The amount of development contributions required depends on the location of the development and how many household equivalent units (HUEs) of additional demand the development is deemed to add to the Council's infrastructure and facilities.

Development contributions also apply to commercial developments but the assessment is more complex as it depends on floor size, type of business and the location of the development.

You may request an estimate of development contributions(external link) for your development.

Development contributions for water supply, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment and disposal and stormwater and flood protection are only charged if the development is able to connect to the service.

All other development contributions are charged to all developments required to pay a development contribution.

Christchurch City Council assesses development contributions for some activities using a single district-wide catchment approach. This means all developments pay the same development contribution per household unit equivalent (HUE) regardless of where in the district they are located.

Local area catchments are used to assess development contributions for the neighbourhood parks, transport and stormwater and flood protection activities. Using a catchment approach enables the Council to better identify the cost of providing growth infrastructure to different parts of the district and to charge development contributions that reflect those costs. 

To calculate the development contributions required for one HUE requires first adding all applicable district-wide charges and then adding applicable catchment charges.

Reserves

Catchment Development contribution per HUE
(excl GST)		 Development Contribution per HUE
(incl GST)
Regional parks 
District wide $2334.00 $2695.60
Garden and heritage parks
District wide $140.00 $161.00
Sport parks 
District wide $2200.00 $2530.00
Neighbourhood parks   
Central city $1544.00 $1775.60
Inner city $2467.00 $2837.05
Suburban $1544.00 $1775.60
Greenfield  $8292.00 $9535.80
Lyttelton Harbour $1544.00 $1775.60
Rural $1544.00 $1775.60
Rest of Banks Peninsula $1544.00 $1775.60
Akaroa Harbour $1544.00 $1775.60

Network infrastructure

Catchment Development contribution per HUE
(excl GST)		 Development contribution per HUE
(incl GST)
Water supply
District wide $2083.00 $2395.45
Wastewater collection
District wide $5521.00 $6349.15
Wastewater treatment and disposal
District wide $2526.00 $2904.90
Stormwater and flood protection
Styx $630.00 $724.50
Styx Greenfield $7078.00 $8139.70
Avon $694.00 $798.10
Avon Greenfield $1075.00 $1236.25
Estuary $630.00 $724.50
Heathcote Greenfield $2779.00 $3195.85
Heathcote $1723.00 $1981.45
Halswell $4727.00 $5436.05
Otukaikino $630.00 $724.50
Lyttelton Harbour $630.00 $724.50
Northern Bays $630.00 $724.50
Southern Bays $630.00 $724.50
Akaroa Harbour $630.00 $724.50
Road network
Central City $789.00 $907.35
Inner City $811.00 $932.65
Suburban $848.00 $975.20
Greenfield $2883.00 $3315.45
Lyttelton Harbour $789.00 $907.35
Rural $789.00 $907.35
Rest of Banks Peninsula $789.00 $907.35
Akaroa Harbour $789.00 $907.35
Active Travel
District wide $370.00 $425.50
Public Transport
District wide $624.00 $717.60

A development is assessed for additional demand placed on the Council's infrastructure only. If your development is replacing like with like you will not be required to pay development contributions. 

Intensified redevelopment of a site (say 3 townhouses replacing 1 house) will be assessed for the additional demand (2 household unit equivalents) only.

Redevelopment of a commercial site requires an assessment of the existing building to identify the demand credits available to offset the assessment of development contributions for the new development. Contact the development contributions team to discuss having an estimate assessment undertaken. 

Development contributions must be paid within 30 days of the invoice being issued. The Council will act to recover the debt if the developer does not pay the contribution on the terms of the invoice. 

The law allows the Council to withhold services until the debt is paid, such as:

  • withholding a Resource Management Act Section 224(c) certificate preventing the start of a resource consent 
  • withholding a code compliance certificate preventing connection to Council water and / or wastewater networks. 

The Council may also register the development contribution under the Statutory Land Charges Registration Act 1928 as a charge on the title of the land. If the Council acts to recover the debt, it will also seek interest and costs associated with debt recovery. 

The Council has looked to make the development contributions policy as user-friendly as possible and we will continue to look to make improvements. 

We acknowledge development contributions can be a complex issue and developers are likely to have questions. 

If you have questions about development contributions our team is happy to respond.

Email us at: developmentcontributions@ccc.govt.nz or phone the Council on 03 941 8999 and ask to speak with the development contributions team.