Council website promotes section availability
Information on section availability and land zoned for residential subdivision in Christchurch is now available on the Christchurch City Council’s website.
The Council has worked with developers and real estates agents to help residents find out what residential housing developments are happening in the city and how to contact developers with sections for sale, says Council Regulatory & Planning Committee Chair Cr Sue Wells.
www.ccc.govt.nz/landavailability provides two lots of information, the first on sections currently available in Christchurch; and secondly where future development will occur.
“The maps on the website have pop-up information for each development. For sections available, there is the name of the development, the address, the number of sections, the number sold and what is still available, based on information provided by the developer or real estate agent; and for future developments, the name of the development, number of sections proposed and at what stage of the plan change or subdivision process the development is at.”
Cr Wells says as a result of the Canterbury earthquakes, and subsequent government decisions on red-zoned land, it became clear that the demand for land for housing would change from that originally planned.
“The Council and CERA have worked to ensure there is sufficient land for housing, particularly by rezoning rural land for residential use, and the website is aimed at helping residents displaced by the earthquakes to have easy access to information to make decisions about their future.”
She says land rezoned in the Greater Christchurch area during the last 18 months will provide sections for more than 20,000 households in coming years.
“Indications from developers are that there will be up to 6600 greenfield sections released on the market during the next two years, about 3170 of which will be in Christchurch City.
“The majority of these will be in the south-west and Belfast areas, the two areas identified in the Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy as able to accommodate future urban growth and development.”
The website also has information on the planning and subdivision process of making sections available in Christchurch.
Cr Wells says not every section available in Christchurch is on the website. “Council staff are continuing to work on providing links to other sites and to update the information and add new functionalities.
“Developers with subdivisions of five sections or more are invited to email the Council - land@ccc.govt.nz – with details to get their developments listed.”
The Council is looking to do the same for land available in Christchurch for business development.