Canterbury Regional Policy Statement
The Canterbury Regional Policy Statement provides an overview of the resource management issues in the Canterbury region, and the objectives, policies and methods to achieve integrated management of natural and physical resources. These methods include directions for provisions in district and regional plans. The policy statement became operative on 15 January 2013.
Changes to the policy statement
Update: April 2020
Prior to the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown, the Minister for the Environment, Hon David Parker, approved the use of the streamlined planning process to make changes to the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement. However, understandably, this has not been notified in the Gazette and so the timeframes set out in the Minister’s Direction have yet to take effect.
The proposed changes to the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement support the actions from the Our Space 2014-48 Greater Christchurch Settlement Pattern Update.
Update: July 2019
On 25 July 2019 a new Objective 6.2.1a was inserted into the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement in accordance with sections 55(2) and 55(2A) of the Resource Management Act 1991.
Objective 6.2.1a sets out minimum housing targets for the Greater Christchurch area over the medium (next 10 years) and long term (10 to 30 years).
The insertion of these targets is a requirement of Policies PC5-6 and PC8 of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity 2016.
Update: December 2018
In December 2018 Hon Nanaia Mahuta, acting for the Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, approved a proposal to amend the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement using section 71 of the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016 to:
- change Chapter 6 Recovery and Rebuilding of Greater Christchurch (including Policy 6.3.1, Principal reasons and explanation, and the Anticipated environmental results) to provide for a metropolitan recreation facility at 466-482 Yaldhurst Road, Christchurch; and
- insert a new definition of Metropolitan recreation facility in the Definitions for Greater Christchurch.
The Cranford Regeneration Plan came into effect on 31 August 2017 and made changes to Map A in Chapter 6 of the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement. These changes included
- removing the Projected Infrastructure Boundary from the full extent of the area of the Crandford Regeneration Plan,
- identifying the extent of the Grassmere Street and Croziers Road blocks as a Greenfield Priority Area,
- identifying the remaining areas of the Cranford Regeneration Plan as ‘Existing Urban Area; and
- amending the Map A legend to delete the words “pre-2011”.
Map A of Chapter 6 was updated on the Environment Canterbury website on 1 September 2017. View the map before the amendments were made.
The Land Use Recovery Plan for Greater Christchurch took effect on 6 December 2013 and made changes to the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement. These changes included inserting Chapter 6 - Recovery and Rebuilding of Greater Christchurch and adding a glossary/definitions.
On 25 July 2019 a new Objective 6.2.1a was inserted into the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement in accordance with sections 55(2) and 55(2A) of the Resource Management Act 1991 and as required by the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity 2016. Objective 6.2.1a sets out minimum housing targets for the Greater Christchurch area over the medium (next 10 years) and long term (10 to 30 years).
Timing: came into effect on 25 July 2019
Document: Public Notice (PDF File, 124.29KB)
In December 2018 Hon Nanaia Mahuta, acting for the Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration approved a proposal to amend the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement using section 71 of the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016 to provide for a metropolitan recreation facility at 466-482 Yaldhurst Road, Christchurch.
Timing: came into effect on 19 December 2018
Documents: Land Use Recovery Plan: Appendix 1 and Schedule of amendments to the RPS directed by the LURP
Policy statement reprinted
The Canterbury Regional Policy Statement was reprinted in early 2017 to include corrections of minor errors under Clause 20A of Schedule 1 to the Resource Management Act 1991, as well as amendments under Sections 21, 24 and 27 of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011.
Due to timing, the changes to Chapter 6 and the Definitions for Greater Christchurch which came into effect on 19 December 2018 have not yet been incorporated in the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement 2013 – Revised February 2017. The changes do however form part of the operative Regional Policy Statement and can be viewed separately below.
Plan Development
Development materials for the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement have been archived. Please contact customer services if you wish to access any of this material. Please note:
N.B. The Guidelines for the Application of Ecological Significance Criteria for Indigenous Vegetation and Habitats of Indigenous Fauna in Canterbury Region was prepared by Wildland Consultants under contract to Environment Canterbury and does not endorse this consultancy above any other for application of RPS criteria.
- 21.0MB Canterbury Regional Policy Statement 2013 - Appendix 5 Maps - Revised February 2017
- 226.0kB Canterbury Regional Policy Statement - Amendments to Chapter 6 and Definitions for Greater Christchurch December 2018
- 10.8MB Updated - Guidelines for the Application of Ecological Significance Criteria for Indigenous Vegetation and Habitats of Indigenous Fauna in Canterbury Region