Property Council submission on the Spatial Planning Bill

On 3 February 2023, Property Council submitted on the Spatial Planning Bill.

Why it matters to our members

The Spatial Planning Bill provides for the development and implementation of long-term, strategic spatial planning across New Zealand through the development of regional spatial strategies. This is critical as regional spatial strategies will develop 30-plus year plans that seek to streamline the planning process and providing more certainty to development.

Our view

Property Council has long championed the need for resource reform and supports the action taken by Government to reduce the number of plans from 100 to 15 and introduce Regional Spatial Strategies. We commend the Government and officials for producing the Bill.

In saying that, we are concerned about the overall lack of detail in the legislation. In particular, the lack of detail for the governance structure of Regional Spatial Strategies, the lack of local voices and sector expertise within the planning and decision-making process and the lack of clarity of how local councils intend to implement the new planning regime and finance or fund infrastructure in future plans.

Overall, there are many aspects of the current drafting that we support such as establishing long-term Regional Spatial Planning and intentions to increase certainty for future urban development and infrastructure projects. However, we have some concerns on how this will work in practice and have made several recommendations to ensure fair outcomes for all.

Read the full submission.

 

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