District Plan Review
District Plan
The Kaikōura District Plan sets standards for development within our District. These standards aim to ensure natural resources and hazards are managed safely and sustainably.
The current version of the plan has been operative since 23 June 2008. A lot has changed in our district in last 10 years so we are now in the process of reviewing the District Plan. We have reviewed the Natural Hazards chapter. You can read more in the link below.
What is the District Plan?
The District Plan is Council’s planning rulebook for building and development in the District. Through the District Plan we can:
- Decide where and how future development is allowed
- Aim to ensure natural resources and hazards are managed safely and sustainably
- Outline how our community plans for natural hazards like floods and earthquakes
Why are we reviewing the District Plan?
The current version of the District Plan has been operative since 23 June 2008. A lot has changed in our district in the last 15 years, particularly in relation to natural hazards, so the plan needed to be reviewed and updated.
We have almost completed the review and a new version will be published early 2023. We are awaiting the outcome of one appeal in relation to a plan change.
In the meantime we are able to publish the approved changes to the Natural Hazards chapter of the new District Plan.
Kaikо̄ura Dark Sky – Plan Change 5
Plan Change 5 seeks to support the establishment of an International Dark Sky Sanctuary across the Kaikōura district, with the Kaikōura township being designated as an International Dark Sky Community. The Plan Change proposes changes to the lighting provisions of the District Plan to assist the Council to fulfil its statutory functions and responsibilities as required by the RMA.
In accordance with Clause 5 of the First Schedule of the Resource Management Act 1991, The Kaikōura Dark Sky Trust prepared the following plan change to the Kaikōura District Plan (KDP). Council resolved to adopt the Plan Change on 31st January 2024.
Plan Change 5 became fully operative on 19th December 2024.
The updated light and signs chapters are available to view on the Kaikoura District Plan Webpage.
Public Notice of Operative Date
Council Decision
On 30th October 2024, Council approved Plan Change 5 to become operative, subject to a 30 working-day appeal period. No appeals were received during this period.
Council Meeting 30 October 2024 Minutes
Hearing
A Hearing took place on 24th September 2024, whereby an Independent Hearings Panel considered the S42A Officer Report. See key documentation:
Commissioners Recommendation Report
Minute 1 - Hearing arrangements
Minute 2 Questions from Hearing Panel
KDC Response to Hearing Panel Questions
Notification
Plan Change 5 was publicly notified by the Council on 7 March 2024. The period for making submissions closed on 19 April and further submissions were able to be made until 17 May 2024. 38 original submissions were made, and no further submissions were received.
Please click on the links below for further information:
s32 Report - Proposal Information
Kaikо̄ura Business Park – Plan Change 4
Plan Change 4 Light Industrial Park
The purpose of Plan Change 4 is to facilitate the rezoning of the site to a new Light Industrial Zone. The new zone will be incorporated into the Kaikōura District Plan as a new chapter, and will include issues, objectives, policies, methods, rules and consequential changes to the definitions, subdivision sections and appendices of the Kaikōura District Plan.
The subject site is 21.9Ha in area and is located on the corner of State Highway 1 and the Inland Kaikōura Road at 69 Inland Kaikōura Road. The site is legally described as Lot 2 DP 501321 and approved Lot 20 SU-2021-1765-00.
The Proposal
Key Stages
Submissions
The Plan Change was notified on 28th September 2023. A total of 114 submissions were received.
View the Summary of Submissions.
Further Submissions
A further submissions period was open till 7th December 2023. 18 further submissions were received.
All further submissions were withdrawn ahead of the Hearing, which commenced on 25th March 2024.
Hearing
A hearing was held on 25th-26th March 2024, which was facilitated by a panel of five independent commissioners. Further information was requested as a result of the hearing, and the hearing formally closed on 26th April 2024.
All hearing materials, including statements of evidence, further evidence and legal agreement can be viewed here: https://www.kaikoura.govt.nz/council/public-notices/closed-public-notices/3business-park-2
Decision
Following the hearing, the Commissioners recommended Plan Change 4 for adoption on 22nd May 2024.
