Christchurch's Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is sounding the alarm over a planned housing development next door, saying it could threaten the park's future.

The Christchurch City Council is consulting on a private plan change that would allow about 230 houses to be built on Willowbank's southern boundary.

The wildlife park and nature reserve has operated on the site for 52 years and is home to native wildlife including kea, tuatara, kākā, takahē, and kiwi.

Willowbank director Mark Willis said noise, vibration, light pollution, and increased human activity from the development could disturb animals.

"We have both short-term and long-term concerns and think there needs to be more examination on what those impacts might be. The question really is, is it worth the risk for a few houses to jeopardise the unique work that an organisation like Willowbank does?," he said.

"We're highly involved with a number of what's known as New Zealand's taonga species and their conservation, and we know that these species are very sensitive to disturbance."

Willis said Willowbank's kiwi breeding centre was situated not far from the boundary.

"We know kiwi by nature being nocturnal are sensitive to light, they have poor eyesight and they compensate by having exceptionally good hearing. They, through their feeding methods, are exceptionally sensitive to vibration," he said.

"They offer quite a good example as to why activities that would be generated by a large residential development might impact upon their wellbeing, their stress levels and ultimately whether they are going to breed."

Willis was also concerned the reserve might end up having to restrict its operations if residents kicked up a fuss about noisy animals.

He said while it might sound fanciful to be a neighbour of a wildlife park, "the reality is our animals generate noise as loud as rock concerts - at any hour of the day or night. Animals and animal management also generate odours that residential neighbours may not enjoy."

"We are seriously concerned that complaints from new neighbours will lead to constraints on Willowbank's 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.

"Not only is our current boundary close to our existing activities but it is the obvious area should we need to expand those activities which would just bring them closer and closer to that residential activity and make the effect of it more and more pronounced."

Willis acknowledged some mitigation measures had been proposed in the plan change - including the requirement for housing next to Willowbank to have ventilation systems so people did not need to open windows -but he believed the reserve needed to be protected by a special purpose zoning.

The submission period for the plan change closes on 21 August.

RNZ has made efforts to contact the developer.