Welcome to the website of the Independent Hearings Panel for Plan Change 14

About this website

This is the website of the Independent Hearings Panel (IHP) appointed by the Christchurch City Council (the Council) to consider and conduct the hearing of submissions on the proposed Housing and Business Choice Plan Change (PC14) notified by the Council on 17 March 2023. The IHP has submitted its Recommendations Report to the Council. 

Recommendations Report 

The Panel completed its Recommendations Report on 29 July 2024 and has submitted it to the Council. 

The Panel has prepared a single Report, divided into eight parts. The IHP issued Minute 51 - Response to Second Council request for Clarifications on 15 August 2024 with addendums to Parts 3, 4 and 5 of the Report. The IHP issued Minute 54 - Response to Council regarding City Centre zone clarifications raised by submitter on 11 September 2024 with addendum 2 to Part 3 of the Report. The IHP issued Minute 55 - Response to Council Regarding Final Clarifications Sought on 7 October 2024 with addendum 2 to Part 5 of the Report. The IHP issued Minute 57 - Response to Further Final Clarifications on 8 November 2024 with addendum 3 to Part 3 and an addendum to Part 7 of the Report. The IHP issued Minute 58 - Response to Chapter 14 Redraft and Miscellaneous matters on 20 November 2024 with updated provisions for Chapter 14.

Part 1: Introduction, Legislative Requirements and Scope Issues, General Themes and Submissions

Part 2: Strategic Direction Objectives

Part 3: NPS-UD Policy 3 Response, including City Centre Zone, Central City Mixed Use Zones, Other Commercial Zones, Mixed Use and Industrial Zones

- Addendum to Part 3 of the Recommendations Report - 15 August 2024

- Addendum 2 to Part 3 of the Recommendations Report - 11 September 2024

- Addendum 3 to Part 3 of the Recommendations Report - 8 November 2024

Part 4: Relevant Residential Zones, including Medium Density Residential and High Density Residential Zones, Residential Hills Zones, Hill Precincts and Alternative zones, Sunlight Access QM, Low Passenger Transport Accessibility Area QM and Christchurch International Airport Noise Influence Area QM

- Addendum to Part 4 of the Recommendations Report - 15 August 2024

Part 5: City Wide Qualifying Matters 

- Addendum to Part 5 of the Recommendations Report - 15 August 2024

- Addendum 2 to Part 5 of the Recommendations Report - 7 October 2024

Part 6: Tree Canopy and Financial Contributions and Subdivision

Part 7: Rezoning Requests and Specific Purpose Zones

- Addendum to Part 7 of the Recommendations Report - 8 November 2024

Part 8: Appendices, including recommended provisions

• Appendix A - Submitters and Further Submitters to PC 14
• Appendix B - Submitters Who Participated at the Hearings
• Appendix C - Council s42A Authors and Subject Matter Experts
• Appendix D - Joint Witness Conferencing
• Appendix E – Statutory Requirements for District Plan  
• Appendix F - Qualifying Matters Flow Charts
• Appendix G - IHP Recommended Provisions
  • Refer to files below Appendix I
• Appendix H - IHP Rezoning Recommendations
  • Table 1 – PC Rezoning Requests Accept and Reject Table Response to IHP Request #34 – IHP Recommendations 
  • Table 2 – PC14 Zoning Requests Accept and Reject Table – High Density Residential Zone (HRZ) – IHP Recommendations 
  • Table 3 – PC14 Zoning Requests Accept and Reject Table – Medium Density Residential Zone (MRZ) – IHP Recommendations
  • Table 4 – PC14 Rezoning Requests Accept and Reject Table – Other Zones – IHP Recommendations 
• Appendix I - IHP Mapping Directions
  • Table 1 – IHP Mapping Directions 
  • Table 2 – Planning Map Changes – IHP Recommendations

Appendix G files: IHP Recommended Provisions below: 

• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 2: Abbreviations and Definitions
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 3: Strategic Directions
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 5: Natural Hazards
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 6.1A: Qualifying Matters
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 6.1: Noise
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 6:2 Temporary Activities
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 6.3: Outdoor Lighting
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 6.4 Temporary Earthquake Recovery
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 6.5: Scheduled Activities
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 6.8: Signs - Updated 26 June 2024
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 6.10A: Tree Canopy Cover and Financial Contributions
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 6.12: Radio-communication Pathways
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 7: Transport
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 8: Subdivision, Development and Earthworks 
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 8.10: Appendices 
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 9.3: Historic Heritage 
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 9 - Directed Changes to 9.3.7.2, 9.3.7.7 and Planning Maps
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 9.4: Significant and Other Trees
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 9.4.7.1 Appendix
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 11: Utilities and Energy
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions - Chapter 10 Designations and Heritage Orders
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 12: Papakāinga/Kāinga Nohoanga Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 13.1 Specific Purpose (Defence Wigram) Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 13.2: Specific Purpose (Cemetery) Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 13.3: Specific Purpose (Airport) Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 13.5: Specific Purpose (Hospital) Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 13.6: Specific Purpose (School) Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 13.7: Specific Purpose (Tertiary Education) Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 13.8: Specific Purpose (Lyttelton Port) Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 13.9: Specific Purpose (Golf Resort) Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 13.11: Specific Purpose (Flat Land Recovery) Zone 
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 13.14: Specific Purpose (Ōtakaro Avon River Corridor) Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 14.1-14.3: Residential – Introduction/ Objectives and Policies/ How to Interpret and apply the rules
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 14:4 Rules - Residential Suburban and Residential Suburban Density Transition Zones
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 14.5 Rules – Medium Density Residential Zone (previously Residential Medium Density Zone)
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 14.6 Rules – High Density Residential Zone (previously Residential Central City Zone)
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 14.7 Rules - Residential Hills Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 14:8 Rules – Residential Banks Peninsula Zone - updated 15 August 2024
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 14:9 Rules – Residential Large Lot Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 14.10 Rules - Residential Small Settlement Zones
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions– Chapter 14:11 Rules – Residential Visitor Accommodation Zone
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 14.12 Rules - Future Urban Zone (previously Residential New Neighbourhood Zone)
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 14.13: Rules - Enhanced Development Mechanism
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 14.14: Rules - Community Housing 
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions– Chapter 14:15 Rules – Matters of Control and Discretion
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 14:16 Rules – Appendices
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 15: Commercial - updated 11 September 2024
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 15.15: Appendices
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 16: Industrial
• IHP Recommended PC 14 Provisions – Chapter 18: Open Space

Information about PC14, including submissions and further submissions, are available on Council's website. Information relating to the IHP, evidence and hearings is available on this website.

Hearings on PC 14 commenced in October 2023 and concluded on 24 April 2024. Hearing proceedings, recordings, filed and tabled documents and submitter responses to IHP requests are available on the Hearings page of this website. 

The Council Reply was filed on 17 May 2024, attachments are available on the Hearings page. 

The IHP issued Hearing Procedures in August 2023 and a Hearing Topics and Subtopics Schedule (updated February 2024) for the hearings. The schedule was amended to reflect that some topics initially scheduled for 2024 were heard in earlier weeks of the hearings. Hearings schedules, hearing proceedings and tabled documents are available on the Hearings page on this website.

The IHP held a Pre-hearing Meeting for Council, submitters and further submitters on 1 August 2023 to consider procedural matters relating to PC 14 hearings. 

The Council section 42 reports, Council evidence in chief and submitter expert evidence is published on the Evidence page.