RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has made final decisions on the City Council's Plan Change 14, a plan to dictate how and where Christchurch will evolve in the future.
Mayor Phil Mauger describes the decision as "incredibly disappointing" for Christchurch.
Minister Bishop agreed to 3 recommendations given by Council in February, while 14 have been rejected and 3 deferred.
The plan involves changing zoning in the city for increased urban density in areas outside of the central city.
"In putting these decisions forward to the Government, we obviously wanted to get all of our alternative recommendations approved. So, to only have three of them get the tick is a kick in the guts," says Mauger.
Areas of note in Plan Change 14 are Riccarton, Hornby and Linwood, these areas are now being increased to high-density zoning in immediate effect.
It comes after an Independent Hearing Panel last year recommended zoning be changed to allow taller buildings to be built in these larger population hubs of the city.
Council submitted the 20 recommendations to the government based on their response to the panel.
They mainly consist of tweaks to the high-urban intensification such as holding back on high density residential zoning in Riccarton, Hornby and Linwood and restricting town centre building heights in Linwood and Hornby.
Another matter rejected was access to sunlight, which could be hindered by large buildings, as being a measure to consider.
