Areas used predominantly for primary production activities, including intensive indoor primary production. The zone may also be used for a range of activities that support primary production activities, including associated rural industry and other activities that require a rural location.
Most of the land outside the settlements is in the rural area and within the GRUZ that covers this part of the district. Pastoral farming and production forestry are the main land use activities within the GRUZ. The economy is dependent on primary production, and the associated secondary processing facilities, in the rural area for the long-term growth and development of the district.
The GRUZ is a working environment that supports a diverse range of primary production activities and associated processing facilities.
The key elements that influence rural character and amenity values are:
Agricultural activities within the General Rural Zone have changed dramatically over the last decade. Large expanses of land have been converted to more intensive practices including dairy farming, and existing dairy farms have intensified their operations. Consequently, the environment and landscape have undergone extensive change, with resulting impacts on biodiversity and water quality. Restoring and protecting the health and wellbeing of the waterways in the Waikato River catchment is essential to achieve the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River.
Conversion of commercial forestry land for farming is generally accepted as contributing diffuse pollution to waterways in the district. Dealing with the impacts of diffuse discharges on waterways is a pressing national, regional and local issue. For this reason, specific environmental consent requirements and standards are now included in the district plan to improve the sustainable qualities of the soil resource and the biodiversity of riparian areas and the receiving water environments.
While the protection of the environmental quality of the rural land resource is important, so is the ability of landowners to adjust to changing land use practices and economic trends such as conversion of parts of the forest estate to dairying. Change should be enabled so long as the sustainable management of natural resources is maintained. Existing farming and production forestry activities are therefore permitted with a minimum of regulatory control. Conversions from forest to farmland will be a controlled activity so that they can be made subject to site-specific best practice standards of environmental performance.
A diverse range of other rural-based activities operate in the GRUZ such as mineral exploration, mining and quarrying and intensive indoor primary production. These operations have the potential to create and be impacted on by reverse sensitivity issues associated with noise, dust, or odour. They may also have a significant impact on the safe and efficient operation of the transport network unless appropriate management is in place. The provisions seek to both limit the degree of effects themselves, and to create buffers between these activities and any new residential units in rural areas.
There is a growing opportunity for tourist related outdoor recreational activities and culturally based tourism operations to establish in rural areas. These opportunities are based on the district’s rich history and culture, and scenic and environmental qualities, including the Waikato River Trails (walkways and cycleways). These activities can be managed to remain generally small-scale and have relatively low impacts on the environment.
Minimum subdivision controls and restrictions on the number of residential units per property are necessary to maintain opportunities for primary production activities to establish, expand and diversify without small lot residential development hampering such prospects. More intensive subdivision of large tracts of rural land has the potential to create adverse effects.
To maintain the productive capabilities of the rural land resource for primary production activities.
To provide sufficient capability and opportunities for the District’s primary produce to be processed within the District’s rural areas.
To avoid the establishment of non-rural based activities that do not have a legitimate need for a rural location, or which are potentially incompatible with activities that require such a location, including for reasons of reverse sensitivity.
To recognise and provide for the special relationship of Māori with their ancestral lands, water, sites, wāhi tapu and other taonga in rural areas.
To provide for mineral exploration, and mining and quarrying activities (including use of those resources by associated industries) that avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects on existing neighbouring land uses and amenity values, while recognising that the location of these activities is often fixed and dependent upon the location of the resources.
To provide for intensive indoor primary production that avoids, remedies or mitigates adverse effects on existing neighbouring land uses and amenity values.
To identify and address possible effects from activities in rural areas in catchments in the district, and on the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River and its catchment during decision making.
Maintain the availability of the rural land resource to be used for primary production purposes.
Promote land management practices that are consistent with the productive capabilities of the soil/land resource
Facilitate new industries within rural areas for processing primary produce, and the expansion of existing industries.
Provide for primary production purposes and associated residential units and ancillary buildings and facilities such as store/loading areas including the bulk store of hazardous substances for cleaning process plant and equipment, fertiliser storage and for wastewater treatment, tanker reception areas, services buildings and storage silos.
Avoid land use and development in the rural area that does not have an operational or other legitimate requirement for a rural location.
Provide for the operation, maintenance and development of quarrying and other mineral extraction activities, and intensive indoor primary production within the rural area and where potential adverse effects on rural land uses, and landscape, ecological, cultural and heritage values are avoided, remedied or mitigated.
Avoid, remedy or mitigate the adverse effects of activities on the existing character and amenity values of the surrounding rural area and avoid those activities that would cause reverse sensitivity concerns for established rural-based activities (including existing network utilities and infrastructure).
