District Plan Review Presentation
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Introduction
Your Feedback
Kai Iwi Lakes
Mangawhai Harbour
Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour Environment Area
West Coast
East Coast
Summary
District Plan Structure
Cultural Heritage

Where are we at?

Since 2006 we have been working on a Review of the District Plan.

Review of Issues and Options
 

2006
   

Scope of Outcomes

What we want for the future of the District

 

Early
2007

   

Scope of Issues for the Plan

The priority of resource management issues facing the District
 

Mid
2007

   

Scope of Management Options

What tools should we consider for the District Plan
 

Late
2007

   

Drafting Objectives and Policies

What and how we want the District Plan to respond to the issues
 

Early
2008

   

Drafting Objectives and Policies

What and how we want the District Plan to respond to the issues
 

2008

What are we focusing on now?

  Considering the issues facing the District, and the community feedback on management directions, we are proposing a District Plan Structure, including Environmental Overlays.
  We are now drafting the District Plan to make sure it provides the direction on how to manage land use, subdivision and development to address the priority issues.
  We would welcome your comments on the progress being made on the District Plan Review.
  Please take the time to fill out a response form!


 

 

What have you said?


  In April 2007, we asked the community what management directions you thought were appropriate for the District Plan. You told us that you thought
   
That the current subdivision rules of the District Plan are not effectively achieving the environmental outcomes that you want;
That more methods were needed in the District Plan to achieve the landscape and ecology outcomes being sought;
A range of methods would achieve the environmental outcomes being sought, including incentives for landowners, managing earthworks and requiring mitigation (e.g. planting) for subdivision and land use development.

 

Land Use and Subdivision Management Options

Over 30 percent of the public felt that the need to provide environmental benefits when undertaking rural subdivisions in coastal and harbour areas was appropriate. Over 20 percent strongly believe there should be a policy framework for new commercial and industrial activities. The public were less supportive of flexibility in lot sizes.


 

Landscape and Ecology

Around 30 percent of respondents supported the need to protect significant landscapes and ecological areas.. Most agreed that protection through assistance to land owners and regulatory methods would provide the best results.


 

Your Ideas for Protection, Maintenance and Enhancement for Landscape and Ecology

Restrict development in areas of natural significance;
Supporting low density development to reduce cumulative effects;
Severely restrict clearance of indigenous vegetation;
Monitor the effectiveness of the provisions and their outcomes.


 

 

Priority District Plan Issues


  Pristine and limited water supply of Lakes is compromised by adverse nutrient input from farming, forestry and development in the surrounding areas.
  Human activities can impact on the high levels of amenity (visual, aural) of the lakes and surrounds.
  Water surface activities can adversely affect water quality and habitats.
  Land use and development can restrict public access to and along the Lakes and lake margins.

Outcomes


  Activities on or adjoining lakes and other sensitive receiving environments are managed to enhance the natural character values of these areas (including water quality).

Management Directions


  Careful management of land use and development focused on protecting the water quality of the lakes, the natural environment of the surrounding area and amenity (includes aural amenity).
  Restrictive land use management controls to protect the significant values and recognise the sensitivity of this area.

 

 

 

Priority District Plan Issues

  Development of Harbour area needs to be balanced with the protection and enhancement to achieve sustainable development (enabling a win-win scenario with protecting and enhancing Harbour and enabling opportunities for development e.g. residential, recreation, commercial, tourism, community).
  Protecting and enhancing natural character of the Harbour from activity and development.
  Land use and development may restrict public access to and along the Harbour.
  Surrounding land uses can adversely affect the water quality and amenity of the Harbour.
  Unmanaged development and land use has the potential to adversely affect the special residential amenity and built form of the Mangawhai area.

Outcomes

  Maintain green open space between settlements, while providing for growth in the rural area.
  Avoid sporadic rural-residential subdivision.
  Provide opportunities for tourism, such as resort developments.
  Retain public access to the coast.
  Effective management of competing uses in the Mangawhai Harbour.

Management Directions Being Considered

  Providing for growth and development where there are opportunities to enhance environmental outcomes (e.g. water quality of the Harbour, amenity and natural character of the coastal environment etc).
  Management of land use and development activities to recognise the residential amenity of the Mangawhai area.
  Provide for subdivision that protects riparian vegetation, coastal water quality and/or amenity.
  Support the patterns of residential development promoted in the Mangawhai Structure Plan.

Priority Resource Management Issues Identified

  Land and vegetation clearance impacts on the existing amenity (visual appearance) and physical environment (e.g. erosion). Especially sensitive environments such as the harbour, water bodies, coastal areas.

 

 

 

 

Priority District Plan Issues

  Enabling a win-win scenario with protecting and enhancing the Kaipara Harbour and providing opportunities for development (e.g. agriculture, tourism, recreation, fishing, marine based industries, aquaculture).
  Land use and development can restrict public access to and along the Harbour.
  Activity and development in the Harbour area can result in loss of its unique character (including ecological and cultural values).
  Surrounding land uses in the Harbour catchment lead to degradation of the water quality of the Harbour.

Outcomes

  Outstanding landscapes mapped and protected from inappropriate subdivision, use and development.
  The maintenance and enhancement of those values that contribute to amenity landscapes (e.g. areas extensive natural vegetation).

Management Directions Being Considered

  Provide for subdivision that protects riparian vegetation, coastal water quality and/or amenity.
  Clustering of buildings in visually unobtrusive locations to protect amenity values.
  Greater management of earthworks and vegetation clearance to minimise adverse impacts on water quality.
  Provide opportunities for tourism development in the Kaipara Harbour environs.

