Plan Change 9 submissions: Chance to have say on future of building homes in Rotorua closes tomorrow

An aerial view of Rotorua. Photo / Felix Desmarais / LDR

Submissions to an independent hearings panel that is to decide intensification rules for building residential homes close at midnight tomorrow.

Housing for Everyone - Plan Change 9 is a change to the Rotorua District Plan that proposes to allow medium-density living across most urban areas and high-density living close to and in the city centre, and in commercial centres.

The deadline for the submissions closing has been moved to allow more people a chance to have their say.

The issue has been a controversial topic, as it means homes could be built up rather than out, increasing density. The aim of the change is to increase housing supply and provide more choices, given Rotorua’s chronic housing shortage.

The standards enable landowners to build up to three homes - of up to three storeys high each - on most residential sites without requiring resource consent. In some cases, homes up to six storeys high could be built.

While the new rules will help reduce the time it takes to build a home, reduce consenting costs and significantly improve the opportunity for infill housing and development across the city, homeowners were worried about the implications for their suburbs.

Rotorua Lakes Council will collect the submissions, and a hearing will be held from August 14 - 25 next year, with a final hearing late November.

The council is expected to make a decision based on the panel’s recommendations by December next year, and the plan change will be operative by March 31, 2024.