Whakatāne District Council is proposing making at least 20 separate changes to its Operative District Plan. The changes will incorporate assessment criteria for some activities in the District Plan where they are currently missing.

A report outlining the proposal was taken to today’s Strategy and Policy Committee meeting. The report's recommendations were passed, triggering public consultation on the proposed changes that will run from 1-30 April.

The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) requires the Council to have a District Plan. The District Plan enables the Council to carry out its responsibilities under the RMA, including controlling the effects of the use, development and protection of land. Whakatāne’s District Plan was made fully operative on 21 July 2017.

In May 2019, the Council sought legal advice on two activities within the plan that were found to lack assessment criteria or matters of control in one or more of the District Plan Zones.

The advice confirmed the Council’s assessment and went on to recommend a number of supplementary changes to the plan in order to make it fully effective.

The proposed changes will not affect the manner in which resource consents are processed, but will provide clarity for resource consent applicants around which criteria will be considered and will ensure the Council can legally consider the effects of these activities when evaluating a resource consent application.