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Plan Change 9 adoption enables greater housing choice for Rotorua

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Plan Change 9 adoption enables greater housing choice for Rotorua

Elected Members voted in favour of adopting Plan Change 9 at yesterday’s Community and District Development Committee meeting, making significant progress towards addressing the district’s housing needs.

He Wāhi Noho mō te Katoa – Te Panonihanga o te Whakaritenga 9 | Housing for Everyone - Plan Change 9 (PC9) has been an extensive piece of work undertaken by Rotorua Lakes Council over the past two years with the aim of encouraging greater housing supply and removing barriers, enabling more housing options to meet the needs of our growing and changing community.

Deputy Mayor Sandra Kai Fong says this decision is the last piece in ensuring we have a comprehensive and achievable plan in place for addressing the district’s housing needs.

“Last November Council adopted the Future Development Strategy providing a clear path for the next 30 years of housing and earlier this year we agreed to support setting housing targets alongside the Government. These District Plan Changes, the final piece of the toolkit, make achieving those targets possible.

“We are achieving one of the priorities set by this Council as we now have the right Zoning to achieve capacity needs, enabling housing choice and having modern and fit for purpose planning rules in place. We can work towards developing a city we can be proud of and that meets the needs of our community now and in the future.”

Plan Change 9 – Housing for everyone covers a range of changes to enable greater development and housing choices for Rotorua:

  • Giving effect to the Medium Density Residential Standards – a set of compulsory changes provided by the Government to encourage intensification in Residential 1 and 2
    Zones. This excludes Residential 3 Zone which applies to cultural villages.
  • Further height and density changes in Residential 2 Zone and City Centre/Commercial Zones. These changes enable more people to live in areas near amenities and employment, better enable residential activities that creates vibrancy, and provide for a better use of space and resources.
  • Amendments to better manage flood risks and geothermal hazards for new development.
  • Amendments to rules for papakāinga development including removing the need for papakāinga to be on land adjacent to marae, and more enabling density standards for developments.
  • Amendments to private access requirements and changes to the minimum land size required for a residential subdivision. This will enable flexibility for lot sizes and housing types while also retaining good urban design.
  • Changes to financial contributions, including the reduction in the contribution rates for reserves for residential developments.

Preparation of PC9 began in early 2022 in response to requirements under the Government’s National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020, which directs local authorities to prepare and process a special type of Plan Change known as an Intensification Planning Instrument. The intention of the direction is to increase housing supply in urban areas and ensure local authorities are preparing sufficiently for growth.

Council staff undertook a period of pre-notification engagement with a wide range of partners, mana whenua, experts, other agencies and community members, as well as using broad technical evidence to inform the development of the Plan Change provisions.

A major part of the consultation and engagement was council’s focus on ensuring affected residents were aware of potential changes that may impact their neighbourhoods. This included issuing more than 20,000 letters to local residents and doubling the required consultation period.

“We can be proud that this Plan Change reflects what our community needs. There is without a doubt an intense need for more housing and this plan aims to enable housing for all. We’ve had the spotlight on Rotorua housing for all the wrong reasons and today’s decision will be a positive step in the right direction for our district,” says Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell.

“Thank you to everyone who provided feedback and submissions through this process. You have helped us to shape this plan so that is right for Rotorua.”

Plan Change 9 was notified in August 2022 and formal submissions took place through 2022 and 2023. Official hearings happened over a week in August 2023 and the final recommendation report was provided to elected members in January 2024.

Following today’s decision to adopt Plan Change 9, official public notification will in the next few weeks with changes becoming operative from that date.

Read the full report on this matter from page 10 of the public agenda - Public agenda – Community and District Development committee meeting – 14 February 2024

Watch this part of the meeting via this link – Live Stream Community and District Development – 14 February 2024

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