Council updates, Planning for the future, Transport options, Urban growth  |  Yesterday

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Public transport improvements on Lincoln Road and Plan Change exemptions - here are the key decisions made during today's Christchurch City Council meeting.

Lincoln Road Passenger Transport Improvements 

New peak hour bus lanes will be installed along the southern end of Lincoln Road to improve public transport from the southwest of Christchurch to the Central City. 

Today Christchurch City Council approved construction of the new lanes from Wrights Road and Lyttelton Street to Annex Road. 

The lanes are part of the priority route which will connect the bus lanes on Lincoln Road from Moorhouse to Whiteleigh Avenue with the NZ Transport Agency bus lane currently being installed on Halswell Road. 

Construction set to begin early next year to coincide with three waters work in the same area. 

The final section from the Curletts and Hoon Hay Road intersection to Annex Road will be further investigated before a design is considered by the Council.

Plan change exemptions sought 

The Council will seek exemptions from the Government’s recent Plan Stop legislation so it can move forward with several proposed changes to its planning rulebook, the District Plan. 

Councillors today approved applying to the Ministry for the Environment for exemptions to continue proposed plan changes related to managing indigenous vegetation (Plan Change 7), industrial and other rezoning requests (under Plan Change 20), earthworks (under Plan Change 17), central-city noise (Plan Change 21), and the Kerrs Reach flatwater sports hub.  

The Council needs to apply for the exemptions within 90 working days from 20 August 2025, when the Plan Stop legislation was enacted. 

The Council’s plan changes that relate to natural hazards have automatic exemptions under the legislation, specifically its coastal hazards plan change (Plan Change 12) and the remaining parts of Plan Change 17 which deal with Flood Management Areas and activities within the Waimakariri stop-bank setbacks. 

Plan changes 13 (Heritage) and 14 (Housing and Business Choice) are not affected by the legislation, nor are private plan changes lodged with the Council. 

Plan changes not exempted by the Minister can still be developed for consideration in future planning processes under the reformed resource management system, expected from 2027 onwards.