Canterbury community groups are joining a nationwide campaign calling on Parliament to terminate existing fast track applications for housing outside local district plans and prevent future applications of that kind.

Communities for Planned Growth Network spokesperson Meris Brandram-Adams confirmed that intention when asked whether the proposed change would cover Ohoka’s application, which is already before an expert panel.

The petition had attracted 1040 signatures by 2pm on Friday, just 24 hours after opening for signatures.

The network will hold a formal launch event at Springston Community Hall at 11am on Tuesday 29 September. It will feature speakers and is expected to run for about an hour.

The campaign seeks changes to the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024, with participating communities arguing years of planning and public consultation should carry weight when decisions are made about where housing is built.

“New Zealand needs affordable housing, and our communities recognise that reality. We are not opposed to development, and we are not opposed to growth,” Brandram-Adams said.

“Land is zoned for housing because it has already been assessed against the things that make a development work in practice: flood risk, transport connections, proximity to jobs and schools, and the availability of water, wastewater and roading infrastructure.”

The network includes the Ohoka Residents Association, Pegasus Residents Group Incorporated and Save Our Plains, alongside organisations including the Waimauku Community Association, Kumeū-Huapai Community Association and Queenstown Smart Growth Initiative.

For Ohoka residents, the campaign follows a prolonged dispute over Carter Group’s proposed development, which seeks approval for 879 residential allotments and includes a retirement village of up to 250 units.

Two previous attempts to secure residential rezoning of the land were rejected through planning processes.

In August, a separate campaign calling for the Ohoka subdivision to be removed from the fast track legislation had collected 3116 signatures through paper forms, Change.org and Parliament’s petitions website.

Brandram-Adams presented the paper signatures to Labour MP Dan Rosewarne at a closing event at Ohoka Domain on 24 August.

Carter Group previously told chrislynchmedia.com the housing would be developed in stages over several years. The company said the proposal included a neighbourhood centre, parks, walking and cycling connections, and land for a retirement village.

The Ohoka application remains before an expert panel. Waimakariri District Council’s latest update said invited parties had until 12 October to comment, with the applicant’s response due by 19 October. A decision is expected by 10 March 2027.

Brandram-Adams said communities in different parts of the country were encountering similar concerns.

“What communities are experiencing in Auckland is remarkably similar to what communities are experiencing in Canterbury, Queenstown, Matakana, Hawke’s Bay and elsewhere.”

The national campaign comes amid pressure from local government for changes to the system.

Local Government New Zealand called on 13 September for a temporary pause on ministerial referrals of housing projects while infrastructure funding and planning concerns were addressed. Its proposals included requiring panels to consider the combined effects of multiple developments on an area.

Housing and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said on 15 September that expert panels could, and already did, impose conditions requiring roads, water, wastewater and other infrastructure to be in place before development proceeded.

The Government also announced changes intended to allow councils to recover more infrastructure costs from eligible fast track developments through development contributions.

For Brandram-Adams, the petition also raises a question about the value of public participation in planning decisions.

“District Plans are not created overnight. They are developed over many years through technical analysis, infrastructure planning, community engagement and democratic decision-making.

“Communities participate in those processes with the expectation that they will help shape how and where future growth occurs. We believe those plans should continue to mean something.”

The petition is available through Parliament’s petitions website.