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.
