Selwyn District Council district plan review advisory services

Planning

Our planning team worked with the Selwyn District Council to produce its latest district plan, giving the Selwyn community clear direction on land use and its impact on the environment and its people.

The council wanted a modern plan that provided clear direction on how to manage the effects of land use and other activities on the environment and reflect its communities’ needs and expectations.

Mayor Sam Broughton says Selwyn’s community and natural attractions, combined with good planning, have made the rapid growth possible.

“We are in a good place because we planned for this growth, thought about the infrastructure required and how it would be funded.

‘’We have a history of communities full of families who love this place and just want to get on with what’s important to them. We also have a variety of great employment opportunities and a strong economy. We sit within easy distance of Ōtautahi Christchurch, and there are plenty of awesome places to spend free time.”

HG services:

  • Helped co-ordinate and manage the District Plan Review process, including the management of the project team, several consultants, the Hearings Panel and a District Plan Committee, consisting of local Councillors, mana whenua and regional authority representatives

  • Led the preparation of baseline and preferred options analysis, provision drafting and evaluation reports for the transport, urban growth, renewable energy and monitoring topics of the review

  • Undertook an independent road test of the proposed district plan, developing a methodology using different scenarios to evaluate the effectiveness of the draft provisions that also formed the basis of a gaps analysis

  • Multiple contracts and variations formalised to undertake a broad range of tasks that have extended over this period

  • We prepared preferred options, draft provisions, and finalised the section 32 evaluations for specific topics

  • Prepared and presented expert planning evidence to the Hearings Panel on the Sites and Areas of Significance to Māori and Signage Chapters and Rezoning requests in Prebbleton, Ellesmere and West Melton and in relation to General Density Increases

A key challenge to overcome was ensuring the draft provisions aligned with the National Planning Standards and other national directions, while developing innovative plan provisions to manage complex resource management issues.

Our technical planning consultants had to be responsive to changing issues and priorities and have a high technical understanding of complex resource management issues and an aptitude for preparing expert evidence.

Reach out to our planning team to find out more: