Rules to allow more housing

NEW rules have been approved to enable more housing growth in Dunedin and greater concentration of development.

They could result in about 1900 new dwellings being added to the city’s housing stock in the next decade.

Some areas have been rezoned to enable higherdensity housing.

Other changes, such as allowing smaller site sizes and providing for duplexes, look set to apply to most of suburban Dunedin.

Decisions of a hearing panel evaluating proposed changes to the Dunedin City Council’s district plan were released today.

An appeal period runs until July 13.

Adjustments to the secondgeneration district plan were needed because of a projected shortfall in housing capacity.

That prompted the council to propose a series of changes, known as Variation 2.

Council planning and environment committee chairman David BensonPope said the city was dealing with higher growth levels than it had previously.

Broad aims included facilitating development in areas that were well aligned with city Three Waters infrastructure.

Growth would happen in areas where this was logical and sensible, Cr BensonPope said.

Some appeals to the Environment Court are expected, but any changes not appealed will replace the existing rules.

The panel had an independent chairman, Gary Rae. The other members were city councillors Jim O’Malley and Steve Walker.

Mr Rae said the panel received substantial feedback during the hearings.

Greenfields development zones will be the subject of a separate hearing later this year.

The council’s city development manager Dr Anna Johnson said the new rules from Variation 2 would allow the city to grow while managing the effects of growth.

She expected the city would be better able to provide for its ageing population and for the growing number of households of one or two people.

People could more easily downsize and this could free up larger homes for use by larger households and encourage families and young people to stay in Dunedin, Dr Johnson said.

The more relaxed set of rules includes removal of restrictions on who can live in family flats and lowering minimum site sizes, potentially allowing more properties to be subdivided.

Some changes were designed to make it easier to develop social housing.

Twelve areas are to be rezoned to enable mediumdensity development.

They are in Mosgiel, Green Island, Concord, Andersons Bay, Wakari (x2), Mornington, Belleknowes, Roslyn, Maori Hill, Kaikorai Valley and Opoho.

The council’s modelling showed of the 1900 new homes expected to be built, 1400 would result from rule changes and 500 would come from rezoning.

Variation 2 is expected to result in more flexibility for development.

The hearing panel made some changes to the proposed rules in selected areas after submissions about loss of character, amenity, green space and biodiversity arising from intensification rezoning.

Minimum landscaping rules will apply in new mediumdensity areas and development will have to be set back from open water courses.

A provision was added about demolition of buildings constructed before 1940.

An initial appraisal would be made about heritage and, if it was considered the heritage could be significant, an assessment would be carried out.