District Plan FAQs

Every council is required to have a district plan. It is a ‘rule book’ that directs how we will use, develop and subdivide land in our district. It includes our environmental objectives and policies and sets out the rules to help us achieve those goals. It specifies what can and can’t be done without a resource consent, and the standards that must be followed. District plans ensure that our district's current needs, including economic and residential growth, are balanced with protecting the natural environment for our residents today and for future generations.

At the moment, there is both an Operative and Proposed District Plan. Until appeals on the Proposed District Plan have been resolved, both plans apply. 

Our District Plan maps show the zonings that apply across the district, for instance:

• Residential
• Rural
• Commercial/ Retail
• Industrial/Service

For each zone, our District Plan has a set of provisions that regulate activities within them. There are also rules that apply across the district. For instance, the Proposed District Plan includes rules relating to matters such as natural hazards, historic heritage, sites and areas of significance to Māori and significant natural areas.

Everyone is affected by our District Plan because it helps shape how we live, work and play in Central Hawke’s Bay. Its policies are designed to ensure the environment, and the things people love about living here, are protected.

No one can use land in a way that disregards our District Plan. Even visitors need to follow rules relating to things like hazard management and noise.

To help explain the provisions of the Proposed District Plan, five key themes have been developed. Click here to read about the key themes.

We have worked closely with tangata whenua while preparing the plan, including partaking in hui, field trips and presentations, and having Taiwhenua o Tamatea representation on the plan's sub-committee. The plan includes specific chapters addressing cultural values, sites of cultural significance, and papakāinga and kaumatua housing.

Your property may be shown on the planning maps as being in, or including, a significant natural area. This means you have a special area on all or part of your land that has high biodiversity value. Provisions in the Proposed District Plan will ensure these areas are protected for future generations. There are some controls on vegetation clearance although many day-to-day activities will not require a resource consent. The rules are contained in the Natural Environment Values section of the Proposed District Plan. Have a look at the plan review documents to read the technical reports that led to these provisions.

Check the Operative and Proposed District Plan to see how your activity is classified:

• Permitted - allowed if you follow the standards outlining how the activity must be done.
• Controlled - requires resource consent but will be approved if meets standards.
• Restricted discretionary - requires resource consent and Council has discretion over certain matters when deciding whether to grant a resource consent.
• Discretionary - requires resource consent and effects will be assessed and resource consent granted or declined on a case-by-case basis.
• Non-complying - resource consent granted only under exceptional circumstances.
• Prohibited - not allowed at all, even with a resource consent.

Once you have approval, you need to ensure your activity is undertaken within the plan’s rules and standards.

Activities not allowed as of right on your land may require a resource consent (authorisation) from Council to proceed.