Existing Planning Framework Related to Housing
The Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) has recently expressed an interest in developing a policy, strategy, or action plan to articulate its approach to housing supply. This report provides an overview of the existing planning framework as it relates to housing, a stocktake of PNCC’s housing-relevant plans, strategies, and frameworks, and a review of national and international literature to identify planning tools/instruments that could be used to support the development of ‘more housing that meets community needs and contribute to well-functioning urban environments. Finally, the report provides a recommendation regarding the need for a Council policy, strategy, or action plan to articulate its approach to housing supply, including a Draft Policy for Housing.
An overview of the existing planning framework as it relates to housing (including but extending beyond the RMA and NPSUD:
Housing is a fundamental human need and, as such, is recognized as a basic right in a number of international conventions, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) (Smith, 2020). In Aotearoa, New Zealand, it is also recognized as a Treaty of Waitangi obligation (Came, Cornes & McCreanor, 2018). The National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity (NPS-U) requires all local authorities to plan for a 30-year supply of developable urban land to support population growth and projected housing demand (Burgess, 2021). The most recent national assessment of urban development capacity found that, as of 2016, there was an 11-year supply of developable urban land (Moreno-Monroy et al., 2020). The Government’s building block approach to planning for housing recognizes that there is no ‘silver bullet’ and that a wide range of policy levers will need to be pulled if we are to increase the supply of affordable housing. The three key pillars of this approach are:
- Land use planning;
- Increasing the pace and efficiency of the development process; and
- Supporting local infrastructure investment.
Land use planning plays a vital role in shaping our built environment and determining where housing can be built. In Aotearoa, New Zealand, land use planning is primarily governed by two pieces of legislation – the Resource Management Act (RMA) and the Local Government Act (LGA) (Ericksen et al., 2017). The RMA is the primary piece of legislation governing land use planning in Aotearoa, New Zealand. It sets out a framework for managing our natural and physical resources, including land, air, water, and minerals (Ruru, 2018). The RMA also recognizes the need to take an integrated approach to resource management and requires that decision-makers consider the effects of their decisions on both the environment and human wellbeing. The LGA governs how local authorities make land use and development decisions within their jurisdictions (McGregor, Parsons & Glavac, 2021). It provides for a number of different types of planning instruments, including district plans, regional plans, structure plans, and townscape plans.
A stocktake of PNCC’s housing-relevant plans, strategies, and frameworks:
The Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) is the local authority responsible for land use planning within the city of Palmerston North (Edmonds. et al.). The current district plan was first adopted in 1998 and has been through a number of amendments since then. A replacement district plan is currently being prepared and is due to be notified in 2019 (Kirk et al., 2020). In addition to the district plan, PNCC also has a number of other housing-relevant plans, strategies, and frameworks, including:
PNCC’s Approaches to Housing Supply
– The Long Term Plan 2018-2028 (LTP)
– The Housing Strategy 2017-2027
– The Social Housing Policy 2016
– The Infill Development Strategy
– The Growth Strategy
– The City Centre Masterplan.
The LTP is PNCC’s key planning and funding document. It sets out the Council’s vision for the city over the next ten years and outlines a number of initiatives that will be delivered over that time period (Heitzman et al., 2019). With regard to housing, the LTP identifies a number of priority areas, including:
– Improving housing affordability;
– Supporting the development of more diverse types of housing;
– Encouraging higher density development in appropriate locations; and
– Promoting good design.
The LTP also includes a number of specific initiatives that relate to housing, including:
– Investigating the feasibility of a kaumatua/kuia (elder) housing development (Walker, 2020);
– Reviewing the Social Housing Policy;
– Encouraging the development of more infill housing;
– Undertaking urban design studies for key sites in the city center; and
– Reviewing the District Plan provisions relating to height and density.
The Housing Strategy 2017-2027 sets out PNCC’s approach to addressing housing affordability and supply within the city. The strategy recognizes that there is a growing demand for housing in Palmerston North and that this demand is not being met by the current supply of housing (Kennerley, 2019). The strategy outlines a number of initiatives that PNCC intends to deliver over the next ten years, including:
– Increasing the supply of land for housing development;
– Encouraging higher density development in appropriate locations;
– Supporting the development of more diverse types of housing;
– Promoting good design; and
– Facilitating the development process.
The Social Housing Policy sets out PNCC’s approach to providing social housing within the city. The policy recognizes that there is a growing demand for social housing and that the current supply of social housing is not meeting this demand. The Infill Development Strategy sets out PNCC’s approach to encouraging infill development within the city (Smith, 2020).
