The Rural Environment

The majority of the district's land area is within the rural environment and establishes the district's predominant character. The main land use is grassland/pastoral farming.  

The Far North District is climatically unique and provides cropping opportunities not found in other growing districts of New Zealand. This provides significant opportunities for diversity in the areas of agriculture and horticulture. Some of the new horticultural industries in the district include flowers, olives and avocados. 

Together soil, climate and water resources in the Far North district are attributed to the district's ability to provide high value agricultural and horticultural opportunities. The subsequent accord between landowner(s) and user(s) with Council to work together to protect indigenous vegetation and habitat from land development is working well. The rural environment also contains many of the district's valued natural resources such as lakes, streams and rivers, areas of significant indigenous vegetation and significant habitats of indigenous fauna, and many outstanding landscapes.  In response to public protest against the regulatory approach mandating significant natural areas in the withdrawn Proposed Far North District Plan, Council has responded to the call for a voluntary system of protecting natural areas on private land in the Rural Zone.