2022 Submissions

Attached [below] is the joint PHACCT/GOPI submission on Variation 1 of the PCC Proposed District Plan.  Variation 1 provides for medium density and some high density development in both the current urban boundaries and also the Northern Growth Area north and east from Plimmerton roundabout to Pukerua Bay. 

Lindsay Gow (Chair of GOPI) has drafted the submission and explains:   

"It is fairly technical as we need to set out necessary and needed changes to the Plan to enhance protection of water bodies and the Inlet.  PCC is obliged by the Government to zone all residential areas in the city either medium or high density and to not require any off street car parking.  In my view this is madness, especially as such development would inevitably result in an unplanned patchwork of low and medium density developments."

On this, the submission says:

"In making this submission we are of the view that the Government’s requirements for Porirua City to apply the provisions in this amendment will inevitably risk undesirable patchwork development that will: 

• Lead to an increase in sediment, contaminants and nutrients entering water bodies and then Te Awarua o Porirua;
• Have adverse consequences on the city’s infrastructure and especially stormwater, sewerage, roading and transport systems; and
• Lead to progressive deterioration in the level and quality of the built environment and the level and quality of amenity that it supports.

We consider the requirement to have no mandated off street parking is totally inappropriate for the Porirua urban area. It has developed as a low density, car based environment.  Walking and cycling provide limited options to access key services and amenities, and public transport services are limited. Any change to have a non car based urban environment will take decades to achieve."

But we acknowledge that PCC has done its best to reduce the severity of such impacts. It has limited high density zones and thus most of the residential parts of the city are proposed to be medium density - which has a maximum site coverage limit of 50%. This means three storey buildings can’t be jammed onto and fill large portions of existing sites. In fact in many cases, I think that putting in medium density (up to three storey) developments would require demolition of existing buildings. Even so, the process will inevitably be messy.

You can download the submission HERE.