Not by the KCDC, but by the Ministry for the Environment under Section 17 of the Covid-19 (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 which was one of the new laws the government rushed through Parliament last year. The announcement of it being taken away from the council was made public in March:
The Ministry for the Environment official announcement:
Summerset Retirement Village
About the application for fast-tracking of the Summerset Retirement Village – Waikanae. May 2021
Project ID
2020-031
Applicant
Summerset Villages (Waikanae) Ltd
Project summary
To construct and operate a retirement village, and associated facilities. The project will provide 217 residential units, 56 assisted living suites, 20 memory care suites, 43 care beds and recreational, healthcare and associated dining and retail facilities, and public access reserves.
Location
28 and 32 Park Avenue, Waikanae, Wellington.
Referred projects order
To come
Reasons for decision
The project:
- will help to achieve the purpose of the Act
- will provide up to 30 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in the first stage (earthworks) and up to 270 FTE jobs in the second stage (construction)
- will result in a public benefit by providing additional housing supply for aged persons and aged-care facilities
- will provide investment into the Kāpiti Coast’s aged-care sector
- will progress faster than would otherwise be the case under the Resource Management Act 1991 standard processes
Any adverse effects arising from the application and mitigation measures can be tested by an expert consenting panel against Part 2 of the Resource Management Act 1991 and the purpose of the Act.
Section 17 report [this deals mainly with iwi consents which are required under the Act.]
We assume that the details submitted by Summerset to the MfE were the same as those given to the council, but need to find out more, so will have more to say on this soon. —Eds