Over 4000 submissions were received and the process allows further submissions to allow the community to respond to submissions of other groups and individuals. The issues raised by submissions will be considered in a series of hearing meetings which started on 7 October this year. The meetings will allow detailed consideration of all the submissions on a topic by topic basis, running over the next two years. Two panels will operate in parallel. Panel One is considering general objectives and policies until Christmas, before moving on to residential densities, followed by urban growth later in the year.
All hearings are open to the public.
Local councils are joining forces to prepare an urban development strategy for Christchurch. Christchurch needs to make some critical decisions about its future, and other councils need to be involved. The City Council initiated discussions with the Canterbury Regional Council and Waimakariri, Hurunui, Selwyn and Banks Peninsula District Councils last August in response to continuing population growth and development pressure in the City. Councils agreed that a collaborative approach was needed to manage Christchurch's growth. Christchurch has been reaping the benefits of long term planning carried out in the late 60s and 70s, but the time has come to create a vision to take this City and surrounding region into the 21st century.