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Selwyn Times: October 31, 2018

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6 Wednesday <strong>October</strong> <strong>31</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />

SELWYN TIMES<br />

News<br />

Why is <strong>Selwyn</strong> growing faster than<br />

Figures released last week<br />

by Statistics NZ show<br />

<strong>Selwyn</strong> is the second<br />

fastest growing district<br />

in New Zealand. So what<br />

makes it a desirable place<br />

to live? Emily O’Connell<br />

reports<br />

AFFORDABLE land, a familyfriendly<br />

environment, excellent<br />

infrastructure, great road and<br />

rail links for business and<br />

stunning natural landscapes.<br />

That’s what Mayor Sam<br />

Broughton<br />

believes <strong>Selwyn</strong><br />

has to offer.<br />

He’s not<br />

surprised to see<br />

its population<br />

has kept growing,<br />

with the latest<br />

Sam figures estimating<br />

Broughton more than 62,000<br />

people reside in<br />

the district – up<br />

4.8 per cent from<br />

last year.<br />

Population<br />

estimates from<br />

Statistics NZ<br />

have confirmed<br />

Ben Harris <strong>Selwyn</strong> as the<br />

third-largest<br />

territorial authority in the South<br />

Island.<br />

Bayleys Canterbury’s Ben<br />

Harris believes there is a<br />

“multitude of reasons” people<br />

are moving out to <strong>Selwyn</strong> and<br />

Lincoln in particular.<br />

He’s the lead agent for<br />

Verdeco Park – a new residential<br />

subdivision in Lincoln.<br />

Mr Harris said Lincoln has<br />

easy access to Christchurch,<br />

multiple amenities, good<br />

schooling, a wide array of cafes,<br />

restaurants and bars and is a<br />

“good healthy environment to<br />

bring up families.”<br />

So what is being done to cater<br />

for the growing population?<br />

District council community<br />

relations manager Denise<br />

Kidd said it understands the<br />

population has changed and it<br />

has worked to provide key assets<br />

to the community.<br />

“Like the <strong>Selwyn</strong> Aquatic<br />

Centre, community and<br />

event centres, libraries, which<br />

also host a range of events,<br />

sporting grounds and dozens<br />

of playgrounds around <strong>Selwyn</strong><br />

featuring a range of interactive<br />

play areas,” she said.<br />

Ms Kidd said it also works to<br />

provide programmes, such as<br />

CONSTRUCT:<br />

New<br />

subdivisions<br />

across the<br />

district like<br />

this one in<br />

Rolleston will<br />

help cater<br />

for the area’s<br />

growing<br />

population.<br />

KidsFest, Boost and CultureFest,<br />

to engage the community and<br />

provide entertainment for a wide<br />

range of local residents.<br />

Mr Broughton said there has<br />

been a significant number of<br />

international arrivals in <strong>Selwyn</strong>,<br />

with more than 300 becoming<br />

citizens over the last year.<br />

In the year to June, the district<br />

council issued 2458 building<br />

consents, only slightly lower<br />

than the previous year.<br />

Mr Harris said the median<br />

house price in <strong>Selwyn</strong> last<br />

month was $550,000, up from<br />

September last year when it was<br />

$535,000. “<strong>Selwyn</strong>’s average<br />

house price . . . is the highest in<br />

the wider Canterbury region<br />

with Waimakariri‘s average<br />

house price being $453,000,<br />

closely followed by Christchurch<br />

city on $452,500 for the<br />

month of September <strong>2018</strong>,” he<br />

said.<br />

Within the district, Mr Harris<br />

said the median house price<br />

tends to be higher in Lincoln,<br />

followed by Rolleston and then<br />

Darfield.<br />

“The median house increase,<br />

particularly in Lincoln and<br />

Rolleston, is being driven by<br />

new home builds in the area that<br />

attract obviously a higher price,”<br />

he said.<br />

Mr Harris said there were 71<br />

properties sold in <strong>Selwyn</strong> last<br />

month, up from 69 in September<br />

last year. With just under 80,000<br />

people expected to live in <strong>Selwyn</strong><br />

by 2028, he says the population<br />

will need somewhere to live,<br />

“hence the growing number of<br />

residential developments.”<br />

The recently released updated<br />

draft Greater Christchurch<br />

Settlement Pattern will go out for<br />

public consultation tomorrow<br />

until November 30 after being<br />

approved by the Greater<br />

Christchurch Partnership<br />

Committee.<br />

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