Port Hills review process announced

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has today announced the parameters of the review of Port Hills land zoning.

As with the flat land, this review will look at the boundaries used to identify residential red and green zones.  In the Port Hills zone boundaries have been drawn up to separate areas where life risk is assessed as above or below acceptable levels.

Red zones have been declared where the level of life risk is considered unacceptable based on GNS modelling, and where area wide mitigation is not considered practical for a range of reasons.

This review applies to land that was at any stage zoned white.  It does not review the Section 124 notices applied to properties by the Christchurch City Council, or any individual mitigation options.

Decisions in regard to individual mitigation and section 124 notices are controlled by the Christchurch City Council as the consent authority, and all queries with regard to these scenarios should be directed to council.

Property owners will have until 26 October to apply to be part of the review, with the exception of eight Lucas Lane property owners who have yet to have their zones confirmed. 
As with the flat land review, the Port Hills’ zoning review panel will be chaired by Dr Keith Turner.  It will include public policy and legal experts from CERA, along with an independent geotechnical engineer who has had no involvement in previous zoning decisions.  The Christchurch City Council will also have a representative on the panel.  The review will be completed in December.

Property owners seeking to be part of the review should apply by emailing info@cera.govt.nz or by calling 0800 RING CERA.