Part 1 Introduction and General Provisions

1 Introduction

1.1 Foreword or Mihi

This district plan became operative on 1 July 2015 and was updated in April 2021 as a result of Plan Changes 1 and 2. This new version has been prepared to comply with the National Planning Standards. The contents are the same as the operative district plan, and future plan changes will occur in the near future.

1.2 Purpose

The purpose of the district plan is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources in the South Waikato district, consistent with the statutory functions of a territorial authority under the Resource Management Act 1991 (the RMA). The district plan is the community’s response to the challenges of meeting aspirations for a vibrant and prosperous district economy, positively responding to trends in technology and changing land use patterns, whilst also managing the significant amenity values and environmental values of the district. Much of the district plan is about ensuring that the environmental qualities and values that we consider important today are safeguarded for future generations to also enjoy.

The RMA is the legislation that controls the use, development and protection of land and other natural and physical resources. The district plan contains a framework of objectives, policies, and anticipated environmental results to describe the environmental outcomes for the district that the community is seeking to achieve. The plan then outlines the implementation approaches that will be used to achieve these environmental outcomes.