Summary of draft changes to the current District Plan

The Council’s District Plan Committee has recently endorsed for further development and engagement the following draft changes to ensure the new District Plan gives effect to the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement and the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement:

• mapping the extent of the coastal environment as an overlay on the planning maps. Such an overlay is used to spatially identify an area in the district which has distinctive values, environmental risks or factors that require management in a different manner from the underlying zone specific rules.
• mapping areas comprising ‘outstanding’, ‘high’ and ‘other’ natural character values as a further layer within the coastal environment.
• keeping the rural zoning for the coastal environment area, except for the Rakaia Huts settlement which will retain some form of residential zoning (still to be determined as part of the current review).
• developing new rules to protect and manage the coastal environment from activities that can have significant adverse effects, for example earthworks, buildings/structures and clearance of native vegetation.