NZ Urban Development news from the media | 6 September 2022 | Summerset buys 14ha in Rotorua for new 270-home retirement village

Summerset buys 14ha in Rotorua for new 270-home retirement village

Rotorua has been picked as one of the latest sites for Summerset Group’s retirement village expansion plans with the company buying up 14.2ha of land on the outskirts of the city.

The proposed village is in the planning and development stage, according to chief executive Scott Scoullar, but plans were under way for an investment of around $180 million into Summerset Rotorua to build about 270 homes including villas, cottages and serviced apartments.

The site has been home to various tourism and business operations over the years and is currently the site of the Rotorua Heritage Farm, 3D Trick Art Gallery, Deer Museum and café.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/300672502/summerset-buys-14ha-in-rotorua-for-new-270home-retirement-village

Plan change will enable greater intensification around Tauranga

Tauranga City Council is seeking feedback on Proposed Plan Change 33 - Enabling Housing Supply, that modifies the rules around what people can do on their property. It also enables greater density in certain areas around Tauranga.

The plan change is in response to the Government's changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that allows for greater intensification in urban areas.

To better understand the plan change and what it means for Tauranga, Local Democracy Reporting sat down with Tauranga City Council city planning team leader Janine Speedy.

She said the proposed intensification areas would enable greater height through a resource consent process.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/473598/plan-change-will-enable-greater-intensification-around-tauranga

Hamilton Plan Change 12 - Enabling Housing Supply

Based on central government direction, we’re proposing some changes to Hamilton’s District Plan, our ‘rule book’ for development, that might affect your property in Hamilton. These changes are called Plan Change 12 and have the potential to significantly change the look and feel of your neighbourhood. You can have your say on the proposed changes and make a formal submission until 30 September 2022. 

You might have heard, since 2020 central government has reset the rules for how big cities can grow. They did this by introducing the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) and the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021.

These new rules direct big cities like Hamilton to increase the number of multi-storey homes across our city. They don’t give Council much ability to control things like how they will look, how much backyard they have, the impact on our city’s roads and pipes, and how they affect neighbouring properties.

https://haveyoursay.hamilton.govt.nz/city-planning/planchange12/