Plans, policies and reports
Hauraki Gulf Islands review
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Issues and options papers
Protection Yards
Issue
The Hauraki Gulf Islands (HGI) District Plan requires protection yards for
coastal, wetland or other water systems where any part of a lot abuts these
features. The Plan requires yards where "any part of a lot (which) abuts
the mean high water springs (MHWS) tide mark or any wetland/water system
(including rivers, streams lakes and wetlands…"
The application of the rule relating only to 'lots' that 'abut' these
features does not capture those properties that may be separated from such areas
by a road, paper road or reserve. This allows development and activities to be
located closer to the water features than anticipated by the rule. There can be
an impact on water quality or the functioning of a wetland during construction,
and structures or activities within close proximity can be affected in the short
and long term by flooding. Any rule relating to protection yards needs to ensure
it achieves the desired outcome.
There is also debate as to what constitutes a wetland. Is a drain through a
property a wetland, or is there a threshold when the drain becomes a wetland? If
the drain is seen as a wetland it will influence the ability to develop a
property.
The Auckland Regional Council identifies wetlands at a regional level. Should
all wetlands be protected or only regionally identified wetlands?
Possible approaches
You may have a better or alternative approach to those outlined below. If so,
we would like to hear from you.
- Retain the status quo.
- Change the wording of the rule so that it applies to any land within the
distance specified in Table 1 from MHWS, or any wetland/water system
(including rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands). This change would not have
any impact if rules for the Inner and Outer Islands were separated.
- Introduce a protection yard to be identified on planning maps. Different
widths of yards could be created depending on the type of margin they apply
to, for example, coastal yards as distinct from wetland yards. This option
would involve detailed mapping work. There may be problems in identifying
all areas, and, given the size of the Gulf Islands, there may be a
potentially high cost for time and accuracy.
- In conjunction with the options above, the activities that could be
undertaken within the yards could be listed, to protect these areas from
inappropriate development.
- Create a protection yard rule that relates only to water features of a
minimum size. This would require a specialist to define an appropriate size,
and would mean that some smaller features would not have any protection
yard.
- Protect those wetlands identified by the Auckland Regional Council.
- Review the definitions of wetlands.
Note:
While this issue paper can be read in isolation, it is best read in
association with the issue paper relating to:
