The Greater Christchurch Regeneration Amendment Bill, aimed at accelerating the transition of regeneration to local leadership in greater Christchurch, was enacted on 29 June 2020.
The changes made to the Act include:
- removal of the extraordinary power in section 71;
- bringing forward the planned disestablishment and transition of Crown-Council agency Regenerate Christchurch to 30 June 2020; and
- extension of a limited set of land title reconfiguration powers for two years (out to 30 June 2023, with a mechanism included to repeal them earlier if they are no longer required) to help the Crown (through LINZ) meet its existing obligations under the Global Settlement Agreement for reconfiguration of land in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor.
Most of the changes will come into effect immediately, with the land power extension coming into effect at the close of 30 June 2021.
The Amendment Bill was introduced to the House on 19 February 2020 by the Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration (the Minister) Hon Dr Megan Woods. Read the Minister’s announcement of the Amendment Bill on the Beehive Website: Bill to Amend the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act.
See the process for the Bill here.
For more information about the process, read the "How a bill becomes law" page on the Parliament website.
Why amend the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act?
The amendments were proposed because some provisions in the GCR Act were no longer necessary given the progress made on regeneration in greater Christchurch.
Much of what was proposed was identified in the last annual review of the Act in September 2019, which concluded that given the considerable progress on key regeneration milestones, there was no longer a need for the legislation in its current form and making changes sooner would support the progressive move towards local leadership in greater Christchurch.
Regulatory Impact Statement
To support decision making on the proposed amendments, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet was required to develop a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA).
A RIA must be produced for regulatory changes. It includes analysis of the problems and opportunities that the proposed change(s) should address and considers options available to address these assessed against specific criteria.
Read the RIS for the proposed bill:
Some parts of this document would not be appropriate to release and, if requested, would be withheld under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act). Where information has been withheld, no public interest has been identified that would outweigh the reasons for withholding it.
What is the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act?
The GCR Act was created in 2016 to help speed up the regeneration process by facilitating ongoing planning as well as ensuring community and local leadership input in decisions.
The intention has always been to return the ongoing regeneration of Christchurch to full local leadership and for the Crown to step back from its extraordinary responsibilities.
This was signalled when the GCR Act was passed, where the Crown's functions would be wound down and the GCR Act repealed on 30 June 2021.