Hon Poto Williams, the Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration (the Minister) announced on 23 December 2019 that she had approved Regenerate Christchurch's Hagley Oval section 71 Proposal to amend the Christchurch District Plan.
The Proposal was prepared by Regenerate Christchurch on behalf of the Canterbury Cricket Trust.
Approval was made under sections 69 and 71 of the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016 (GCR Act).
The approval was gazetted on 9 January 2020 and a public notice placed in The Press on 11 January 2020.
Christchurch City Council amended the rules in the District Plan to change the use and operation of Hagley Oval as described in the Proposal on 9 January 2020.
The full name of the Proposal is:
"Hagley Oval: Proposal to exercise the powers under section 71 of the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016 to provide for the operation and use of Hagley Oval (South Hagley Park, 57 Riccarton Ave)"
On this page:
Decision to approve the Proposal
In making her decision, the Minister took into account the Proposal, the 1253 written comments received during the written comment period, and the requirements of the GCR Act.
Of the 1253 written comments received 83 percent were in favour of the Proposal.
For more information about the Minister's decision:
Christchurch City Council amended the rules in the District Plan to change the use and operation of Hagley Oval as described in the Proposal on 9 January 2020.
The written comment stage
The Minister publicly notified the Proposal on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's website and in the Gazette on Tuesday, 15 October and The Press on Wednesday, 16 October 2019, and invited people to give their views in writing on the Proposal by 5pm, Wednesday 20 November 2019.
On Monday, 11 November, it was announced the Minister had decided to extend the written comment period by eight working days to 5pm, Monday, 2 December 2019 after it was brought to her attention that supporting technical information referred to in the Proposal was not publicly available.
The information was then made available on Regenerate Christchurch's website.
The decision to extend the written comment period was publicly notified on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's website on Monday 11 November, in the Gazette on Tuesday, 12 November and The Press on Thursday, 14 November 2019.
In light of supporting technical information being made available, people who had already made their written comment were able to amend or update their existing written comment by email or post.
Anyone could make a written comment which, new or amended, had to be received by 5pm, Monday, 2 December 2019.
All written comments received were considered and helped the Minister decide whether to approve the Proposal.
Overview of the Proposal
(please refer to the Proposal for more detail)
The Proposal applies to Hagley Oval located at South Hagley Park, 57 Riccarton Avenue Christchurch and was prepared by Regenerate Christchurch on behalf of the Canterbury Cricket Trust.
Regenerate Christchurch considered using section 71 would be more efficient than making the changes using other planning processes such as those in the Resource Management Act 1991.
The Minister received the Proposal from Regenerate Christchurch, and on Tuesday, 15 October, the Minister announced that she had decided to notify the Proposal and invite people to give their views in writing on the Proposal.
Supporting technical information referred to in the Proposal was later made available on Regenerate Christchurch's website: http://www.regeneratechristchurch.nz/hagley-oval/.
See The Written Comment Stage section above for more detail.
About the Proposal
(please refer to the Proposal for more detail)
The proposed changes to the rules in the District Plan would amend the use and operation of Hagley Oval by the Canterbury Cricket Trust.
The rule changes relate to, amongst other things, flood lighting and the number of match days allowed.
The Trust's current 2013 resource consent allows for four retractable lighting poles. The proposed changes to the District Plan would permit six permanent floodlighting poles and structures.
Regenerate Christchurch advised the proposed lighting changes would meet international broadcasting standards and enable Christchurch to bid for "top-tier" international cricket matches in addition to the matches that can be bid for currently.
A table summarising what was permitted (through the existing Resource Consent) compared with the proposed amendments to the District Plan is in Appendix 2 of the Proposal.
Supporting technical information referred to in the Proposal is available on Regenerate Christchurch's website: http://www.regeneratechristchurch.nz/hagley-oval/
Christchurch City Council – separate Reserves Act process
In addition to the section 71 process, in order to install permanent floodlights the Canterbury Cricket Trust also required a new lease with Christchurch City Council, which manages Hagley Park.
The Council is required by the Reserves Act to undertake public consultation when considering a new lease.
Following consultation and hearings, Christchurch City Council, on Thursday 19 December 2019, approved giving Canterbury Cricket Trust a new ground lease so it can install additional lighting towers around Hagley Oval.
For more information visit https://newsline.ccc.govt.nz/news/story/council-approves-new-ground-lease-for-hagley-oval
Note: this was a separate and independent legal process to the section 71 process. To be considered by both processes comments had to be submitted to both the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Christchurch City Council.
The process
In developing the Proposal, Regenerate Christchurch asked the strategic partners (Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury, Ngai Tahu, Selwyn and Waimakariri District Councils), and the Chief Executive of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for feedback on a draft of the Proposal, as part of the process required by the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016.
Regenerate Christchurch considered the feedback in finalising the Proposal.
The Minister publicly notified the Proposal on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's website and in the Gazette on Tuesday, 15 October, and The Press on Wednesday, 16 October 2019, and invited people to give their views in writing on the Proposal.
The Minister publicly notified the extension to the written comment period on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's website on Monday, 11 November, in the Gazette on Tuesday, 12 November and The Press on Thursday, 14 November 2019.
Anyone could make a written comment which, new or amended, had to be received by 5pm, Monday, 2 December 2019.
All written comments received were considered and helped the Minister decide whether to approve the Proposal.
On 23 December 2019. the Minister announced she has approved the Proposal.