Impending Plan Change

The process of the rural zone rule changes under the District Plan review is still going through the motions of submission and review however some aspects are beginning to crystallize.

A. Once in 3 year lifestyle site rule

The rule that currently allows 1 lifestyle site to be created from a title over 20.4 hectares in size once every 3 years is to be phased out by 2020. In the draft, the 3 year rule will apply until December 2017, and a 5 year rule will apply until after January 2018. This approach is to bring the District Plan in line with Regional Resource Management Plan Change 4, and the regions urban growth strategy targets (Heretaunga Plains Urban Development Strategy – HPUDS 2015-2045), that focuses more housing growth in and around the Districts urban centres.

B. Rural Lifestyle Site (around existing dwelling)

This provision allows for the creation of a lifestyle site of 4000m² - 2.5ha around an existing dwelling with the minimum balance area being 20ha. This activity is given the status of controlled which means subdivision consent will be given but with posisble conditions.

c. Rural Lifestyle Site (not containing an existing dwelling)

This provision also allows for the creation of a lifestyle site of the same size however the status of the activity becomes restricted discretionary. This means Council can assess the application under a discrete set of criteria.

D. Lifestyle sites by amalgamation of titles (effectively boundary adjustment)

This allows for the creation of lifestyle sites around a house (with a 4,000m2 – 2.5ha site size), where in most cases 1 title will become smaller around the house, and the balance of that title will be added to a larger adjoining title.

E. Conservation Lots

The creation of a title that includes house development rights in exchange for the continued protection/conservation of either a historic building (listed by the Historic Places Trust and listed in the Hastings District Plan), or a natural area of indigenous ecological value (listed in the Hastings District Plan) on the subject title. The drafting of the new section has sought to make this type of application easier, by using a less strict resource consent status (Controlled Activity), and simplifying the wording and assessment.

F. Farm Parks

This provision remains in the draft plan as a Discretionary Activity resource consent, providing for the creation of multiple lifestyle sites, from a farm of over 60ha in size, and 92% of the land area remains in productive use.

The following land use rights relating to housing are proposed in the Draft Plan irrespective of additional rights that can be created by subdivision:

G. Land Use Rights

One main house of any size and a supplementary house up to 100m2 can be built on any title over 2,500m2 in size. For titles over 20ha in size an additional main house of any size can be built.