John MacDonald: New legislation is more ram-raid than fast-track

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

The Government's fast track legislation is shaping up to be a real cluster. Especially, in Greater Christchurch.

I think some of the projects it wants to get going here sooner rather than later are making its new legislation more ram-raid than fast track.

So it's released details of 149 projects that will be included in the Bill which, it says, is being done to help rebuild the economy, sort out the housing crisis, improve energy security, and do something about the state of our infrastructure.

But, here in Canterbury, it's going head-to-head with the Selwyn and Waimakariri councils over the construction of nearly 8,000 houses which these two councils have been trying to block for years.

The reason they don't want them is that they don't think they can cope with the kind of rapid expansion these developments would lead to. And I agree.

I think it's reckless and all part of this "get stuff done" mentality that can sound great, but that's about it.

I think what we're seeing here is the Government going all "you can't stop progress" on it and not considering the wider implications. And they are riding roughshod over the concerns of two of our local councils.

In Selwyn, for example, under the new fast track bill, a development by the Carter Group in Rolleston West would see 4,200 more homes built across four suburbs.

Which would mean more than 12,000 new residents fast-tracked into Rolleston - which is already New Zealand's fastest-growing town.

That's on the basis of there being 4,200 extra houses, and an average of just under three people per house in Selwyn at the moment. That happens - and the population of Rolleston would increase by 41 percent.

As Selwyn councillor Sophie McInnes is saying today, that would be "explosive growth".

She says, think about how many schools they would need in the area - where Rolleston College is already a capacity with 1,800 students. You bring another 12,000 people into the area and you're going to need more schools, aren't you?

What about health facilities? I don't see any new medical centres or a hospital on the Government's list of things to do.

As Selwyn councillor Sophie McInnes is saying, they want Rolleston to grow at its own pace. In a sustainable way.

For the local economy to grow and create local jobs, so they don't get these new developments popping up where people sleep at night and then leave in the morning to go to work and school in the city.

And then there's Waimakariri. Where the Carter Group wants to build 850 houses and a commercial centre at Ohoka but the council's been against it - for the same reason as Selwyn has been opposed to the developments there - because of concerns about unsustainable growth.

The difference is, though, that the Ohoka development includes a school and/or a retirement home.

But, last year, independent commissioners decided not to give consent for the project because they didn't think it would fit with Ohoka's existing rural nature, and because there's a lack of local jobs and a lack of public transport.

They said at the time, "Families with secondary school students, sporting interests and those working in Rangiora, Kaiapoi or Christchurch will travel to meet their day-to-day needs."

So, basically, the decision not to give the Ohoka project consent was for similar reasons as to why the Selwyn council doesn't want that massive 4,200 house development.

These areas can't cope with that kind of growth and it would just turn them into dormitories.

But, oh no, the developers with their noses out of joint have run to the Government and have said "pick us, pick us" and the Government has decided "yep, you're on the list".

And I think it is very short-sighted. I think the Government is being reckless. And I think it will do nothing to change the minds of people who think this whole fast track thing is the Government riding roughshod just to please its mates.

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