Mayor Craig Rowley will represent the Waimate District Council on the Waitaha Canterbury Regional Spatial Plan Committee, which will guide the development of a regional spatial plan (RSP) for Canterbury. An RSP will set the direction for how our region manages growth within environmental limits and constraints.
The formation of the committee comes in the wake of expected legislation that will replace the Resource Management Act. Two bills, the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill, are expected to pass into law shortly and will represent the most significant reform to New Zealand’s planning laws in more than a generation.
Setting up the new regional committee marks one step in the reform process, once the bills are passed. The committee will consist of members representing different communities across Canterbury.
Council will work with the community to ensure that Waimate’s voice is heard in the new planning process, and to plan for appropriate development in our district.
Council will provide regular updates as we work toward the Government’s deadline to notify the public for formal consultation on the plan, which is in 2028. Full implementation of the new planning system will take place in 2029.
