Submissions, submissions and more submissions. Catch up on the latest for the advocacy team below:
Auckland Council ‘s Draft Open Space, Sport and Recreation Strategy
On 10 March 2025, Property Council submitted on Auckland Council ‘s Draft Open Space, Sport and Recreation Strategy. We were concerned that the strategy has limited details around implementation and financing. We are particularly concerned that the implications will fall onto development contribution fees, impacting the feasibility of development.
You can read our submission here.
The more you know: Low Damage Seismic Design (LDSD) volume one resource now available
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake have jointly developed a new technical resource to support the Low Damage Seismic Design (LDSD) of new buildings.
The aim of the resource is to help building owners, developers and design teams who want building designs that:
- Lower the potential risk of earthquake damage to a new building
- Reduce the time it takes before a building can be used after an earthquake
- Provide sustainability benefits by needing less repairs and reducing the chance a building needs to be demolished after an earthquake.
Organisations that would most benefit from an LDSD approach include those:
- Unable to easily relocate
- Provide essential community services
- Carry out time-critical operations and/or who are heavily dependent on their building for these operations.
Click here to find out more.
Reminder: Call to halt Christchurch City Council’s Draft Development Contributions Review
Property Council New Zealand strongly opposes the Draft Development Contributions Review.
Christchurch City Council’s Draft Development Contributions (DC) Policy is now open for consultation, proposing fee increases of up to 271%. These significant increases could make development unfeasible, leading to fewer homes, job losses, and slower economic growth in Ōtautahi Christchurch.
Our submission highlights that the policy was released before the Government’s planned overhaul of the development contributions framework. With new legislation expected in just six months (September 2025), we believe the Council should halt its DC review until the new levy system is in place.
Requesting extensions from Central Government is not unprecedented – Christchurch City Council has previously sought delays for plan changes. A halt would ease resource strain for the Council while providing much-needed certainty for developers.
How You Can Get Involved
- Review Property Council’s draft submission: Contact Sandamali Ambepitiya or Katherine Wilson to view our early draft and provide feedback by Friday 21 March 2025 – we will be submitting both oral and written submissions.
- Make your own submission: Once our final submission is complete, we encourage you to use key points in your own response.
Submissions close on Wednesday 26 March 2025.
This is a critical opportunity to influence policy decisions that will impact Christchurch’s development landscape. Have your say today.
Upcoming submissions
- Christchurch City Council Annual Plan: due 26 March 2025
- Christchurch City Council Development Contributions Policy: due 26 March 2025
- Auckland Council Annual Plan (written submission): due 28 March 2025
- Hutt City Sustainable Growth Strategy 2025 – 2055: due 4 April 2025
- Wellington City Council Annual Plan: due 20 April 2025
If you want to find out more – contact Head of Advocacy, Katherine Wilson.
Recent submissions
- Submission on Hamilton City Council Plan Change 14
- Submission on proposed improvements to the Building Code’s insulation settings – H1
- Submission on the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill
- Submission on the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission’s ‘Testing our thinking: Developing an enduring National Infrastructure Plan’ discussion paper
- Submission on the draft Ōtautahi Christchurch Future Transport strategy 2024-54
- Submission on Auckland Council’s Draft Southern Rural Strategy
- Submission on increasing the use of remote inspections in the building consent process
- Submission Auckland Council’s Draft Contributions Policy 2025