Rural matter: Rural density

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District Plan Review consultation now closed.

Initial public consultation on key draft changes to the current Selwyn District Plan closed on Monday 8 October 2018. Thank you to everyone who let us know what they thought of the review so far.

What’s next?

Following this initial public consultation on the District Plan Review, the Council will consider all feedback and start developing detailed provisions for the Proposed District Plan. Please note that a summary report on the initial public consultation will be made available on Your Say Selwyn website at www.selwyn.govt.nz/districtplanreview.

It’s expected the Proposed District Plan will be

District Plan Review consultation now closed.

Initial public consultation on key draft changes to the current Selwyn District Plan closed on Monday 8 October 2018. Thank you to everyone who let us know what they thought of the review so far.

What’s next?

Following this initial public consultation on the District Plan Review, the Council will consider all feedback and start developing detailed provisions for the Proposed District Plan. Please note that a summary report on the initial public consultation will be made available on Your Say Selwyn website at www.selwyn.govt.nz/districtplanreview.

It’s expected the Proposed District Plan will be notified in early 2020 for formal public consultation. The longer timeframe is due to the local government elections at the end of 2019 and ensuring the newly elected Council endorses the Proposed District Plan before it gets notified.

We want to know what you think about the draft changes to the current District Plan's rules affecting rural density - that is the concentration of housing and size of property in the Rural Zone. These draft changes have been endorsed by the Selwyn District Council for further development as part of its District Plan Review.

How can I have a say?

To give us your feedback on the draft changes to, you can:

There will be many consultation opportunities for feedback at different stages of the District Plan Review and this is the first such opportunity. It’s expected that the new District Plan will be notified in early 2020 and be fully in place, subject to any Environment Court appeals, in March 2022.

Background

Rural density

Housing density and the size of properties within the Rural Zone have a fundamental impact on rural character, rural production, and reverse sensitivity issues. Reverse sensitivity is the vulnerability of an established land use (for example, farming) to complaints from a newly established, more sensitive land use (for example, new houses and other noise or odour-sensitive activities). In practice such complaints can compromise the established land use by restricting when or how it can operate.

Density within the Rural Zone in the current District Plan

Depending on the underlying characteristics of a rural area, the current District Plan requires certain densities of housing or minimum lot sizes, ie land parcels within the Rural Zone, to maintain the rural character of the area. The current rules for density or minimum lot sizes in the Rural Zone (ie the smallest permitted land parcel in the Rural Zone that you can build a house on without a resource consent) are:

  • one dwelling per four hectares (ha) within the Inner Plains area (this also follows the requirement under the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement that residential density within rural zones cannot be less than one dwelling per four ha),
  • one dwelling per 20 ha in the Outer Plains and Malvern Hills,
  • one dwelling per 40 ha in the lower slopes of the Port Hills,
  • one dwelling per 100 ha in the upper slopes of the Port Hills, and
  • one dwelling per 120 ha within the High Country area.

The areas with the highest density (lowest minimum areas) are commonly located close to urban areas.

There are, however, exceptions to minimum lot sizes across all areas of the district. The ‘grandfather’ clause enables a house to be built on any rural site that doesn’t meet the minimum lot requirement, if the site is at least four hectares and existed prior to or between 12 September 1991 and 12 September 2001. The other exceptions – open space covenant, balance lots and clustering – enable smaller lots while ensuring that overall density is maintained as the covenanted land is required to make up the balance of the minimum area required.



Have a question about rural density and can't find the answer? We would like to hear from you.

  • Share Hi there I just had a question while reading the Key draft changes for future district plan. What does it mean by changing the boundary between the Inner Plains and Outer Plains? Does it mean that Outer Plain rules will apply to Inner Plains and vice versa? If I have a 4ha Inner Plains land (in Lincoln), what would be the new rule in regards to building a residential house or subdividing if this ‘option 4’ was to be take effect? on Facebook Share Hi there I just had a question while reading the Key draft changes for future district plan. What does it mean by changing the boundary between the Inner Plains and Outer Plains? Does it mean that Outer Plain rules will apply to Inner Plains and vice versa? If I have a 4ha Inner Plains land (in Lincoln), what would be the new rule in regards to building a residential house or subdividing if this ‘option 4’ was to be take effect? on Twitter Share Hi there I just had a question while reading the Key draft changes for future district plan. What does it mean by changing the boundary between the Inner Plains and Outer Plains? Does it mean that Outer Plain rules will apply to Inner Plains and vice versa? If I have a 4ha Inner Plains land (in Lincoln), what would be the new rule in regards to building a residential house or subdividing if this ‘option 4’ was to be take effect? on Linkedin Email Hi there I just had a question while reading the Key draft changes for future district plan. What does it mean by changing the boundary between the Inner Plains and Outer Plains? Does it mean that Outer Plain rules will apply to Inner Plains and vice versa? If I have a 4ha Inner Plains land (in Lincoln), what would be the new rule in regards to building a residential house or subdividing if this ‘option 4’ was to be take effect? link

    Hi there I just had a question while reading the Key draft changes for future district plan. What does it mean by changing the boundary between the Inner Plains and Outer Plains? Does it mean that Outer Plain rules will apply to Inner Plains and vice versa? If I have a 4ha Inner Plains land (in Lincoln), what would be the new rule in regards to building a residential house or subdividing if this ‘option 4’ was to be take effect?

    Amy Lee asked about 6 years ago

    Hi Amy,

    Thank your for sending us your questions. Pease see below our responses. in the meantime, if you haven't already please let us know what you think of the draft changes to the rural density related rules fro the new District Plan by submitting the topic specific survey.

    Kind regards,

    District Plan Review Project Team

    What does it mean by changing the boundary between the Inner Plains and Outer Plains?

    This proposed change means that we will examine particular Outer Plains areas which border the Inner Plains area, and where the density is of more of an Inner Plains density (4ha/dwelling) we would look at realigning the boundary. Effectively areas that are currently Outer Plains but more closely resemble Inner Plains areas, may be changed into Inner Plains. We are not looking at realigning the boundary over areas that have not already been developed.

    Additionally, we are not looking at changing any Inner Plains areas into Outer Plains.

    Does it mean that Outer Plain rules will apply to Inner Plains and vice versa?

    In areas where an alignment may happen, the density will change from 20 ha/dwelling to 4 ha/dwelling.

    If I have a 4ha Inner Plains land (in Lincoln), what would be the new rule in regards to building a residential house or subdividing if this ‘option 4’ was to be take effect?

    There would be no change.