Have Your Say: Plan Change 4

Council has notified Plan Change 4, which focuses on urban development, structure plans for Hāwera and financial contributions.

Consultation for Plan Change 4 opened on Tuesday, 10 June 2025 and marks the start of a formal process to update how development is managed across the district.

Plan Change 4 proposes updates to the District Plan, which is the main document that guides how land is subdivided and developed. These changes aim to support sustainable growth, improve how infrastructure is planned in areas marked for growth and to make sure developers are fairly contributing to the costs of infrastructure and public spaces.

One of the main proposals is to update the zoning in parts of Hāwera, specifically the Western and Northern Structure Plan Areas, including the South Taranaki Business Park. These zoning changes are meant to better support future housing, business, and industrial development.

Another key proposal is a new way of calculating financial contributions from developers. Instead of set costs being identified in the District Plan, a formula would be used to determine how much developers should pay. This would cover both upgrades to existing infrastructure and the cost of new infrastructure needed for future growth, ensuring that development pays for itself.

Council planner Sophie Canute says some of these changes are quite different from the current rules, so it’s important to get feedback from the community, landowners and developers to make sure the changes are fair and practical.

Everyone is encouraged to review the proposed changes and share their thoughts before submissions close at 5pm on Tuesday 22 July 2025.

More information, including how to make a submission, is available on the Council’s website at www.southtaranaki.com/planchange4 or by calling the District Planning Team on 0800 111 323.