Inclusionary Housing Plan Change

Withdrawal of QLDC’s proposed Inclusionary Housing Variation

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) withdrew the proposed Inclusionary Housing Variation to the Proposed District Plan (PDP) on 22 August 2024.

Withdrawal means the Variation process has ceased, and there will not be a Council decision or Environment Court appeal process for the Variation.

Council decision to withdraw the Variation

An Independent Hearing Panel’s recommendation was considered by the Full Council at a meeting on Thursday 1 August 2024. The Council resolved to withdraw the proposed Variation for the reasons generally expressed in the agenda report, namely that the IHP was not satisfied under section 32 of the RMA that the Variation was the most efficient and effective way of achieving its objectives, and its recommendation makes it impracticable to progress the Variation any further at this time.

Background to the Variation

The proposed Inclusionary Housing Variation would have required most new residential subdivisions and developments to provide an ‘affordable housing financial contribution’. The contribution would have been collected by Council and provided to the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust (or another registered Community Housing Provider), providing them with an ongoing funding stream to deliver retained affordable housing targeted to residents on low to moderate incomes.

The Variation was notified on 13 October 2022. A public hearing ran from 27 February to 7 March 2024 and a recommendation report was issued by an Independent Hearings Panel (IHP) on 5 June 2024. The IHP recommended the Council withdraw the Variation.