Special Housing Areas

The streamlined process under Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act (HAASHA) and subsequent Housing Legislation Amendment Act 2016 is:

• a developer or landowner submits a request to Council for a Special Housing Area (SHA) in accordance with the criteria in the Act and Council’s Lead Policy;
• Council considers the proposal and may formally recommend the proposal to the Minister for Building and Housing;
• the Minister considers the recommendation and may gazette the SHA;
• if gazetted as an SHA, a developer can then apply within a time limit for resource consents to undertake the development through a streamlined process set out in the HAASHA Act.

• Flowchart: Process for Consideration of SHA Requests (pdf, 189 KB)

Developers and landowners may lodge an expression of interest with Council for the establishment of a new SHA at any time. The expression of interest must clearly identify a piece of land suitable for residential development and include a high-level development concept.

In discussion with Council staff, the applicant must determine the infrastructure requirements for the proposed development, both within the site and the wider network. An agreement as to how the required infrastructure will be established must be agreed between the applicant and Council.

The applicant is then required to lodge a full application in accordance with the lead policy (process and criteria) by the due date.

Housing Accord - Lead Policy (pdf, 95 KB) (pdf, 274 KB)

Council will operate on a cost recovery basis.

The Council is likely to be supportive of SHAs in areas where there is a clear demand for housing, where the land is zoned appropriately and where there is already suitable infrastructure or there are plans for it to be built by either the Council or the developer.

We will subsequently decide whether to recommend the establishment of a SHA to the Minister.

We will abide by the following principles, as set out in the Lead Policy, when considering SHA applications:

1. The Council will work collaboratively with the development sector and the Government to increase housing supply and greater housing choice in Tasman District.
2. To increase the supply and choice of housing in Tasman District with preference for areas that are zoned Residential or deferred Residential for development in the TRMP. These will include Richmond, Motueka and Mapua – or any other deferred residential zone.
3. Land within special housing areas should be used to deliver a range of housing types to the market.
4. Land within any special housing area and a qualifying development should be appropriately serviced to appropriate standards and not have an unforeseen or adverse financial effect on the Council or other infrastructure providers.
5. Development within any special housing area should be generally consistent with the existing or planned pattern of zoning to form cohesive settlement patterns.
6. Full criteria for consideration are provided in the lead policy above.

Where a request for a special housing area includes land that is not currently zoned residential or deferred residential (including rural residential), we can consult and seek the views of the community. We can also take this feedback into account when deciding whether to recommend to the Minister the making of a Special Housing Area. 

If we seek community feedback on an application, then the application will be considered after the consultation is completed.