One week extension for Ohoka plan change submissions

By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

Those wishing to have their say on the proposed Ohoka subdivision in the Waimakariri District have an extra week to prepare their submissions.

The Waimakariri District Council has extended the submission period for Private Plan Change 31 by five workings days.

Submissions now close at 5pm, Friday 12 August.

The extension follows a public drop in session at the Ohoka Community Hall on Friday 22 July, hosted by Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey.

Doocey asked the council to consider an extension following the meeting

''One of the common issues that came out of my drop in last week at Ohoka Hall was the shortened date of 20 days for the public to make submissions,'' he said.

''I promised to raise this on behalf of residents who were concerned they needed more time to prepare their submissions.''

Doocey said he had also sent questions on behalf of residents to the relevant government ministers on legislative and policy issues.

Private Plan Change 31 proposes to rezone land in Ohoka to build up to 850 new households, with space for a possible school, retirement village and commercial area.

The application was publicly notified on 6 July for the statutory submission period of 20 working days.

The council's district planning committee met this week and determined an extension was reasonable given the wider community interest around the proposed private plan change.

The impacts of Covid-19, flu and the school holidays, along with concerns about the scale and the wide-ranging issues raised by the proposed plan change were cited as reasons for the extension.

The council announced on 17 July it would be opposing the private plan change, with a draft submission to be discussed by councillors on Tuesday 2 August.

A ''friend of the submitter'' has been appointed by the council to assist residents in making a submission.

Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air