District Plan Review

Plan Change 42 – Rural Subdivision

 

Plan Change 42 – Rural Subdivision reviews the provisions in the District Plan relating to subdivision of Rural land. This includes addressing the issues of loss of high quality soils through fragmentation of titles and the adverse effects of rural-residential growth in the Rural zone. It also includes some minor corrections to zoning (from Rural to Residential) on the District Plan maps, in locations where residential subdivision has already occurred.

 

What we are proposing to change...

To protect our high quality soils for productive uses, we are proposing to:

Increase the minimum lot size to be subdivided from 8 to 40 hectares on high quality soils in the rural zone.
Remove the option of creating rural-residential 1 hectare lots on high quality soils.

This change would direct residential development to occur in urban areas, rather than on high quality soils. The high quality soils in the district are an important economic resource that should be kept for future generations.

To provide for limited rural-residential use:

Provide for 2 hectare lots to be subdivided on lower quality soils (one 2 hectare lot for every 8 hectares of land) as long as there is minimum effect on traffic and current rural activities.

Subdivision can increase the number of houses in the rural area, which causes more traffic on narrow country roads. Concentrated areas of rural-residential growth may put pressure on Council to pay for road improvements and urban services in rural areas.

 

Our current subdivision rules

The subdivision section of the District Plan sets out the rules for how you can subdivide your land.

Part B, Section 6 of the District Plan outlines what rules apply for different zones. If you would like to read our current rules, you can find the District Plan at any Council office or library, alternatively, you can view it at www.mpdc.govt.nz.

 

How you might be affected?

Changes to the District Plan’s subdivision rules affect how you can subdivide your rural property. If you have any questions about how this could affect you, feel free to contact us on 0800 746 467 and ask to speak to a planner.

 

Want more info?

You can read the full proposal on the Proposed Plan Changes page of this site

How to have your say

Submissions have now closed.