Avoid establishing activities that could limit the legitimate/authorised operation of existing rural based activities such as intensive indoor primary production, mineral exploration, mining and quarrying activities, network utilities and infrastructure.
Maintain Tokoroa Airport to ensure that the effects of other activities in the vicinity of the site, on operations and safety are avoided, remedied or mitigated.
Enable Māori to develop ancestral lands for marae, papakāinga and recognised customary activities to enhance the cultural, spiritual, economic, social and archaeological values and associations of these sites.
To minimise the potential for adverse effects of rural lifestyle subdivision, use and development at the interface of the GRUZ with other zones.
To achieve the Objectives of the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River by managing land-use within rural areas located within the River catchment in a way that restores and protects the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River, including by:
(a) Limiting rural lifestyle development to specific zoned areas
(b) managing the effects of large-scale land-use change
GRUZ-R1 PER Activities |
Subject to |
(1) Primary production (excluding mineral exploration, mining and quarrying) |
Relevant standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (9) and GRUZ-R7 |
(2) Residential Units | |
(3) Accessory buildings | |
(4) Recreation and sporting activities on parks and reserves, and associated structures | |
(5) Home business |
(a) GRUZ-R6(1) to (9) and GRUZ-R7 (b) the principal operator of the home business must be a permanent resident on site (c) the residential activity must remain the primary activity on the property with the home business involving not more than one third of the total floor space of buildings on the site (d) involve no more than up to four full-time equivalent staff (e) does not generate more than a total of 20 vehicle movements per day (i.e. a total of 10 vehicles involved in the commercial activity visiting and leaving the site) (f) shall not generate vehicle movements between the hours of 7.00pm and 7.00am (g) does not involve any exterior display or indication of the home business activity (apart from signs in compliance with the relevant zone standards) (h) does not cause any dust nuisance and/or objectionable odour as defined by a Council Enforcement Officer (i) does not include motor vehicle repair garages; wrecking and/or storage or recycling of vehicles; storage or recycling of vehicle parts, redundant white ware, bicycle frames, tyres, household waste, clothing, general rubbish; panel beating, spray painting or fibre-glassing; or facilities for the boarding, breeding and/or training of animals on a commercial basis. does not include the slaughtering of animals, or the manufacturing or retail sale of food prepared in the kitchen of the residential unit (j) The maximum floor area available for retail sales is 50m² |
(6) Visitor accommodation |
(a) Relevant standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (9) and GRUZ-R7; and (b) Services shall be for no more than 8 persons at any one time (excluding staff) per site |
(7) Veterinary services |
Relevant standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (8) and GRUZ-R7 |
(8) Animal boarding services | |
(9) Agricultural contractors’ depots | |
(10) Educational facility |
(a) Relevant standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (8) and GRUZ-R7; and (b) Services shall be for no more than 8 persons at any one time (excluding staff) per site |
(11) Residential Care Homes and Homes for the Aged |
(a) Relevant standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (9) and GRUZ-R7; and (b) Services shall be for no more than 8 persons at any one time (excluding staff) per site |
(12) Golf courses and associated clubhouses |
Relevant standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (8) and GRUZ-R7 |
(13) Community Facility limited to existing country halls (including the upgrading or replacement) | |
(14) Commercial Tourism and recreational activities |
(a) Relevant standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (8) and GRUZ-R7; and (b) The maximum floor area available for retail activities ancillary to commercial tourism and recreational activities is 50m², and (c) The maximum floor area available for cafes and restaurants ancillary to commercial tourism and recreational activities is 100m² |
(15) Pedestrian tracks and cycleways associated facilities such as seating, tables, and toilets |
Relevant standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (8) and GRUZ-R7;
|
(16) Cemeteries, urupā and crematoria | |
(17) Saleyards | |
(18) Treatment and disposal of wastes from the pulp and paper mill and wood processing activities on the Kinleith industrial site |
(a) Relevant standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (8) and GRUZ-R7; and (b) In accordance with any Regional Council requirements. |
(19) The storage, treatment, piping and spreading of agricultural effluent including dairy factory liquid by-products and wastes as a fertiliser and/or for irrigation purposes |
GURZ-R6(7) and GRUZ-R7 |
