Make a Submission
Submissions and hearings process
First stage - Submissions
The initial submissions period ran from Saturday, 26 September 2015 to Tuesday, 24 November. Anyone was able to make a formal submission here. There were some statutory restrictions around submissions which relate to trade competition.
Second stage - Further submissions
The further submissions period ran from Wednesday, 10 February to Friday, 3 March 2016 for most submissions, except:
- Further submissions on submission point OS199.22 were accepted until 5pm Friday, 11 March 2016.
- Further submissions on submission OS1090, and submission points OS403.7 and OS403.8 were accepted until 5pm, Friday 18 March, 2016.
The process allowed some people to submit on whether they supported or opposed a point raised in a submission. The RMA limits the people who could take part in this process to:
- any person representing a relevant aspect of the public interest
- any person that has an interest in the Plan greater than that of the general public
- the DCC.
Third stage - Hearings
Public hearings must be held where the 2GP Hearings Panel will hear from DCC planners, submitters, legal submissions, and expert evidence. For more information view the Hearings process.
Fourth stage - Decisions
After hearings are finished, the Hearings Panel will adjourn in order to deliberate. In the case of designations, the Panel will make recommendations on designations requested by non-DCC requiring authorities and decisions on DCC designations. For all other District Plan matters in a full plan review, decisions are not likely to be made after each individual hearing, but rather after a number of hearings. This is because topics will overlap and all matters must be covered before a decision can be made. Therefore, decisions may not be released until the end of all of the hearings, or until after the Panel is satisfied no further hearings need to be held before decisions can be made.
Decisions are written up into reports. Submitters and the public will be notified when these decisions are released. After decisions are released all provisions covered by the decision have ‘legal effect’.
Legal effect means that both the new 2GP rules and the current District Plan rules apply. So for example:
- For an activity that needs a resource consent under the current District Plan, but is permitted under the 2GP, a resource consent will still be required. However, the objectives and policies of the 2GP can be considered and may support the granting of that resource consent.
- For an activity that is permitted in the current District Plan but needs a resource consent under the 2GP, a resource consent will be required.
Submitters can appeal decisions on any parts of the Plan that they submitted on. Appeals are heard by the Environment Court.
Provisions become operative if the period for making an appeal has passed and there are no appeals on that provision or any appeal has been dismissed, withdrawn or determined by the Environment Court.
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Community Involvement
The 2GP has been prepared over several phases. The process of community engagement began as part of developing the Spatial Plan for Dunedin, which was adopted in September 2012.
There have also been two main community consultations as part of the development of the 2GP:
- Issues and Options (November 2012 - March 2013)
- Preferred Options (August 2013 - September 2013 and June 2014 - September 2014 for natural hazard provisions).
Throughout the entire process, there has also been informal consultation with key stakeholders, organisations and individuals, as well as review and feedback from reference groups as part of the drafting phase.
The 2GP is now in the hearings stage.
