Environment Canterbury's role in urban development
We provide the planning and policy framework for the region – including for our urban areas – through the Regional Policy Statement.- We work with local councils in our region to ensure the local planning undertaken through district plans aligns with the policies in the Regional Policy Statement.
- We work with our partners through the Greater Christchurch Partnership and the Whakawhanake Kāinga Committee (an urban growth partnership established for Greater Christchurch under the government's Urban Growth Agenda) to address the strategic urban opportunities and challenges facing Greater Christchurch – the largest urban area in the region.
- This includes undertaking long-term growth planning for Greater Christchurch and giving effect to the requirements of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 and other relevant national direction, such as the Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development and Urban Growth Agenda.