The current planning framework in New Zealand places considerable emphasis on the role of the private sector in providing housing (Murphy, 2016). The main legislation governing housing is the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, which sets out the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants (Bennett, 2017). Local authorities also have a role in regulating residential rental properties through their building control functions. However, the planning framework does not place any specific requirements on local authorities to provide or facilitate the provision of affordable housing. In fact, there is no legal definition of ‘affordable housing in New Zealand.
The lack of a clear definition of affordable housing means that it is difficult to measure whether or not local authorities are meeting the needs of their communities in this regard. A recent study by the New Zealand Productivity Commission (2017) found that, while there is a lack of data on affordable housing needs, the available evidence suggests that there is a shortfall of affordable housing in many parts of the country (Nolan, Fraser & Conway, 2018). The current planning framework also does not place any specific requirements on local authorities to provide or facilitate the provision of social housing. Social housing is defined as ‘housing provided by central or local government or a non-profit organization for people who are unable to afford market rents’ (Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment, 2016; Cochrane & Poot, 2016).
National and International Literature Review
In New Zealand, most social housing is provided by central or local government agencies or by non-profit organizations. The largest provider of social housing in New Zealand is the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), which manages a stock of around 18,000 properties (Humpage, 2016). MSD also provides funding to a number of community housing providers, who manage an additional 8,000 properties. In total, there are around 26,000 social housing properties in New Zealand, which is equivalent to 0.7% of the country’s total housing stock (Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment, 2016; Johnson et al., 2018). Palmerston North City Council should adopt a policy, strategy, or action plan to articulate its approach to housing supply. This will guide Council decision-making under either the RMA or the LGA and ensure that the Council’s housing supply objectives are met.
A number of factors suggest that there is a need for such a policy, strategy, or action plan. Firstly, the Council’s strategic goal is to be an innovative and growing city, and housing development is a key part of this goal. Secondly, the City Growth Plan 2021-2031 outlines a number of activities and aspirations relating to housing in the city, which suggests that more coordinated decision-making is needed in this area. Thirdly, the RMA reform process provides an opportunity for the Council to review and update its approach to housing supply. There are a number of options available to the Council in terms of what form the policy, strategy, or action plan could take. The exact nature of the policy, strategy, or action plan will need to be tailored to the specific circumstances of Palmerston North City Council. However, some possible elements of the policy, strategy, or action plan could include:
– A review of the Council’s current housing supply policies and practices, in light of the City Growth Plan 2021-2031 and the RMA reform process;
– The development of new housing supply policies and practices, which take into account the City Growth Plan 2021-2031 and the RMA reform process;
– The establishment of targets for housing production and/or affordability;
– The creation of incentives for developers to provide more affordable housing;
– The identification of barriers to housing development and ways to overcome these barriers.
A recommendation regarding the need for a Council policy, strategy, or action plan
The Council should consult with key stakeholders in the development of the policy, strategy, or action plan to ensure that it meets the needs of the community. The consultation process should seek to identify the community’s housing priorities and preferences and how these can be accommodated within the city’s growth plans. Once the policy, strategy, or action plan is finalized, it should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to ensure that it remains relevant and responsive to changing circumstances. “Amenity values” refers to the non-monetary value that people place on public or private open space or urban trees / green space/biophilia. This could include the value of being able to see trees from one’s home, the value of being able to walk to a nearby park, or the value of having a green and leafy neighborhood. Amenity values are often hard to quantify, but they are nonetheless important considerations when planning for housing development.
Recommendation for a Policy, Strategy, or Action Plan
One way of addressing amenity values in housing development is through the use of design guidelines. Design guidelines can be used to ensure that new developments include features that contribute to well-functioning urban environments, such as adequate amounts of open space, trees, and green space. Design guidelines can also be used to ensure that new developments are compatible with the neighborhood’s existing character. Palmerston North City Council already has a number of design guidelines in place, including the Residential Design Guidelines (which apply to all new residential developments) and the Subdivision Design Guidelines (which apply to all new subdivision applications) (Edmonds et al.). However, these design guidelines do not specifically address amenity values. The Council could consider amending its existing design guidelines to specifically address amenity values, or it could develop new design guidelines that focus specifically on amenity values. The exact nature of the design guidelines will need to be tailored to the specific circumstances of Palmerston North City Council. However, some possible elements of the design guidelines could include:
– A requirement for new developments to include a certain amount of open space, trees, and/or green space;
– A requirement for new developments to be compatible with the existing character of the neighborhood;
– A requirement for new developments to provide adequate amounts of privacy and daylight for residents;
– A requirement for new developments to avoid adverse impacts on neighboring properties (such as loss of privacy, noise, or light pollution).
