Section 32 and Key Documents

On this page you will also find the Council’s Section 32 evaluation reports and some key background documents that have shaped the Proposed District Plan. There’s a range of other statutory and policy documents that have influenced the district plan including:

Resource Management Act 1991 and associated policy statements and national environmental standards
Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato – The Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River
Maniapoto Iwi Environmental Management Pan
Waikato Tainui Environmental Management Plan
Waikato Regional Policy Statement and the Horizons One Plan

If you have any queries or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by emailing [email protected] or call us on 07 878 0800.

You can view some of the key supporting documents below:

Section 32

Section 32 of the Resource Management Act requires councils to prepare an evaluation report when they notify a Proposed District Plan. The purpose of the report is to evaluate how efficient and effective the objectives and provisions of the Proposed Plan are. The Council has prepared a S32 evaluation report for each chapter of the Plan as follows:

Introduction (PDF 1.79 MB)

Part 2 – District-Wide Matters

Part 3 – Area-Specific Matters

Zones & Precincts

Residential

41. Residential zone - RESZ (PDF 298 KB)
Railway Cottage Cluster Precinct – PREC1
Te Kumi Commercial Precinct – PREC2

Rural

42. General rural zone - GRUZ (PDF 311 KB)
Aerodrome Precinct – PREC3
43. Rural production zone - RPROZ (PDF 285 KB)
44. Rural lifestyle zone - RLZ (PDF 282 KB)
45. Settlement zone - SETZ (PDF 302 KB)
Mokau Commercial Precinct – PREC4

Commerce

46. Commercial zone - COMZ (PDF 290 KB)
Te Kūiti CBD Precinct - PREC5

Industrial

47. Industrial zone - INZ (PDF 248 KB)

Open space and recreation

48. Natural open space zone - NOSZ (PDF 258 KB)
49. Open space zone - OSZ (PDF 231 KB)

Special purpose

50. Future urban zone - FUZ (PDF 270 KB)
51. Māori purpose zone - MPZ (PDF 271 KB)
52. Tourism zone - TOUZ (PDF 257 KB)

Multi-zone precincts

53. Amenity Precinct – PREC6 (PDF 239 KB)
54. Te Maika Precinct – PREC7 (PDF 260 KB)

Town Concept Plans

Town Concept Plans have been prepared for: Maniaiti/Benneydale, Mokau, Piopio, Te Kūiti, and Waitomo Caves Village. The plans were developed with each community and outline key Moves for each town and Actions and Priorities for implementation. The MAP for each town identifies how the actions will be implemented, some of which are through the Draft District Plan.

Here are the Town Concept Plans:

Maniaiti / Benneydale Town Concept Plan (PDF 3.42 MB)

Mokau Town Concept Plan (PDF 4.3 MB)

Piopio Town Concept Plan (PDF 4.81 MB)

Te Kūiti Town Concept Plan (PDF 8.88 MB)

Waitomo Caves Village Town Concept Plan (PDF 3.94 MB)

Natural Hazards

Managing the significant risks from natural hazards is a matter of national importance under the Resource Management Act 1991. The main natural hazards Waitomo District is at risk from are coastal erosion and coastal flooding, river flooding and landslip.

Over the past couple of years, the Council has been working with coastal communities to explain the risk and discuss strategies to help coastal communities adapt to existing risk and future possible risk.

The research report developed out of this work can be read here (PDF 6.21 MB):

As part of developing the PDP the Waikato Regional Council has updated the flood modelling in different areas of the district. With new information and the addition of climate change to the modelling new areas are now identified. The Council has also engaged Tonkin and Taylor to review and update the landslide work that is in the current district plan. The new landslide work will mean some properties are now identified and others are not. It is a good idea to also read the chapter on natural hazards in the Proposed DP (PDF 290 KB). The research reports developed out of this work can be read here:

Flood Modelling Report (December 2019) (PDF 6.01 MB)

Landslide susceptibility report - Phase 1 (Sept 2019) (PDF 4.82 MB)

Landslide susceptibility report - Phase 2 (Feb 2020)

Landscapes

A district wide landscape assessment of our District has been undertaken for the Council by Bridget Gilbert. Working with the requirements of the Resource Management Act 1991, the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement and the Regional Policy Statements, new areas of landscape have been identified. The landscapes are divided into different categories with the most special being identified as Outstanding Natural Landscapes. Each identified landscape is explained in;

Schedule 7 Outstanding Natural Landscapes (PDF 270 KB),
Schedule 9 Landscape of High Amenity Value (PDF 249 KB),
Schedule 10 Landscape of Outstanding Natural Character (PDF 77 KB),
Schedule 11 Landscapes of High to Very High Natural Character (PDF 78 KB), and
Schedule 12 Karst Overlay (PDF 155 KB).

It is a good idea to read the relevant chapters of the Proposed DP. You can read the landscape assessment report here (PDF 42.95 MB).

Outstanding Natural Features

The protection of outstanding natural features from inappropriate subdivision, use and development is a matter of national importance. The karst landforms within our district mean we have some unique and very special features. In some cases, these features are very fragile and nationally or internationally significant. The natural features of our District have been assessed, categorised and reviewed by a panel of experts co-ordinated by Dr Bruce Hayward. This work has resulted in 76 sites or features being identified. The features are listed and categorised in Schedule 8 (PDF 291 KB). The link to the chapter can be found here Natural Features and Landscape chapter (PDF 558 KB).

You can read the outstanding natural features methodology report here (PDF 1.43 MB):

Coastal Environment

Looking after the natural character of our coastal environment is a matter of national importance. It is important we get it right. In the Waikato work has been undertaken by Waikato Regional Council to define where the coastal environment is. We have incorporated this work into the Proposed District Plan. The background consultant report on the Waikato Regional Council website can be accessed here:

Waikato Natural Character Study WRC

You can find our experts peer review of this document for the Waitomo District here (PDF 4.61 MB).

Reserve Management Plan

A Reserve Management Plan (RMP) provides direction for the day-to-day management of reserves and establishes clear direction for future management, and it identifies which reserves will / could have playgrounds on them, reserves for sports and other activities such as markets and things like that.

Council is required under section 41 of the Reserves Act 1977 as an “administering body” to prepare RMPs for any reserves under its control, management or administration (please note this RMP does not apply to reserves owned or managed by the Department of Conservation or any other government body). The RMP will ensure cohesion between the district plan rules for the open space and natural open space zones.

Council has identified all land in the district that is gazetted as a reserve and that Council is responsible for managing. Many of these reserves do not have a name that is published in the New Zealand Gazette Notice, so Council officers have tried to include a road name as a reference point for unnamed reserves. There will be an opportunity to comment on the names of the reserves during the submission process.

It is unlikely that the RMP will have a significant impact on existing activities on reserves. The purpose of the RMP is to provide policy guidance and a rule framework for the management of activities on reserves. You can read the Reserve Management Plan here (PDF 3.41 MB):

Nau mai, haere mai

Welcome to Waitomo District Council

Section 32 and Key Documents

Section 32

Part 2 – District-Wide Matters

Strategic Direction

Energy, Infrastructure & Transport

Hazards & Risks

Historical & Cultural Values

Natural Environment Values

Subdivision

General District-Wide Matters