Committee progresses District Plan to next, key stage
Published on 14 June 2022
The council’s Strategy and Policy Committee unanimously voted today to progress the Proposed Far North District Plan to the next stage of its 10-year review process.
The District Plan is the council’s primary planning document. It details how and where land can be developed, and what property owners can do with their land.
The decision authorises the Proposed District Plan to be publicly notified within the next six weeks. This shifts the process from an informal engagement process to a statutory or formal period where the public, iwi and hapū, the community and stakeholder groups are invited to make submissions on the Proposed District Plan and to participate in hearings.
When making their decision today, councillors commended planning staff for years of work shepherding the plan through several different versions and public consultations. This work began in 2016 with the ‘Let’s plan together’ campaign that invited the community to use an electronic map to locate issues of most concern to them, and also involved a tour of the district to host drop-in sessions. Staff used ‘Put a pin on it’ feedback to develop a draft policy framework that addressed nine significant resource management issues which became part of the 2018 draft framework. Then in 2021, the council went back to the public with its Navigating Our Course consultation asking for feedback on the Draft District ePlan.
The council will now contact all Far North ratepayers directly about reviewing the Proposed District Plan. Those who provided feedback during targeted engagement on the draft plan will also be contacted. The council will launch a districtwide campaign next, which will help residents navigate the Proposed District Plan, compare it to the current District Plan and to make submissions.
All councils are legally obliged to review their district plans every 10 years to ensure they continue delivering best outcomes.
You can watch the Strategy and Policy Committee meeting below.