Another way of addressing amenity values in housing development is through the use of development contributions. Development contributions are fees that developers must pay to the Council in order to offset the negative impacts of their development on the amenity values of the surrounding area (Lawrence, Bell & Stroombergen, 2019). The Council could consider using development contributions to fund the provision of open space, trees, and green space in new developments. The development contributions could be collected from developers on a per-dwelling basis or on some other basis. The exact nature of the development contributions will need to be tailored to the specific circumstances of Palmerston North City Council. In order to make sure that design guidelines and development contributions are effective in addressing amenity values, the Council will need to monitor compliance with the design guidelines and collect data on the amenity values of new developments. The Council could consider using post-occupancy evaluations to collect data on the amenity values of new developments. Post-occupancy evaluations involve surveys of residents and/or observations of how people use the space. This data can then be used to improve the design guidelines and development contributions.
The political, social, and professional context within which planners function
Planners in New Zealand operate within a planning practice environment that is shaped by political, social, and professional factors. Political factors that influence the planning practice environment include central government policy, local government policy, and the resource management system (Ericksen et al., 2017). The National Government sets central government policy and establishes the broad framework within which local governments must operate. Local government policy provides a more specific direction for planners to follow when making decisions about individual projects. The resource management system sets out the legal process for decision-making about development proposals. Social factors that influence the planning practice environment include public opinion, community groups, iwi/Maori interests, and special interest groups (Davies et al., 2018). Public opinion can be gauged through surveys and public consultation processes.
Community groups can be involved in the planning process by providing input into development proposals and participating in consultation processes. Iwi/Maori interests are represented through the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Treaty of Waitangi. Special interest groups can also be involved in the planning process, and their interests must be considered when making decisions about development proposals (Ruru, 2016). Professional factors that influence the planning practice environment include professional bodies, industry associations, and planning education and training. Professional bodies provide guidance for planners on ethical and professional standards. Industry associations represent the interests of developers, architects, engineers, and other professionals who work in the built environment (Baldwin & Rosier, 2017). Planning education and training ensures that planners have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform their job. All of these factors influence the planning practice environment and contribute to the way that planners function in New Zealand.
In New Zealand, planning is the process of making decisions about how land and other resources will be used. Planning is important for ensuring that development occurs in a way that meets the needs of the community and protects the environment. The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) governs planning in New Zealand. The RMA sets out a framework for planning that all local authorities must follow. Under the RMA, local authorities must prepare plans that set out the rules for using the land (Salter, Laing & Hill, 2016). These plans must be consistent with national planning objectives, which are set out in the RMA. The RMA requires that all development proposals be assessed against the relevant planning rules. This assessment is typically carried out through a resource consent process. A resource consent is required for any activity that would contravene the planning rules contained in a local authority.
An explanation of the intent, justification, or rationale behind your recommendation
The intent of this recommendation is to address amenity values in housing development. Design guidelines and development contributions can be used to ensure that new developments include features that contribute to well-functioning urban environments, such as adequate amounts of open space, trees, and green space. Justification for this recommendation includes the fact that amenity values are important considerations when planning for housing development. Additionally, Palmerston North City Council already has a number of design guidelines in place, but these design guidelines do not specifically address amenity values. The rationale for this recommendation is that addressing amenity values in housing development is important for creating well-functioning urban environments. Design guidelines and development contributions can be used to help achieve this goal.
In conclusion, the essay has indicated in the discussion that there are many factors that influence the planning practice environment in New Zealand. All of these factors contribute to the way that planners function in New Zealand. In order to ensure that development occurs in a way that meets the needs of the community and protects the environment, it is important for planners to be aware of all of these factors and how they can influence planning decisions. Also, as New Zealand is a small country with limited resources, it is important for planners to consider all of these factors when making decisions about development proposals. This will help ensure that development is carried out in a sustainable way and meets the needs of all stakeholders. The essay has informed us about how the planning system works in New Zealand, what factors influence the planning process, and why it is important for planners to be aware of these factors. It also provides some recommendations on how to improve the planning process in New Zealand. Given the current housing crisis in New Zealand, it is crucial that planners consider all of the factors that influence planning when making decisions about development proposals. By doing so, they can help ensure that development is carried out in a sustainable way and meets the needs of all stakeholders. Proper planning is essential for protecting the environment and ensuring that development occurs in a way that meets the needs of the community. New Zealand’s planning system is governed by the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). This act sets out a framework for planning that all local authorities must follow. Under the RMA, local authorities must prepare plans that set out the rules for how the land can be used. These plans must be consistent with national planning objectives, which are set out in the RMA.
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