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District Plan

Mahere a-Rohe

What is a District Plan?

District Councils are required to prepare a District Plan under the RMA 1991. The District Plan sets out the objectives and policies that manages the physical and natural environment of the district. With a framework that guides how the district’s land and resources can be used, developed or protected, in order to avoid or lessen the impact of any adverse effects.

The District Plan controls the way land is used, developed, protected and subdivided in South Taranaki and to ensure that land use and subdivision in the South Taranaki District are sustainably managed.

See the 2004 District Plan downloads below.

The District Plan review process

Councils are required to review the provisions of the District Plan every ten years. Council started the review process of the operative South Taranaki District Plan (2004) in December 2014. The outcome of the review was a Proposed District Plan that was released for submissions in August 2015 and for further submissions in January 2016. The Council’s Proposed District Plan Hearings Panel has carefully considered the matters raised in the submissions and has heard from many of the submitters. The Council has one outstanding appeal to finalise before the proposed South Taranaki District Plan (2015) will become the operative District Plan.

The Proposed District Plan

There are several differences between the new Plan and the 2004 Plan. Some of the key ones are summarised briefly below;

  • Providing for higher density housing near Hāwera’s Central Business District;
  • The creation of a new Township Zone for the district’s small towns;
  • Introduction of a minimum lot size and minimum balance area for rural subdivision;
  • Two new Rural-Industrial Zones;
  • New simplified provisions for controlling Hazardous Substances;
  • Specific provisions to incentivize renewable energy generation activities;
  • New provisions to manage indigenous vegetation removal in wetlands, some new Significant Natural Areas and a smaller maximum area for indigenous forest removal;
  • The Coastal Protection Area has been redefined based on a Natural Character Assessment and the list of activities controlled has been refined;
  • New areas of Outstanding Natural Character, Outstanding Natural Landscapes and Outstanding Natural Features have been identified;
  • A Waitotara Flood Hazard Area to ensure development in flood-prone areas is safe;
  • Specific provisions for short-term events that happen infrequently

Most of the Proposed District Plan rules now apply. Certain rules were effective immediately from the date of notification of the Proposed District Plan (15 August 2015). There are some Proposed District Plan rules that do not have legal effect as they are part of an ongoing appeal; these are primarily relate to petroleum activities and hazardous substances and the rules within the Operative District Plan (2004) apply for these activities. Most applications for Resource Consent will be considered under the Proposed District Plan.

Proposed District Plan (2015) - Table of contents

Section 1Introduction and Definitions Purpose of the District Plan, Statutory requirements of the Plan, Structure of District Plan, Categories of Activities, How to use the District Plan, Cross referencing table, Monitoring, Designations, Plan interpretation and definitions, General rules of interpretation, Definitions
Section 2Objectives and Policies Rural Zone, Residential Zone, Township Zone, Commercial Zone, Industrial Zone, Rural Industrial Zone, Transportation, Hazardous substances and contaminated land, Energy, Network utilities, Historic heritage, Notable trees, Tangata whenua, Integrated land use and infrastructure planning ,urban growth and financial contributions, Coastal environment, Natural features and landscapes, Indigenous biodiversity, Waterbodies, Natural hazards, Temporary activities, Relocated buildings, Signs
Section 3Rural Zone Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards - permitted activities, Rural zone appendix 1
Section 4Residential Zone Rules Categories of activities, performance standards - permitted activities, Performance standards - restricted discretionary activities, Residential zone appendix 1
Section 5Township Zone Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards - permitted activities
Section 6Commercial Zone Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards - permitted activities
Section 7Industrial Zone Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards - permitted activities, Performance standards - discretionary activities, Industrial zone appendices
Section 8Rural Industrial Zone Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards - permitted activities, Rural industrial zone appendices
Section 9Subdivision and Development Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards, Subdivision and development appendix 1 - structure plans
Section 10Parking and Transportation Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards - roads and access ways, vehicle crossings, railway, parking, loading spaces, tree planting, restricted discretionary activities, Parking and transportation appendices
Section 11Noise Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards - permitted activities, Nosie appendix 1
Section 12Hazardous Substances Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards - permitted activities, Hazardous substances appendix 1
Section 13Energy Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards - permitted activities, Energy appendix 1
Section 14Network Utilities Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards - permitted acitivities
Section 15Heritage Protection Rules Categories of activities
Section 16Financial Contribution Rules General, Recreation and civic development contributions, Roads and access contributions, Water supply contributions, Sanitary drainage and trade waste disposal contributions, Stormwater drainage contributions, Heavy vehicle traffic contributions, parking contributions
Section 17Natural Environment Rules Categories of activities, Natural environment appendix 1, Natural environment appendix 2
Section 18District Wide Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards - permitted activities, District wide rules appendix 1, District wide rules appendix 2
Section 19Sign Rules Categories of activities, Performance standards - permitted activities, Performance standards - restricted discretionary actibvities
Section 20Resource Consent Information Requirements and Assessment Matters Land use consents, Subdivision consents, Administration requirements, Cross boundary matters, Assessment matters
Schedule 1 Historic heritage and sites of significance to Tangata whenua
Schedule 2 Significant natural areas
Schedule 3 Designations
Schedule 4 Notable trees
Schedule 5 Significant Waterbodies
Schedule 6 Regionally significant Wetlands
Schedule 7 Marae
Schedule 8 Outstanding natural features/landscapes and areas of outstanding natural character
Appendix 1

Hāwera aerodrome protection area

Appendix 2 Ngāti Ruanui statutory acknowledgement
Appendix 3 Ngā Rauru statutory acknowledgement

Proposed District Plan (2015) - Sections

Proposed District Plan (2015) - Schedule

Proposed District Plan (2015) - Appendices

Proposed District Plan (2015) - Urban Maps

Proposed District Plan (2015) - Rural Maps

Proposed District Plan (2015) - Special Maps

District Plan (2004)

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