11 November 2015

Council invites residents to have their say on District Plan Change

Wellington City Council is inviting local residents and business owners from Karori and Tawa to give feedback on proposed changes to the District Plan as part of Council’s long-term strategy to accommodate expected population growth and demographic change in the Capital.

Councillor Andy Foster, the Council's Transport and Urban Development Committee chairman, says “It is estimated that Wellington’s population will grow by approximately 50,000 and we will need an additional 21,400 dwellings by 2043. There also needs to be a greater range of housing types to meet changing demographic needs, notably an aging population and smaller households.”

“We are looking to provide for good quality, affordable housing with easy access to town centres and public transport. While the Central City is by far the fastest growing part of the region, and there is significant provision for greenfields development in the north of the city, we want to provide a choice of housing to allow people to retire within their own communities. This is also more sustainable from a transport, infrastructure and energy perspective, and will help add to the social and economic vitality of our town centres,” says Cr Foster.

“The Draft District Plan Change we’re focusing on follows previous public consultation in both Karori and Tawa – two areas we’ve identified that offer a wide range of community and recreational options, provide employment opportunities, access to good transport, scope for further plans, and have a walkable town centre,” he says. “We also know that we need to take an integrated approach to planning in these communities. We are actively considering issues and potential opportunities to improve Tawa and Karori Town Centres. We also got strong feedback in Karori that we need to also address transport issues, and we are working towards that too.”

“It is important that residents and stakeholders in these communities take this opportunity to have their say,” he adds.

Consultation documents for feedback on the District Plan Change have been sent to all owners and occupiers across each suburb, and there are also forms on the Council website for people to have their say. There will also be drop-in sessions and public meetings in each suburb where locals can talk to a planner, see a proposed plan, voice their opinions, and find out more information.

“The process is a long one, with lots of stakeholders involved, which is why we’re including consultation at each stage. Then we’ll have all the information we need when it comes to approaching any required District Plan Change,” adds Cr Foster.

The Tawa Town Centre Planning consultation opens on Tuesday 17 November, where residents, owners and businesses will be asked about potential improvements to address problems including strengthening Tawa’s identity; improving public spaces; and managing traffic.

People have until Friday 18 December 2015 to give feedback on all the consultations.

ENDS

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