Council wants people and place put at the heart of growth

Kāpiti Coast District Mayor Janet Holborow says the Council wants sustainable growth that meets the needs of residents and enables the district to thrive, while retaining the things people value most about living here.

“We’re bound by government legislation such as fast-track consenting and intensification mandates, but we continue to work closely with developers to encourage good growth.

“This means sustainable growth that embraces our whenua (land) and wai (water), and places people at its heart.”

Two Kāpiti Coast projects are eligible for fast-tracked consents under planned government legislation designed to massively speed up the resource consent process.

They are The Wellington Company’s medium-high density mixed-activity development on 28 hectares of land on Kāpiti Road in central Paraparaumu and its application for 500 new houses near the Ōtaki Māori Racecourse.

Once the Bill becomes law, the projects will be able to apply to the Environmental Protection Authority where an expert panel will assess each application on its individual merits and apply any relevant environmental protections.

A housing development in north Waikanae, which is also on the Government’s list, had its resource consent expedited earlier.

Mayor Holborow said it was important to get these developments right.

“As developments like these are accelerated in Kāpiti, we need to make sure our new residents have access to the services they need, including health care, education, and thriving town centres.

“For the Kāpiti Road project, we look forward to receiving central government funding for the new link road which will be critical for this development to go ahead."

Council would continue to work alongside The Wellington Company to make the most of this opportunity, Mayor Holborow said.

“In 2022 Council agreed to an approach of emphasising intensification while progressively opening up greenfield development over time. But our focus for all development will be protecting, enhancing and living sensitively with our environment while providing greater housing choice and improved transport and connectivity, with better access to services.

“This is critical to enabling sustainable growth that contributes to peoples’ wellbeing.”