Frequently asked questions about Variation 2

Variation 2 – Additional Housing Capacity FAQs

Zoning changes

My property is proposed to be rezoned from General Residential 1 Zone to General Residential 2 Zone in Variation 2. How will this change what I can do on my property?

The changes proposed mainly affect the number of residential units you can have per site and the minimum site sizes required for subdivision. Table 1 below summarises the key 2GP rules for residential activity in the General Residential 1 Zone that differ from rules in the General Residential 2 Zone. Note this is not a complete list of rules or proposed changes (please view the e-plan and 2GP maps to view the full changes).

The proposed changes may be amended as a result of submissions and decisions on submissions and new rules will not apply until decisions are released.

Table 1: Comparison of 2GP rules for General Residential 1 Zone and General Residential 2 Zone

Rule	Existing 2GP rule for GR1	Equivalent GR2 rule	Key development options enabled
Minimum site area for a house	500m²	One habitable room (potential bedroom) per 45m² site area or Where a wastewater constraint mapped area also applies: One habitable room (potential bedroom) per 100m².	There is no limit on the number of units (or residential buildings) you are allowed as long as you have enough site area for the number of habitable rooms across the residential units. However, any proposal for three or more units on a site (‘multi-unit development’) needs resource consent to assess the design of the building in terms of effects on streetscape amenity and character.
Minimum site size to subdivide (fee simple)	500m² Var 2 proposed exemption for lawfully established houses, provided other standards can be met (e.g. setbacks, outdoor living space etc.).	300m² or Where a wastewater constraint mapped area applies (except in Mosgiel): 400m² Var 2 proposed exemption also applies.	Previously you needed 1000m² to subdivide a site, now you only need 600m² or 800m², depending on whether your property is in a wastewater constraint mapped area. Duplexes, multi-unit developments and existing dwellings can be subdivided (fee simple) as long as they are lawfully established at the time of certification.
Outdoor living space	Varies depending on if for ground level or upper level units; starts at 25m² for one-two bed units at ground floor and increases with additional bedrooms.	Varies depending on if for ground level or upper level units; starts at 15m² for one-two bed units at ground floor and increases with additional bedrooms.	A reduction in the amount of outdoor space required for ground level units.
Height	Maximum of 9m and must fit under a ‘height plane’ measured at a 45-degree angle starting from 2.5m up from the boundary.	Maximum height the same but height plane measured at a 55-degree angle starting from 3m up from the boundary.	Taller buildings may be able to be located closer to the boundaries (noting that the same setback rules still apply except for Mosgiel).
Setbacks from boundaries (Mosgiel only)	4.5m from front boundary and 2m from side and rear boundaries (with some exemptions).	In the Mosgiel mapped area only (applies only to site ‘IN01’): 3m from front boundary and 1 m from side and rear boundaries (with some exemptions)	For the Mosgiel mapped area, buildings may be located closer to the boundaries. No changes for other areas.
Maximum site coverage	40% for buildings and structures >10m² 70% for all impermeable surfaces.	50% for buildings and structures >10m² 80% for all impermeable surfaces or Where a stormwater constraint mapped area applies: 50% for buildings and structures >10m² 70% for all impermeable surfaces.	Buildings can cover more of the site and impermeable surfaces can cover more of the site in some instances.

How were the sites or areas identified for rezoning?

Proposed changes have been informed by initial work on the next Future Development Strategy (Spatial Plan), which will look at how and where the city will grow over the next 30 years. A small number of areas were selected for more detailed evaluation as part of Variation 2.

Other sites were suggested by landowners or Dunedin residents as part of the Planning for Housing survey in 2019 and key stakeholder consultation. That feedback aimed to help shape how and where the city should grow and has helped develop the proposed changes in Variation 2.

All sites were evaluated against criteria including (but not limited to) natural hazards, the availability of 3 Waters infrastructure and access to services and public transport.

The process involved ongoing discussions with key stakeholders and, for greenfield sites, landowners whose sites were evaluated as part of Variation 2.

How do I know if the zoning of my property is proposed to change through Variation 2?

Property owners who either have land that is proposed to be rezoned through Variation 2 or have land that is close to land that is being proposed to be rezoned have been sent letters. You can use the 2GP planning map on the DCC website to see your current 2GP or proposed Variation 2 zoning.

Can I put in a submission to rezone my property if it is not being rezoned?

