Sub-Committee makes Plan Stop recommendations

Published on 09 September 2025

District Plan Review Sub-Committee responds to Government legislation change

At today’s District Plan Review Sub-Committee meeting, the Sub-committee made recommendations to Full Council relating to the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Act 2025.

The Government recently changed the legislation to direct councils to stop their District Plan process, and for Councils to apply for exemptions from the Minister for the Environment to allow parts of the plan to proceed.

Previously, stopping the District Plan process was not provided for in the legislation.

The recommendations relating to the Proposed District Plan are to stop the plan as per the Government legislation but to seek exemptions for parts, including making land available for subdivision and housing development;

• To seek an exemption from the relevant Minister to progress parts of the Proposed Waitaki District Plan including; rezoning and Residential, settlement and Rural Lifestyle zone to provide for future housing, listed heritage items not opposed by submitters, sites listed in the National Historic Landmark proposal by Heritage New Zealand, large industry zones for Macraes Mine, Pukeuri Freezing Works and Lean Meats, Energy, Infrastructure, Stormwater and Transport and others.

• Requests that the Chief Executive recommend to Council the appointment of a hearing panel comprising of up to six commissioners three of whom are councillors or former recent councillors with commissioner certification.

These will be considered by the final meeting of this term’s Waitaki District Council on 30 September 2025. If approved, exemption requests will then be made to the Minister for the Environment.

However, at this point the Proposed District Plan is not stopped as the pending exemption outcomes are unknown. Once the outcomes are known, the submitters will be notified as well as a public notice explaining the status of the Proposed Plan.

ENDS

media@waitaki.govt.nz