Source: New Zealand Government
Speeding up the return of Christchurch regeneration activities to local leadership is behind the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament today by Minister Megan Woods.
“As we approach nine years since the February 2011 earthquake in Canterbury, and with the transition to local leadership well underway, the time is right to return ongoing business-as-usual regeneration responsibilities back to local authorities,” Megan Woods said.
“This is about supporting Christchurch to thrive by removing some of the Crown’s extraordinary powers that have been in place under the Act and making changes so decisions on regeneration matters are made at a local level.”
Officials at DPMC and staff at Christchurch City Council and Regenerate Christchurch have been working closely to progress the transition for some time, Megan Woods said.
She said much of what is being proposed in the Bill was identified in the last annual review of the Act in September 2019.
“The review concluded that given the considerable progress on key regeneration milestones, it is time to amend the legislation to reflect the progress on shifting control back to local leadership in greater Christchurch,” Megan Woods said.
The amendments proposed in the Bill are:
- removal of extraordinary powers no longer required and return regeneration matters to local leadership;
- bringing forward the planned disestablishment and transition of Crown-Council agency Regenerate Christchurch; 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.
“While LINZ is working towards having everything completed by June 2021, the extension of the land powers has been proposed to reflect the scale and complexity of the work required under the Global Settlement Agreement,” Megan Woods said.
If passed most changes will come into effect towards the middle of this year.
