban Dunedin would include removing restrictions on who can live in family flats, allowing smaller site sizes, providing for duplexes, making better provision for social housing and creating more flexibility for development through changes such as making it easier to average out sizes in subdivisions.

The council’s data indicates home building in Dunedin has not been keeping pace with population growth.

City council urban development capacity planner Nathan Stocker said the city experienced low growth until 2013 and that had been expected to continue.

But a lot more growth had happened in the past five years.

City development manager Anna Johnson said about 30,000 properties were affected by proposed rule changes within Dunedin suburbs.

More housing was particularly needed for households of one or two people because of demographic changes, Dr Johnson said.

Proposed rule changes were unlikely to lead to radical changes of character in the city’s suburbs, she said.

Density rules could lead to more units but they may look similar, she said.

Social housing would be subjected to an easier consenting process.

Access to services, transport options and whether new or upgraded infrastructure could cope with extra housing were part of the criteria for the proposed greenfield sites.

In the city council’s draft 10-year plan, $77million of the budget for water, wastewater and stormwater services was allocated for growth.

Hearings for the proposed zoning and rule changes could take place in July or August.

grant.miller@odt.co.nz