{"id":567048,"date":"2026-08-12T20:14:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T20:14:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/567048\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T20:14:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T20:14:10","slug":"willowbank-wildlife-reserve-raises-concerns-over-230-home-christchurch-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/567048\/","title":{"rendered":"Willowbank Wildlife Reserve raises concerns over 230-home Christchurch plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now, Christchurch City Council is consulting on a private plan change that would allow developer Independent Producers Ltd to build about 230 houses on the reserve\u2019s southern boundary.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe location of a proposed 230 housing development near Willowbank Wildlife Reserve.<\/p>\n

Willowbank\u2019s kiwi breeding centre \u2013 the largest in the South Island, where 693 native kiwi chicks have been rehabilitated \u2013 is not far from that boundary. <\/p>\n

Because kiwi are highly sensitive to ground and night conditions, the zoo is concerned about long-term, potentially irreversible impacts on the species\u2019 conservation efforts.<\/p>\n

\"PicturedPictured is the view about halfway between the boundary line and the tuatara, takahe and kiwi enclosures. The development will take place in the empty plot beyond the barn in the centre. Photo \/\u00a0Anna\u00a0Heath<\/p>\n

Willowbank director Mark Willis said while the park doesn\u2019t oppose residential development overall, its concerns with this development on its boundary are \u201cwide-ranging\u201d.<\/p>\n

Willis said wildlife could be impacted by noise, vibration, light pollution, increased predation and human activity right from the start of construction.<\/p>\n

However, company director for developer Independent Producers Mark Allison said the company would be \u201chappy to work with [Willowbank] closely\u201d to mitigate those concerns.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Willowbank Wildlife reserve, directed by Mark Willis (pictured), is concerned that a neighbouring development will cause disruption to its inhabitants. Photo \/ Anna\u00a0Heath<\/p>\n

Allison told the Herald there had already been discussions \u201con two or three occasions\u201d with Willowbank.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny development that we do, we certainly don\u2019t want to have any adverse effect on the operation of their business,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re happy to work with them closely to ensure that\u2019s the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil, you know, we\u2019ve really sat down with them again and gone closely through what their real concerns are, as I said, we\u2019re happy to work with them closely to meet all our obligations as far as developments are concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Allison also noted there is already an existing residential development that surrounds Willowbank.<\/p>\n

Willis acknowledged that while \u201csmall mitigation measures have been proposed\u201d in the plan, he believes places like Willowbank needed to be protected by special-purpose zoning that considers buffers and provides long-term protection.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Willowbank Wildlife Reserve has operated on the site for 52 years. Photo \/\u00a0Anna\u00a0Heath <\/p>\n

Willis also noted while it might sound \u201cfanciful\u201d to neighbour a wildlife park, the reality was much different.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality is our animals generate noise as loud as rock concerts \u2013 at any hour of the day or night,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnimals and animal management also generate odours that residential neighbours may not enjoy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are seriously concerned that complaints from new neighbours will lead to constraints on Willowbank\u2019s operations that limit our conservation efforts, animal wellbeing and our ability to continue as a much-loved community experience, as it is for so many today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA map showing where animals are situated and where the proposed housing development is. <\/p>\n

Submissions on the proposal can be made via Christchurch City Council\u2019s website and close on August 21.<\/p>\n

Jazlyn Whales is a multimedia journalist based in the Christchurch newsroom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Now, Christchurch City Council is consulting on a private plan change that would allow developer Independent Producers Ltd…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":567049,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[279156,279157,3017,19976,4487,15245,10709,170,55312,5275,80611,42,194,6804,126,43,35921,1523,2170,4987,10903,29056,11596,10665,279158,40,38,41,39,406,1533,82974],"class_list":["post-567048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-230home","tag-230house","tag-ahead","tag-birds","tag-christchurch","tag-concerned","tag-concerns","tag-development","tag-doorstep","tag-goes","tag-harmed","tag-headlines","tag-kiwi","tag-light","tag-native","tag-news","tag-noise","tag-over","tag-plan","tag-pollution","tag-popular","tag-proposed","tag-raises","tag-reserve","tag-sanctuarys","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-wildlife","tag-will","tag-willowbank"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=567048"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/567048\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/567049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=567048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=567048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=567048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}