Damienne Donaldson our Principal Planner explains.
In a significant move toward urban intensification, Christchurch City Council has confirmed a series of zoning changes under Plan Change 14 (PC14), aimed at enabling greater housing density across the city. These decisions, made on 3 September 2025, mark a pivotal moment in Christchurch’s planning landscape and will have far-reaching implications for property owners, developers and communities.
The Council approved the recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel (IHP), building upon the December 2024 changes, which enabled greater building development within and around the central city, suburban commercial areas, high-frequency and high-capacity public transport routes. The most recent changes extend the:
These changes are designed to meet the city’s projected housing demand of 65,600 commercially viable homes over the next 30 years, as forecasted by Statistics New Zealand. The changes enable the Council to apply to the Minister for RMA Reform to opt out of the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) provisions originally proposed to apply across all residential areas of urban Christchurch.
Medium density zoning rules allow for up to three dwellings of up to three storeys on a single property without requiring resource consent, provided all other rules are met. Residential development within this zone can choose two consenting pathways i.e., use the new rules or opt out and continue to use the previous zone rules.
The Council will now apply to Minister for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, to withdraw the remainder of Plan Change 14 before the Government’s 12 December deadline.
The zoning changes take immediate effect under the Resource Management Act. A public notice was issued on 19 September 2025, which means that the changes are now fully operative in the District Plan.
Click this link to find out more.
Christchurch City Council, National Map Powered by Esri – PC14 Proposed Opt Out
Obviously, this opens significant opportunities for medium and high-density residential projects within Christchurch.
If you’re planning to build, expand, or invest – now is the time to act. Let’s talk about how to align your strategy with the new planning framework.
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