A Christchurch City Council candidate claims Riccarton is at risk of being transformed into a high and medium-density housing zone under a plan being quietly developed by council.
Independent Riccarton ward candidate Tony Simons said councillors were being “secretly briefed” on proposals to rezone almost all of Riccarton for three to five-storey housing.
“This puts our central city at serious risk. We are planning a rezoning that might see future Riccarton become the new CBD,” Simons said.
He believes the move is driven by a government requirement for the council to enable enough land for 66,000 new dwellings before it can opt out of full suburban intensification.
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“Minister Chris Bishop has demanded the council upzone enough land for 66,000 new dwellings first. Effectively he said, ‘Do that, or I’ll upzone your entire city,’” Simons said.
He said the figure was “more than double” what planning experts advised was actually needed, and claimed Riccarton was “becoming the whipping boy” for what he called a “misguided belief that upzoning land for housing magically makes houses cheaper.”
According to Simons, the proposal would see new areas across Riccarton rezoned for three to four storeys, while much of the suburb was already zoned for high or medium density. Only Sockburn, he said, would remain suburban residential.
Why Now? The Bigger Picture on Housing Intensification
The backdrop to these concerns is Plan Change 14 (PC14) — part of Christchurch Council’s effort to implement national housing intensification standards set out in the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS‑UD), as well as the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS). The intent is to increase housing supply in urban areas and promote sustainable development.
In June, Housing Minister Chris Bishop granted final approval to 17 of 20 recommendations tied to PC14. His decisions upheld the need for higher-density zoning in areas like Riccarton, Hornby, and Linwood, and ensured that Christchurch enables taller, more compact development in line with national policy requirements.
Despite the central government’s final calls, Christchurch still has until 12 December 2025 to decide how intensification should unfold across other parts of the city.
A proposed Bill amending the Resource Management Act may offer councils more flexibility by allowing partial withdrawal from the MDRS.
