COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Referred Projects (Metlifecare Retirement Village—Karori) Amendment Order 2023

2023/79

Coat of Arms of New Zealand

COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Referred Projects (Metlifecare Retirement Village—Karori) Amendment Order 2023

Rt Hon Dame Helen Winkelmann, Administrator of the Government

Order in Council

At Wellington this 15th day of May 2023

Present:
Her Excellency the Administrator of the Government in Council

This order is made under section 27 of the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 on the advice and with the consent of the Executive Council and on the recommendation of the Minister for the Environment.

Order

1 Title

This order is the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Referred Projects (Metlifecare Retirement Village—Karori) Amendment Order 2023.

2 Commencement

This order comes into force on 19 May 2023.

4 New Schedule 71 inserted

After Schedule 70, insert the Schedule 71 set out in the Schedule of this order.

Schedule New Schedule 71 inserted

cl 4

Schedule 71 Metlifecare Retirement Village—Karori

cl 5

Project referred to expert consenting panel

1 Name of project

The name of the project is Metlifecare Retirement Village—Karori (the project).

2 Authorised person

The authorised person for the project is Metlifecare Retirement Villages Limited.

3 Description of project

(1)

The scope of the project is to do the following on approximately 1.2 hectares of land at 29 Messines Road, Karori, Wellington:

(a)

demolish an existing retirement village:

(b)

construct and operate a retirement village, comprising approximately 4 buildings (each 3 or 4 storeys high) that include—

(i)

approximately 80 independent living residential units in total; and

(ii)

approximately 55 care suites in total; and

(iii)

ancillary facilities, including basement parking and community amenity spaces:

(c)

develop land for private open space associated with the retirement village:

(d)

construct or install infrastructure or structures associated with the retirement village.

(2)

When counting the number of storeys of a building for the purposes of this clause, a basement is not to be counted as a storey (whether or not the basement extends under the entirety of the building above it).

4 Description of activities involved in project

The project may involve the following activities:

(a)

clearing the land, including by—

(i)

removing vegetation; and

(ii)

demolishing infrastructure and structures that are part of or associated with an existing retirement village:

(b)

carrying out earthworks:

(c)

constructing and operating a retirement village:

(d)

discharging stormwater (which may contain contaminants) onto land:

(e)

developing land for private open space, including by landscaping and planting:

(f)

constructing or installing infrastructure or structures, including—

(i)

private accessways for vehicles; and

(ii)

driveways and car parking areas; and

(iii)

manoeuvring areas for vehicles; and

(iv)

infrastructure for three waters services; and

(v)

signage:

(g)

carrying out any other activities that are—

(i)

associated with the activities described in paragraphs (a) to (f); and

(ii)

within the scope of the project as described in clause 3 of this schedule.

5 Approximate geographical location

The project will occur at 29 Messines Road, Karori, Wellington.

6 Persons who must be invited to comment on project

An expert consenting panel must invite comments on any consent application relating to the project from the following persons (in addition to the persons listed in clause 17(6) of Schedule 6 of the Act):

(a)

the Minister for Seniors:

(b)

Wellington Water Limited:

(c)

the Selwyn Foundation.

7 No further provision required

No further provision is necessary to give effect to decisions made by the Minister under section 24 of the Act in respect of the project.

Statement of reasons

This statement of reasons is published for the purposes of clause 4 of Schedule 3 of the Act

The Minister for the Environment (the Minister) has accepted this application for referral. The Minister considered the application against the criteria in the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 (the Act) and the Act’s purpose, and sought and considered written comments from the following:

  • the relevant Ministers listed in section 21(6) of the Act:

  • the Minister for Seniors:

  • Wellington City Council:

  • Greater Wellington Regional Council:

  • Wellington Water Limited.

The Minister has accepted this application for the following reasons:

  • the project will help to achieve the purpose of the Act because—

    • it has the potential to generate approximately 304 full-time equivalent jobs (FTE jobs) and approximately 864 indirect FTE jobs over a 6-year design and construction period; and

    • it has the potential to contribute to housing supply through the construction of approximately 80 independent living residential units and 55 care suites; and

    • it is likely to progress faster than would otherwise be the case under the Resource Management Act 1991 standard processes:

  • any actual and potential effects on the environment, and proposed measures to avoid, remedy, mitigate, offset, or compensate for any adverse effects, can be appropriately tested by an expert consenting panel against Part 2 of the Resource Management Act 1991 and the purpose of the Act.

Rachel Hayward,
Clerk of the Executive Council.

Explanatory note

This note is not part of the order, but is intended to indicate its general effect.

This order, which comes into force on 19 May 2023, amends the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Referred Projects Order 2020. The effect of the amendment is to refer a project to an expert consenting panel for the purpose of the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 (the Act). The referred project is the project named and described in new Schedule 71.

The effect of the referral is to authorise Metlifecare Retirement Villages Limited to apply under the Act, instead of under the Resource Management Act 1991, for resource consents relating to the project described in new Schedule 71.

The expert consenting panel will be appointed under Schedule 5 of the Act and make decisions in accordance with Schedule 6 of the Act.

Issued under the authority of the Legislation Act 2019.

Date of notification in Gazette: 18 May 2023.

This order is administered by the Ministry for the Environment.