(20) Any activities carried out in accordance with a Conservation Management Strategy, or management plan under the Reserves Act 1977 or the Conservation Act 1987 |
Relevant standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (8) and GRUZ-R7
|
(21) Recreational hunting | |
(22) Mineral exploration, mining and quarrying, if the amount of material extracted from each site does not exceed 1000 cubic metres per year. |
NFL-R5(1) and NFL-R5(2) |
(23) Emergency Service Facilities |
Relevant standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (7) and GRUZ-R7 |
(24) Relocatable buildings |
(a) Relevant standards R6(1) to (6); R6(8)and R6(9) (b) Relevant standards in GURZ-R7 |
(25) Aircraft landing areas, aerodromes and associated facilities. |
Relevant standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (8) and GRUZ-R7 |
GRUZ-R2 CON Activities |
Subject to |
(1) Marae development and papakāinga |
Matters of control (a) The potential impact of the development on traffic safety and efficiency (b) The effect of any educational and employment initiatives upon the amenity values of nearby properties |
(2) Conversion of commercial forestry land for farming ADVICE NOTE: the conversion process excludes the harvesting (felling and extraction) of timber from the site as provided for in the definition of forestry |
Matters of control (a) Measures to manage the effects on riparian margins including existing indigenous vegetation and stock access within these margins (b) Conditions of consent that ensure standards in GRUZ-R6(1) to (8) and GRUZ-R7 are implemented in an appropriate manner to minimise the actual and potential adverse effects including cumulative effects of the activity. (c) Measures to manage the actual and potential effects resulting from the extent of disturbance of natural character, access, amenity values and landscapes including cultural landscapes, cultural sites, and archaeological sites, and indigenous biodiversity. (d) Monitoring and/or review conditions |
GRUZ-R3 RDIS |
Subject to |
(1) Any activity listed in GRUZ-R1 (except for commercial tourism and recreational activities) that does not comply with the relevant Standards in GRUZ-R6 |
Matters of discretion (a) Matters related to the effect of allowing non-compliance with the particular standard(s) which the proposal has failed to meet. (b) AA-R3(2) |
(2) Any activity listed in GRUZ-R2 that does not comply with the relevant standards in GRUZ-R6 |
(a) Matters related to the effect of allowing non-compliance with the particular standard(s) which the proposal has failed to meet. (b) The matters of control under GRUZ-R2 (c) AA-R3(2) |
(3) Any building that does not conform to the setbacks in GRUZ-R6(2), subject to an application providing a geotechnical assessment to assess potential erosion and instability threats for those identified building sites |
(a) Matters related to the effect of allowing non-compliance with the particular standard(s) which the proposal has failed to meet. (b) AA-R3(2) (c) Distance between residential unit and intensive indoor primary production (d) Effects on other land use activities, including reverse sensitivity effects (e) Matters in industry Codes of Practice. |
(4) Poultry farming complying with the minimum setbacks specified in R6(9) |
(a) GRUZ-R6(2)(c) (b) Any building, compound or part of a site used for poultry farming shall be setback a minimum of 300m from any residential unit; any educational facility; and any residential care homes and homes for the aged (but excluding residential units and the other listed facilities within the property containing the poultry farming activity). (c) Shed location, scale and design (d) Compliance with relevant industry standards or codes of practice (e) The extent of landscaping, and the on-going maintenance of landscaping (f) The means of ventilation from the sheds (g) Impacts of topography and prevailing winds (h) Traffic effects (i) The provision of a Management Plan specifying how operational practices will mitigate potential adverse odour, noise and dust effects, including a waste management strategy and a complaints and monitoring procedure (j) AA-R3(2) |
GRUZ-R4 DIS Activities |
Subject to |
(1) Activities that are not PER, CON, or RDIS will be DIS activities in the GRUZ
|
Matters of discretion (a) AA-R4 (b) Standards in GRUZ-R6 used as a guide (c) The extent to which the proposal concerns a novel or different type of land-use activity that could not have been anticipated when the plan was developed |
(2) Intensive indoor primary production except for poultry farming activities under R3(3) |
(a) AA-R4 (b) Standards in GRUZ-R6 used as a guide (c) The degree of separation proposed between any building or pen housing animals and any building, boundary or road. Council may increase or relax the separation distance where on the grounds of public health, amenity values, intensity of use, odour, noise, visibility, noxiousness or other reasons it is appropriate to do so. The separation distances proposed by the Pork Industry Board’s Code of Practice shall be used as a guideline for assessing the adequacy of separation around any proposed pig farming operation. |
(3) Club or group outdoor recreation activities involving motor sports or firearms |
(a) AA-R4 (b) Standards in GRUZ-R6 used as a guide |
