Rotorua Plan Change 9: Have your say on proposed housing density rules

Time is running out to have your say on Plan Change 9 - a proposal to change housing density in the city. Photo / Felix Desmarais

Rotorua residents are encouraged to have their say on Rotorua Lakes Council's Housing for Everyone – Plan Change 9 during the final days for submissions.

The Plan Change was notified on August 20, 2022, and the deadline for submissions is Friday 14 October, 2022.

Housing for Everyone – Plan Change 9 is a change being made to the Rotorua District Plan to encourage more residential development and increase housing choices.

"The Plan Change seeks to encourage housing intensification," Rotorua Lakes Council DCE District Development, Jean Paul Gaston says.

"This means building up, rather than out, and increasing density, which will help increase housing supply and provide more housing choices. Like many other places in New Zealand, Rotorua has a significant housing shortage, and there is little choice in the type and size of dwellings we can live in."

In response, Plan Change 9 proposes enabling medium-density living across most of Rotorua's urban area, and higher-density living close to, and within, the city centre and key commercial centres.

The Government and Council agreed that one way to increase housing in Rotorua was by allowing for "Medium Density" housing in most residential areas.

This was enabled by including Rotorua alongside major urban centres covered by the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) and resulted in the standards being applied to two relevant residential zones in Rotorua.

The standards enable landowners to build up to three homes, of up to three storeys each, on most residential sites without requiring a resource consent.

These 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. See more about this change here and here.

While the MDRS automatically took effect from August 20, 2022 when the Plan Change was notified, other changes proposed as part of PC9 are open for submissions.

Key points that can be submitted on include:

• Introduction of a high-density residential zone
• Enablement of increased density in key commercial and city centre zones
• The matters that the council will consider when multiple residential units (four or more) are proposed on a residential site
• Changes to the district plan to better manage flood risk and geothermal hazards
• Changes to transport provisions
• Changes to papakāinga rules
• Proposed rules relating to the protection of heritage buildings
• Where qualifying matters should be identified to enable less development than in other areas
• Changes to financial contributions.

Find out more and have your say

Find out more about the proposed changes on Council's Let's Talk/Korero Mai platform at www.rotorualakescouncil.nz/koreromai, and have your say on or before October 14, 2022.

- Supplied copy