Tiaki Taiao – Significant Natural Areas and Landscapes (PC48)

We have been working to identify important natural areas, native bush and landscapes in Upper Hutt. Before we undertake a Plan Change we want to make sure we have identified the right areas and the values within them.

Since September 2020, we’ve been engaging with landowners and the wider community to discuss the changes to the current indigenous vegetation clearance rules in the district plan and to identify areas with significant indigenous biodiversity values, native bush and landscapes in Upper Hutt (Plan Change 48) in more detail.

Big thanks to those who took the time to engage with us and provide feedback. We:

• Received 216 enquiries
• Carried out 87 site visits
• Held 12 meetings at Council
• Attended six community meetings

Councillors have decided to proceed with sharing the draft policies and rules for the significant natural areas and landscape overlays with you for your written feedback on 8 July 2021.

The sharing of these draft chapters with landowners is another informal step in the process of preparing a plan change. These chapters are still informal drafts so that the only relevant rules for protecting landscapes and indigenous vegetation, are those already in the district plan.

You can view the ECO (Ecosystems & Indigenous Biodiversity) and NFL (Natural Features and Landscapes) draft chapters on the right of this page, under Supporting Information.

Feedback

If you wish to provide feedback on the draft policies and rules, or you have a question, please complete the form below.

We will review the feedback and address it through the final drafting of the plan change. All landowners will be contacted and will have the opportunity to make a submission on the proposed plan change when it is notified.

More detailed information, a series of FAQs, and contact information is available at Tiaki Taiao – Significant Natural Areas and Landscapes.

If you have a question, please contact the Planning team via email planning@uhcc.govt.nz.

Update

Since the drafts were released, there has been a change to the process for this plan change.

At a Council meeting on Wednesday 28 July 2021, there was a Notice of Intended Motion from Councillor Lambert, regarding Plan Change 48 -Tiaki Taiao.

The motion: That Council confirm an instruction to the Chief Executive to pause all further preconsultation with residents/ratepayers from Monday 2 August 2021 on Plan Change 48 - Tiaki Taiao until Council instructs otherwise.

Following significant community feedback at the Council meeting, the Motion was amended to: “That Council confirm an instruction to the Chief Executive to continue pre-consultation with residents/ratepayers from Monday 2 August 2021 on Plan Change 48 -Tiaki Taiao until the government issues the national policy statement of indigenous biodiversity.”

The draft chapters and draft overlay areas are still available. However, these will need to be revised to once the NPS-IB is released. The current form of the draft NPS-IB would be more restrictive on activities both within and outside SNAs.

Further information on the status of the draft NPS-IB can be found on the MfE website together with a copy of the draft NPS-IB directions.

What does this mean for indigenous biodiversity and natural landscapes in Upper Hutt?

• The operative district plan rules addressing landscapes and indigenous vegetation clearance will continue to apply. These include:
• The Southern Hill Overlay Area and Protected Ridgelines rules in Chapter 28 and;
• The indigenous vegetation clearance rules in Chapter 27A which apply to all indigenous vegetation throughout Upper Hutt.

We’re working through the impact of this Motion and what it means for Plan Change 48 and we’ll update you as soon as we have a revised plan.

For more information about Plan Change 48, including a recap of the work that's been carried out to date, go to our Tiaki Taiao – Significant Natural Areas and Landscapes page.