Priority Resource Management Issues Identified

  Land and vegetation clearance impacts on the existing amenity (visual appearance) and physical environment (e.g. erosion). Especially sensitive environments such as the harbour, water bodies, coastal areas.


 

 

Priority District Plan Issues

  KHEA is sensitive to visual pollution from development and activity.
  Unmanaged earthworks adversely in the KHEA area have increased potential to generate adverse impacts on the receiving environments given their proximity to the Harbour margins.
  Enabling a win-win scenario with protecting and enhancing the Kaipara Harbour and providing opportunities for development (e.g. agriculture, tourism, recreation, fishing, marine based industries, aquaculture).
  Land use and development can restrict public access to and along the Harbour.
  Activity and development in the Harbour area can result in the loss of its unique character (including ecological and cultural values).
  Unmanaged development and surrounding land have the potential to adversely impact on the harbour, including degradation of the water quality.

Outcomes

  Recognised distinct and unique character.
  Protect the Kaipara Harbour
  Development of parts of the Harbour and preservation of others and strengthen settlements around Kaipara Harbour.
  Maintain ability for agricultural uses once natural and ecological environment are preserved.
  Do not discourage tourism uses.
  Retain and enhance public access to the harbour.

Management Directions Being Considered

  Greater management of earthworks and vegetation clearance to minimise adverse impacts on water quality.
  Clustering of buildings in visually unobtrusive locations to protect amenity values.

 

 

 

Priority District Plan Issues

  Activities on the foreshore and adjacent coastal margins can compromise the preservation of the natural character of the coastal environment, particularly its wilderness and the low level of built form and development.
  The amenity of coastal settlements can be compromised by inappropriate development.

Outcomes

  Maintain wilderness aspect on the West Coast.
  Improve quality of public access to the West Coast.

Management Directions Being Considered

  Clustering of buildings in visually unobtrusive locations to protect amenity values.
  Provision of public access to the coast in appropriate locations through low impact methods.
  Provide for developments that enable recreation and vegetation linkages along and to the coast and waterbodies.

Priority Resource Management Issues Identified

  Some new developments are restricting the public access to the coast, harbour and waterways;
  Land and vegetation clearance impacts on the existing amenity (visual appearance) and physical environment (e.g. erosion). Especially sensitive environments such as the harbour, water bodies, coastal areas

 

 

 

Priority District Plan Issues

  Activities on the foreshore and adjacent coastal margins can compromise the preservation of the natural character of the coastal environment.
  Land use and development is restricting public access to and along the Coast.

Outcomes

  Improve public access to the coast.
  Maintain and enhance the environmental values that contribute to the amenity of the East Coast.

Management Directions Being Considered

  Clustering of buildings in visually unobtrusive locations to protect amenity values.
  Provision of public access to the coast in appropriate locations through low impact methods.
  Provide for developments that enable recreation and vegetation linkages along and to the coast and waterbodies.

Priority Resource Management Issues Identified

  Some new developments are restricting the public access to the coast, harbour and waterways.
  Land and vegetation clearance impacts on the existing amenity (visual appearance) and physical environment (e.g. erosion). Especially sensitive environments such as the harbour, water bodies, coastal areas.


 

 

We want to hear from you


a In April 2007, we asked the community what management directions you thought were appropriate for the District Plan. You told us that you thought
We want to hear from you We want your thoughts on the issues we have identified. For example:
   
Do you think the resource management issues are significant for the District?
How do you think the District Plan should manage subdivision, land use and development to address the resource management issues?
We recognise that ‘heritage’ can mean something different to each individual. What do you think about what defines heritage in the District and what value do you place on heritage?

We have prepared a response form in order to obtain the community’s feedback on these issues.
 
Please take a response form with you, your feedback is very valuable to us. We would welcome your comments (Freepost) by 17 December 2007.
 
 

Where to next???
Following your feedback at Open Forums we will start drafting the proposed District Plan (expected to be drafted in 2008).
Council will meet with a wide range of stakeholders from interest groups to government department to ensure that we hear all views.


 

 

Concept for Structure of ‘Management’ Layers


 

For Example, the District Plan Might Include:

Part A - District Wide Overview

 

1.

District Wide Strategy

 

2.

Structure & Tools of Plan

 

3.

Definitions

Part B – Zoning

(including Overlays) – a zone for each chapter that include provisions (issues, outcomes, objectives, policies and management methods) for each overlay rather than in a separate chapter (like the Existing District Plan).

Part C – Sites & Features

(District Resource Provisions) –Specific areas and sites will be identified for protection and management in the Plan, e.g. areas of Significance to Iwi, Outstanding Landscapes, Significant Ecological Areas.

Part D Other Methods

This will include financial contributions and as necessary other guidelines & appendices

 

 

 


We have also identified the management of ‘heritage’ as an important resource management issue for the District Plan.

Kaipara District is rich in NZ history, being one of the first places to be settled by Maori and also the focus for early exploration.

The District has a large number of ‘heritage sites’ including historical structures, heritage areas and ecological areas.

Heritage is a matter of national significance and needs consideration and (where appropriate) protection, as specified under the Resource Management Act 1991, the Historic Places Act 1993 and the Conservation Act 1987.

We are interested in how you value heritage, and your thoughts on how the District Plan can manage/protect these values.


 

 

 

 
   

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