Resource Consents Update – September 2025

Plan Change 14 – Latest Council decisions

The Council has accepted more of the Independent Hearings Panel’s recommendations for PC14 and, on 3 September, approved the rezoning of additional properties to Medium Density Residential (MRZ). Qualifying matters for these properties were also approved. 

The additional MRZ is needed to meet the housing capacity requirements for the Council to apply to the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform to withdraw the remaining parts of PC14.  

Location of rezoned areas

The rezoned areas are located around commercial centres, and are shown as 'Proposed MRZ' on the PC14 Proposed Opt Out map. ​​​

In addition, a small number of sites were rezoned on Riccarton Road, between Konini Street and Puriri Street (shown as 'MRT Corridor – Riccarton'). Other MRT Corridor areas in Papanui and Sockburn, and the remainder of the sites in the Riccarton MRT Corridor, were not rezoned. 

An updated map will be added to our PC14 webpage soon. 

Key points about the new zoning

• It has immediate effect and is treated as operative under section 86F of the RMA. This means that the former zoning for those properties no longer applies.
• The changes will be fully operative when a public notice is issued on 19 September. 
• The MRZ rules in Chapter 14A of the District Plan now apply to the rezoned properties.
• The Chapter 14B Pathway option also applies. Our previous newsletter provides more information about this pathway. 
• Rules in other chapters (e.g. Chapter 7 Transport) that are currently stated as applying to ‘Policy 3 areas’ now apply to the rezoned properties too. These references will be updated soon.
• Some area-specific rules in the operative plan (e.g. Character Areas and non-residential activities) will continue to apply within the rezoned areas, and these will be incorporated into Chapter 14A.5.

The ePlan will be updated at the earliest opportunity.

Decisions on parts of PC14 for other areas of the city haven't yet been made, so the current zones and rules continue to apply to them. Those decisions are required by the end of this year (12 December); however, the Council has resolved to apply to the Minister for RMA Reform to withdraw the balance of PC14.

For more information about last week’s decisions and the Council’s ‘opt-out’ request, please see our Newsline story.