The Committee’s recommendation to adopt the Plan Change was resolved at Council on 29th May 2024.
A 30 working day appeal period will commence on Thursday 6th June and will end at 5pm on Friday 19th July 2024. Any appeal must be made on the prescribed form 34 under Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act 1991.
What does this mean for me?
Under Section 14 of the RMA, any submitters and the applicants are able to appeal the Plan Change. Any party wishing to do so will need to seek independent legal advice about options to appeal.
If you are wishing to develop new light industrial activities with the new zone, assuming no appeals are received and subject to performance standards, this should be able to occur from 1st August 2024 (when the Plan Change is to become operative).
If you have any questions about the project and new zone, please contact planning@kaikoura.govt.nz
Natural Hazards Plan Change 3
Since the 2016 earthquake Council has been collecting data and updating what we know about the natural hazards in Kaikōura.
We now have updated information and technical reports on flooding, liquefaction, landslides and active faults in our district. This information has informed the development of new rules within the Natural Hazards chapter of the District Plan.
The Natural Hazards Plan Change 3 seeks to:
- Replace the operative Chapter 8: Natural Hazards (whilst carrying over the coastal hazards provisions).
- Insert new objectives, policies and rules based on new technical information and community engagement to date.
- Make amendments to other chapters in the operative District Plan relating to natural hazards.
- Insert new definitions to align with the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement, Resource Management Act and the National Planning Standards.
- Replace existing planning maps with updated Natural Hazard Overlays.
- Better meet the communities long term needs.
Next Steps:
- We will publish an updated version of the District Plan by end February that incorporates the approved changes to Natural Hazards information
- New Interactive Natural Hazard Maps are currently under development and we aim to have them available by April 2023
Previous updates and more information
26/09/2022 Natural Hazards Plan Change appeal period closes
16/08/2022 Natural Hazards Plan Change Decision
13/12/2021 Right of Reply document supplied to Hearing Panel
09/11/2021 Natural Hazards Hearing. Evidence and associated documents listed below:
- Introductory opening statement document
- Evidence Spark Oct 2021
- Main Power - Planning statement of John Scheele
- Statement of Evidence of Jane Doogue on behalf of CRC
- Statement of Evidence of Nick Griffiths on behalf of CRC and KDC - Natural Hazards Chapter
- FFNZ Hearing Statement KKR PC3
15/10/2021 Section 42a Report circulated
03/06/2021 Further Submission Period Closes. Submission received listed below:
21/04/2021 Public Submission period on Natural Hazard Plan Change 3 closes. Download a document with all submissions here. List of individual submissions below:
- Cargil Station Submission
- D and L Robinson Submission
- D and L Robinson Submission
- D Kitchingham Submission
- D Melville Submission
- ECan Submission
- Federated Farmers Submission
- G Acland Submission
- K Finnerty Submission
- Kaikōura District Council Submission
- L Adams Submission
- M Egan Submission
- Main Power NZ Limited Submission
- Ministry of Education Submission
- Oil Company Submission
- Semmens S Submission
- Spark Submission
10/03/2021 Plan Change 3 Publicly Notified. Associated documents to download:
Stakeholder & Community Engagement
- 14/02/2021 Workshop with Iwi
- 03/12/2020 Clause 3 Consultation
- 09/112019 to 30/11/2019 Community Risk workshops
Technical Reports
- Waiau Toa/Clarence River floodplain investigation
- Kēkerengū, Hāpuku and Oaro floodplain investigation
- Ote Makura (Goose Bay) floodplain investigation
- Kaikōura Fans floodplain investigation
- Liquefaction Study for Kaikōura District
- Deterministic mapping of potential Landslide Debris Inundation
- Debris Inundation Risk Analysis - October 2021
- Updated assessment of active faults in the Kaikōura District
- Current District Plan
