Have your say on how Palmerston North grows
Published on 03 April 2024
With more people choosing to live and work in Palmerston North our population is growing fast. This means we need to carefully plan how to provide more space for new homes and businesses, while protecting our environment and other things that make this a great place to live.
We’re working with Horizons Regional Council to prepare a Future Development Strategy which will guide how the city and wider district grows over the next 30 years. This is something we’re required to have as part of the government’s National Policy Statement on Urban Development.
Palmerston North City Council Chief Planning Officer David Murphy says the draft strategy we’re consulting on contains a lot of work already happening in the planning space.
“Our proposed strategy includes a lot of work already underway, like rezoning some areas within and around the city to provide more room for new housing and industry.
“It covers plans to expand the city to provide for housing and industrial use over the next 30 years, including areas like Aokautere, Kākātangiata to the southwest of the city and Te Utanganui, Central New Zealand Distribution hub to extend our current industrial zone to the north east.”
He says while the city has space to grow, having a cohesive strategy for the whole city and district will mean we can protect our valuable agricultural land and avoid areas of risk.
“Our draft strategy proposes a balanced approach to growing Palmy. This includes repurposing land and increasing density in some areas within the city, along with some greenfield expansion around the edges. Now we need to hear what our community thinks on how Palmy should grow to see if we’ve got it right.”
We’re currently asking for feedback on the Future Development Strategy which has a similar timeframe to this year’s Long-Term Plan consultation. While the strategy lays out our plans for growth, the Long-Term Plan sets out how they will be funded and delivered.
You can have your say by making a submission. Please also let us know if you’d like to speak at a hearing. Elected members from both councils will then deliberate and make any changes to the strategy before its adoption around the middle of 2024.