Around the motu: Samantha Gee in Nelson

Nelson City Council has voted to publicly notify a plan change that will enable greater housing intensification in the city. It aims to make building up easier - instead of just building out. Mayor Nick Smith has called this the "biggest changes to Nelson's planning rules in a generation". Also, the Government has announced it will contribute to the cost of property buyouts in Nelson after the severe rain and flooding of last August. There are a number of properties in Nelson where the landslide risk is too high for people to return to their homes, but too expensive to fix.