Property owners and developers in flood-prone areas of Christchurch will now need resource consent for new buildings and subdivisions.
The High Flood Hazard Management Areas (HFHMA) rules in the city’s proposed district plan came into effect earlier this year, but the Christchurch City Council has not yet given them the final sign-off.
Council principal planning advisor Peter Eman said most development in flood-prone areas would need resource consent.
“They would need to show how that development would not increase risk to people’s safety, or for that matter put property at risk.
“Basically, it’s a non-complying activity to subdivide or develop in these areas generally. You can’t put more houses in these areas because obviously we don’t want more people to be put at risk.”
The affected areas were mainly in the north and east of the city. Some places became more prone to flooding after the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. “Although it’s mainly around rivers, streams and estuaries, it also includes some low-lying ponding areas,” Eman said.