(4) Service stations including motor vehicle repair garages |
(a) AA-R4 (b) Standards in GRUZ-R6 used as a guide (c) The extent to which the proposal will be screened from adjacent residential activity by landscaping or fencing (d) The effect of any access points on traffic safety and efficiency (e) The extent to which lighting will be managed to avoid nuisance on residential properties (f) Whether vehicle parking and manoeuvring can be accommodated on site (g) The extent to which signs comply with general controls in the zone (h) The adequacy of proposals to collect and deal with potentially contaminated stormwater (i) The extent to which the proposal is likely to have an effect on the amenity values sought by the objectives for the zone. |
(5) Transport and courier depots |
(a) AA-R4 (b) Standards in GRUZ-R6 used as a guide |
(6) Any industry which is ancillary to primary production excluding quarrying activities, including premises used for the manufacture of milk products, abattoirs, timber processing, stock yards and saleyards, cool stores and pack houses |
(a) AA-R4 (b) Standards in GRUZ-R6 used as a guide (c) The degree to which the proposal meets the standards specified for industries in the GIZ (d) The effect of the activity upon the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River |
(7) Mineral exploration, mining and quarrying activities if the amount of material extracted from each site exceeds 1000 cubic metres per year. This does not include quarrying allowed as part of the definition of forestry. |
(a) AA-R4 (b) Standards in GRUZ-R6 used as a guide (c) The techniques to be used in the operation (d) The likely duration of the quarrying or filling (e) Restoration and the ultimate use of the site (f) Adequate set-back and separation distances from roadways and adjoining uses, for visual amenity reasons and for noise attenuation (g) Traffic management measures for heavy vehicles |
(8) Any industry ancillary to or associated with mineral exploration, mining and quarrying | |
(9) Commercial tourism and recreational activities that do not conform to theStandards in GRUZ-R6 |
(a) AA-R4 (b) Standards in GRUZ-R6 used as a guide |
(10) Commercial aircraft landing areas, aerodromes and associated facilities | |
(11) Poultry farming that does not comply with the minimum standards in R6(9) |
(a) AA-R4 (b) Standards in GRUZ-R6 used as a guide (c) The degree of separation proposed between any building or pen housing animals and any building, boundary or road. Council may increase or relax the separation distance where on the grounds of public health, amenity values, intensity of use, odour, noise, visibility, noxiousness or other reasons it is appropriate to do so. |
GRUZ-R5 NC Activities |
Subject to |
(1) Outdoor Storage |
|
(a) The minimum building setback requirements for residential units and accessory buildings are:
i) 10 metres from the front boundary
ii) 5 metres from side and rear boundaries
(b) The minimum setback for all other buildings (except as provided for under GRUZ-R6(2)) is 15 metres.
(a) All buildings must be setback at least 25 metres from the top of the bank of the Waikato River, and from hydro-electric power operating easements at least 25 metres
(b) All buildings must be set back at least 20 metres from:
i) the bed of any other river or lake
ii) the edge of any wetland with an area greater than 0.5 hectares
(c) All buildings housing animals must be set back at least:
i) 50 metres from any property boundary, excluding a road boundary, for sites of more than four hectares
ii) 25 metres from any property boundary, excluding a road boundary, for sites of four hectares or less.
(d) New residential units, educational facilities as well as residential care homes and homes for the aged shall be located at least 300 metres from any building, compound or part of a site used for poultry farming or an intensive indoor primary production activity on a neighbouring site.
(e) New residential units shall be located at least 50 metres from the boundary of a site in the Industrial zone.
(f) All new buildings must be setback at least 30m from the legal boundary of an existing plantation forest.
(g) Any tree planted in the vicinity of any road boundary shall be so located that the tree will be wholly located within the property at full growth.
(h) Trees planted within 20m of any road intersection will not be permitted unless of such type or so located as not to impair visibility from the intersection whether at time of planting or in the future. Council may require the removal of any trees that unduly restrict visibility at an intersection.
(i) Council consent shall be obtained prior to the undertaking of any continuous planting of trees likely to grow to a height in excess of 10m and located within 5m of any local road boundary and 20m of the sealed edge of any state highway. When considering any application made under this Rule, Council shall take into account the likely effect on the road and road user during the winter months.
(j) New residential units shall be located outside of the setback as shown on Planning Maps 6 and 9, being a setback distance of 300m from the boundary of a site containing mineral exploration, mining and quarrying activities.