No, unless it was a site that was assessed and rejected. This is because Variation 2 is not a comprehensive review of zoning in the city. The next comprehensive review will happen as part of the review of the Spatial Plan and development of a new future development strategy (which must be prepared jointly with the Otago Regional Council under new national direction). As part of that process people will be able to suggest additional options for accommodating growth in the city, some of which may be included in a future plan change.

Why is Variation 2 not allowing consideration of zoning across the city?

Because growth options for the long term will be explored as part of the required review of the Spatial Plan. Furthermore, the 2GP is still in the appeal phase and re-opening large parts of the plan to a new variation will slow progress towards making the plan fully operative. Until the 2GP is operative, parts of the 2006 District Plan continue to apply along with the 2GP provisions, which increases the complexity and cost of resource consent applications. It also means that requests for private plan changes cannot be made. The changes proposed in Variation 2 are therefore as focussed as possible, and scope has been deliberately limited to avoid re-consideration of a wide range of provisions.

Rule changes

My property is in the General Residential 1 Zone or a Township and Settlement Zone that is serviced for wastewater - How will Variation 2 change what I can do on my property?

The changes proposed mainly affect the number of residential units you can have per site, with related changes to subdivision rules that reduce minimum site sizes required for subdivision. There are no proposed changes to the scale or size of permitted development. Table 2 below summarises the key 2GP rules for residential activity in the General Residential 1 Zone and proposed changes to those rules included in Variation 2. Note this is not a complete list of rules or proposed changes.

The proposed changes may be amended as a result of submissions and decisions on submissions and new rules will not apply until decisions are released.

Table 2: Comparison of 2GP and Variation 2 rules for General Residential 1 Zone and Township & Settlement Zone
(except within a no DCC reticulated wastewater mapped area).

Rule	Existing 2GP rule	Variation 2 proposed changes	Key development options enabled
Minimum site area for a house	500m²	400m² or 500m² for two houses if they are in a single residential building or a duplex.	If you have a section that is >800m² you could have a second standalone house. If you have a section that is 500m² or larger you could replace a single house with a duplex or two-unit building; or split an existing large home into two units.
Family flats/ Ancillary residential units	“Family flats” Maximum 60m² (without consent) Height limited to single storey Occupancy limited to family members or caregivers Must have shared service connections and vehicle access Only allowed if total density stays within one habitable room (potential bedroom) per 100m² of site area	“Ancillary residential units” Maximum 60m² (without consent), consent can only be applied for up to 80m² Unchanged Requirements removed Requirements removed Unchanged	If you have enough land per number of habitable rooms, you can build and rent out an ancillary residential unit.
Minimum site size to subdivide (fee simple)	500m²	400m² New exemption for lawfully established houses, provided other standards can be met (e.g. setbacks, outdoor living space etc.).	Previously you needed 1000m² to subdivide a site, now you only need 800m². Duplexes, multi-unit developments and existing dwellings can be subdivided (fee simple) as long as they are lawfully established at the time of certification.
Outdoor living space	Varies depending on if for ground level or upper level units; starts at 25m² for one-two bed units at ground floor and increases with additional bedrooms.	Unchanged	Unchanged
Height	Maximum of 9m and must fit under a ‘height plane’ measured at a 45-degree angle starting from 2.5m up from the boundary.	Unchanged	Unchanged
Setbacks from boundaries	4.5m from front boundary and 2m from side and rear boundaries (with some exemptions).	Unchanged	Unchanged
Maximum site coverage	40% for buildings and structures >10m² 70% for all impermeable surfaces.	Unchanged	Unchanged

General questions

What is a Variation?

A variation is a proposal to amend part of a District Plan (the ‘Plan’), while it is still considered a proposed plan, before it is made fully operative (when it fully replaces the previous plan).

Why is Variation 2 being done?

Dunedin’s population has been growing much faster over the last five years than previous projections (see the graph below). Growth is expected to remain relatively high and will result in increased demand for housing.

Variation 2 aims to address a likely shortfall in housing capacity provided for in the Plan over the medium term (5 to 10 years). While this shortfall is not immediate it is important to address now as infrastructure planning and delivery to service this growth takes a number of years.

Variation 2 will provide for additional housing capacity in the Plan to ensure we don’t have a shortfall in the medium term, and while ensuring growth will not exceed the capacity of 3 Waters infrastructure and achieves good urban design outcomes.

How much housing do we need, and will Variation 2 provide enough?

