​Public asked to feedback on how they want to see Central Otago grow

The Central Otago District Council is seeking community input into a proposed change to the District Plan.

Plan Change 19 (PC 19) has been driven by the direction set out in the Vincent and Cromwell spatial plans. These were prepared by Council to respond to demand for residential land and housing affordability concerns in the district, and to plan for the anticipated growth over the next 30 years.

PC 19 proposes to make a suite of changes to the way the district’s residential areas are zoned and managed, Central Otago District Council Principal Policy Planner Ann Rodgers said.

“We want the community to get involved and to have their say on the proposed changes. The residential chapter of the District Plan has not been subject to a full review since it was originally drafted in 1998, so this is important for our district, and we want to know what the community thinks.”

Central Otago District Council Chief Executive Sanchia Jacobs encourages people to make a submission.

“The plan change is important because it will determine where and how residential properties can go and grow – it will impact the way our place looks and feels to live in, in the future.”

In implementing the direction set out in the two spatial plans, PC 19 involves rezoning new land for residential use, identifying some areas for future growth, aligning existing residential zoning with the proposed new zones, and includes new provisions for managing land use and subdivisions within the residential zones.

PC19 does not propose to alter the zoning or framework in relation to the rural, business or industrial resource areas or rural settlements zone.

For more information and to have your say, go online to the Council’s consultation platform: https://lets-talk.codc.govt.nz/plan-change-19