Council adopts two changes to District Plan

 

Planning and Policy, Fran Mikulicic, said one of the changes, Plan Change 4, has come about following compromise and collaboration with Council staff, interested community parties and Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

“The new approach upholds the Commissioners’ decision in relation to land use activities, as well as introducing a new risk-based approach requiring applicants and the Council to consider fire hazard at the time of subdivision consent submitted from now on,” she said.

The plan change provides changes to the Fire Safety Rules (Land Use) for buildings and structures in the Rural, Residential, Business (Commercial and Industrial) areas. It removes the requirement to comply with the New Zealand Fire Service Firefighting Water Supplies Code of Practice. 

The change took effect from December 18 and will only be for new applications received after this date. Applicants currently within the consenting process or who wish to change their current consent will be advised of a mechanism to do so in the New Year. 

All existing consents issued in the last four years must comply with the previous Fire Safety Rules and not Plan Change 4. Council will assess existing consents and what needs to be done to help them comply with Plan Change 4 early in 2019. 

“Until a change to your consent is authorised by Council you must still comply to all fire management conditions on your consent. If you do not, you may risk compromising insurance on your property should there be a fire. Contact our offices in the New Year for help if you would like to take up the opportunities afforded by Plan Change 4 regarding your existing consent.”

The other change has come about through the Ministry for Primary Industries developing a National Environmental Standard for Plantation Forestry (NES-PF). Council has to ensure their District Plan meets the rules of the NES-PF as part of the planning hierarchy. 

The NES-PF provide a single set of regulations that apply to foresters throughout New Zealand. If you own a forest that fits the criteria for Plantation Forestry, the new NES-PF will apply to you.

At its October 25 meeting Council decided to amend the District Plan in accordance with the higher order plans by inter alia increasing the setback between plantation forestry and adjoining dwellings from 30m to 40m and to adopt the noise levels as prescribed in the NES-PF Regulations. Where duplication occurs the NES-PF will take precedence over the provisions in the District Plan.

 A full copy of the District Plan, including these changes, is available to view on Council’s website kaipara.govt.nz/districtplan and in hard copy at Dargaville and Mangawhai customer service centres.

“Until a change to your consent is authorised by Council you must still comply to all fire management conditions on your consent. If you do not, you may risk compromising insurance on your property should there be a fire.”