Draft Radio Communication Pathways Plan Change

The Radio Communication Pathways draft plan change proposes height limits to protect airspace for radio-communication from the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct, associated with emergency services.

Consultation has now closed

People were able to provide early feedback on the proposed Draft Radio Communication Pathways Plan Change, from April 11 to 13 May.

During this time we heard from 10 individuals and groups. You can read their feedback, included in this report. [PDF, 7.2 MB] This report includes feedback received on our proposed Draft Housing and Business Choice Plan Change.

The Draft Housing and Business Choice Plan Change will be notified for public submissions in August 2022. 

As a Council, we must consider and protect our city’s strategic infrastructure such as Lyttelton Port and Christchurch International Airport. This also includes other important infrastructure that allows emergency services like police, fire and ambulance, to communicate.

Through our separate draft Housing and Business Choice Plan Change, these Radio Communication Pathways would meet the threshold to be listed as “Qualifying Matters”. This means the level of intensification allowed is therefore reduced from what the government has directed.

There is a risk of buildings, structures and trees blocking communication paths and impacting on the ability for emergency services to operate effectively.  

You can find out about other proposed Qualifying Matters as part of the draft Housing and Business Choice Plan Change.(external link)

What we’re proposing

• A plan change to protect radio communication pathways (for emergency services), from adverse effects due to buildings, structures, utilities and trees.
• Introducing a new objective, policies and rules requiring resource consent as a non-complying activity for any buildings, structures, utilities and trees above the maximum height limit.
• That the radio-communication pathways are a Qualifying Matter under the National Policy Statement on Urban Development, which means a reduced level of development can occur.

The Christchurch District Plan sets out our policies and rules for managing how the city develops, including the land uses and developments that are allowed and those activities that require resource consent.

We’d like to hear your feedback on our draft Radio Communications Pathways Plan Change. This will help us shape the draft changes needed to bring our District Plan in line with government legislation, ahead of formal consultation before 20 August 2022.

You can read more about the technical information supporting the proposed changes to the District Plan (external link)on our webpage

Decision-making process

1. Pre-notification consultation – 11 April to 13 May 2022.
2. The draft Radio Pathways Plan Change is notified before 20 August 2022 and the public can provide submissions.
3. Submissions on the notified draft plan change are published.
4. Further submissions can be made on the notified draft plan change – late 2022 – to support or oppose previous submissions.
5. Hearings Panel conduct hearings – 2023. The council can choose to conduct optional pre-hearing mediation.
6. Hearings Panel provides Council with recommendations.
7. Council makes its decision with the opportunity for appeals.
8. The draft Radio Pathways Plan Change becomes operative.