Christchurch City Council is proposing to amend its General Bylaw.
Project status: Decision made
Open for feedback: 21 August 2017 to 25 September 2017
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Consultation on the proposed amendments to the General Bylaw 2008 has now closed.
Submissions were heard in October 2017. The Hearings Panel reported back to Council on 23 November 2017, recommending the Council adopt the proposed amendments, as consulted on. The Council adopted the amendments to the bylaw which will come into force on 15 December 2017. The final form of the bylaw will be put on this website when it has been formally adopted.
[item 25 on the agenda(external link)]
The purpose of a general bylaw is to have, in one place, a set of provisions which are common to all bylaws. These provisions apply to all bylaws, except where legislation or a bylaw specifically provides otherwise.
A general bylaw prevents the unnecessary duplication of provisions which are common to all bylaws, provides for consistency between bylaws, and means that the Council's bylaws are succinct.
Proposed changes
The proposed changes intend to improve or simplify the wording of the General Bylaw. Aside from minor wording improvements, the Council proposes to:
- revoke three clauses which are redundant because they duplicate provisions in the Local Government Act 2002, and amend a number of other clauses which could be written in simpler, more user-friendly language;
- update clause 5 “Service of documents” to allow the electronic service of documents; and
- amend clause 13 “Dispensing Power” to replace the phrase ‘needlessly and injuriously’ with the word ‘adversely’ as the current wording is both difficult to interpret and creates a high barrier for an applicant to overcome; the current wording is assessed as likely to deter applicants from applying for dispensations.
The initial resolution to make this Bylaw was passed by the Christchurch City Council at a Meeting of the Council held on 27 March 2008 and was confirmed following consideration of submissions received during the special consultative procedure, by a resolution of the Council at a subsequent Meeting of the Council held on 19 June 2008.
Further information
Call (03) 941 8999 or email engagement@ccc.govt.nz.
What happens next?
- Submissions close on Monday 25 September 2017.
- A Hearings Panel will hear submissions in October.
- The Council will consider all submissions, make its decision and then let submitters know the outcome.
- The new bylaw is expected to come into force by the end of this year.