Based on growth projections, we need to provide for an additional 5400 homes over the next 10 years. The 2GP is currently projected to provide capacity for 3400 additional homes over the same period. This number may increase as appeals on the 2GP are resolved. The changes outlined in Variation 2 will add capacity for another 2500-3000 homes in addition to those already provided for by the 2GP to ensure there are enough opportunities for the development of new homes.

Is current home building in the city keeping pace with growth?

No, our data indicates that home building in Dunedin is not keeping pace with growth. Around 355 residential units (houses and apartments) were built over the year to June 2020, or 30 units per month. This is roughly consistent with the last five years. To keep up with recent population growth we would need to build approximately 500 units per year.

What changes are proposed through Variation 2?

The proposed changes include:

rule changes for most of suburban Dunedin that will:
- remove the restrictions on who can live in family flats
- allow smaller site sizes and provide for duplexes
- create more flexibility for development through changes such as making it easier to average out site sizes in subdivisions
- improve how the plan manages the development of areas rezoned for new houses (greenfield sites) to encourage good urban design and well-managed infrastructure
- provide a more enabling consenting pathway for social housing that exceeds density limits
zoning changes for some sites which will result in:
- new greenfield sites for development in areas that were zoned rural or rural residential
- more areas of medium-density zoning (where the density of housing can be increased).

The 16 new greenfield sites in Brighton, Green Island, Abbotsford, Fairfield, Concord, East Taieri, Wakari, Normanby, The Cove and Portobello will provide 101 hectares for up to 600 new homes.

A further 14 new medium density areas in Mosgiel, Green Island, Concord, Corstorphine, Musselburgh, Tainui, Wakari, Mornington, Belleknowes, Roslyn, Māori Hill and North East Valley will provide 267 hectares for up to 770 new homes.

Another FAQs sheet on proposed changes to rules and rezoning from General Residential 1 Zone to General Residential 2 Zone provides further details on these changes.

Will infrastructure to support growth be provided?

The additional infrastructure required to support the growth that will be enabled through Variation 2 has been calculated as part of the variation’s development. The DCC 3 Waters team has been involved to ensure their work programme incorporates the proposed growth areas.

Who will pay for the infrastructure?

Funding for additional public infrastructure needed to support growth will be decided as part of the 10 year plan process. Private developers also contribute to the costs of required infrastructure by paying development contributions through the consent approval process.

Why can’t we allow development everywhere?

Allowing development everywhere would make it difficult for the DCC to plan for and fund the public infrastructure needed to support housing. In addition, not all locations are suitable for housing due to the presence of natural hazards, steep slopes, and a wide range of other factors.

Are the proposed development areas economically feasible and likely to be developed?

Yes, the ‘capacity’ figures for Variation 2 are what is likely to be developed. The housing capacity model for Dunedin factors in economic feasibility and the likelihood of development opportunities being taken up. This meets central government requirements on how to calculate housing capacity, set out in the National Policy Statement for Urban Development.

Where can I view Variation 2?

The 2GP is an electronic plan (e-plan) and planning map which is most easily viewed online. On 3 February, the e-plan and 2GP planning map will be updated to include Variation 2 content. The proposed amendments in the Plan will be highlighted light green and shown as marked up text (underlined for new content or struck-through for removed content. A new mapping layer called ‘Variation 2 mapping layer’ will be added to the 2GP planning map.

A summary of all the proposed amendments included in Variation 2 and the accompanying section 32 report (which explains the purpose of the changes and the other options considered) will also be available on the DCC website.

Printed copies of the Variation 2 plan and mapping changes, and Section 32 Report will be available for inspection at DCC public libraries and service centres at Dunedin (including South Dunedin), Mosgiel, Port Chalmers, Blueskin Bay (Waitati) and Waikouaiti. In Middlemarch, they will be available at Maggies Dairy.

What can I submit on?

Any person may make a submission on Variation 2 except where they are a trade competitor and it relates to trade competition.

Submissions may only be made on matters that are being reviewed in the variation, including:

sites being rezoned or subject to other mapping amendments, or that were identified as sites that were assessed and rejected; and
for amendments to provisions, provisions that are highlighted green in the 2GP, mentioned in the s32 report as alternatives to the change proposed, or that fall within the purpose of the changes (see section 32 report for ‘purpose of proposal’ statements)

Where can I get further assistance?

DCC staff will be available during the submission period to answer any questions about Variation 2, help you find out whether your property is affected by Variation 2 and guide you through how to make a submission. You can contact planning staff by phoning 477 4000 or by visiting the DCC community engagement space (at the Octagon entrance of the Civic Centre, opposite the i-SITE Visitor Centre).

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