(a) Maximum Building Height - 15 metres
(b) Maximum Height in Relation to Boundary - No part of any building shall protrude through a plane rising at an angle of 45 degrees commencing at an elevation of 3 metres measured at the boundary
(c) No building, structure, mast, tree or other object shall penetrate any of the Tokoroa Airport approach/departure slopes, transitional side slopes or horizontal surface as shown on Planning Map No’s 31, 32, 35, 38 and 44. Where the ground rises so that it penetrates or becomes close to the approach/departure slopes or transitional side slopes then these slopes may be adjusted in conformity with the contours of the ground so as to provide a vertical clearance of 10 metres above ground level. Refer to SPZ-AIRP-R5(3)(b).
(d) Parts of buildings that may protrude through the height control lines are chimneys, flues and similar projections, television, and telecommunication aerials and dishes, rainwater tanks, domestic scale renewable energy devices, and in addition on commercial and industrial buildings, lift machinery, air-conditioning and heating plants; all attached to the building and projecting not more than 3m above the buildingheight standard for the zone, and less than 4m2 in area.
(a) The maximum amount of the site which can be covered by buildings is:
(i) 5% for sites of one hectare or more
(ii) 10% for sites less than one hectare
(b) The maximum gross floor area of any building is 500m2
Residential Units shall be subject to the following restrictions:
Area of Property (ha) |
Maximum number of residential units |
Less than 4 |
1 |
4-70 |
2 |
70-150 |
3 |
Over 150 |
5 |
For the purpose of this rule ‘property’ means land in one Computer Freehold Register.
(a) All silt shall be contained within the site from which it is sourced, except where the discharge is authorised by a resource consent or rule in the Waikato Regional Plan
(b) Any stockpiles of loose material shall be contained or maintained in such a manner to prevent dispersal of material into the air causing nuisance to a neighbouring property, unless the discharge is authorised by a resource consent or rule in the Waikato Regional Plan.
Storage, treatment or spreading of agricultural effluent including dairy factory liquid by-products and wastes as a fertiliser and/or for irrigation purposes, shall not be undertaken within 50 metres of a residential unit or property boundary, or within 20 metres of the edge of a waterbody (wetlands, or the banks of any river, stream or lake). This rule does not apply to spreading dry manure or fertiliser.
(a) Any relocatable building intended for use as a residential unit (excluding previously used garages and accessory buildings) must have been designed, built and used as a residential unit.
(b) A building pre-inspection report by an independent Licenced Building Practitioner (design) or building surveyor shall accompany the application for a building consent for the destination site prior to relocation. That report is to identify:
i) All reinstatement works that are to be completed to the exterior of the building, and
ii) Proposed insulation to meet Clause H1 (energy efficiency) of the New Zealand Building Code (for Zone 2) for underfloor and ceiling insulation (compliance is to be ascertained in accordance with the compliance document for the New Zealand Building Code, Clause H1 Energy Efficiency - third edition, or any equivalent solution.)
(c) The building shall be located on permanent foundations approved by building consent, no later than 2 months of the building being moved to the site.
(d) All other reinstatement work and insulation required by the building inspection report and the building consent to reinstate the exterior of any relocatable building shall be completed within 12 months of the building being delivered to the site. Reinstatement work is to include connections to all infrastructure services and closing in and ventilation of the foundations.
(e) The proposed owner of the relocatable building must certify to the Council that all reinstatement work will be completed within the twelve-month period of the building being delivered to the site.
(a) Any building, compound or part of a site used for poultry farming shall be setback a minimum of 300m from any residential unit, any educational facilitiy; and any residential care homes and homes for the aged (but excluding residential units and the other listed facilities within the property containing the poultry farming activity).
(a) Residential units do not include residential use of tents, buses or caravans/camper vans, whether in association with use of another building or not, except for a period not exceeding one month
(b) It includes the construction, alteration, removal or demolition of residential units (except buildings listed in SCHED1-HH), an existing residential unit moved within the same site, and new prefabricated residential units that are constructed elsewhere and then moved onto the site.
(a) Involves no more than up to four full-time equivalent staff.
(b) Does not generate more than a total of 20 vehicle movements per day (i.e. a total of 10 vehicles involved in the commercial activity visiting and leaving the site).
(c) Shall not generate vehicle movements between the hours of 7.00pm and 7.00am.
(d) Does not involve any exterior display or indication of the home business activity (apart from signage complying with the relevant standards in Chapter 12.5 Signs).
(e) Does not cause any dust nuisance and/or objectionable odour as defined by a Council Enforcement Officer.
(f) Does not include motor vehicle repair garages; wrecking and/or storage or recycling of vehicles; storage or recycling of vehicle parts, redundant white ware, bicycle frames, tyres, household waste, clothing, general rubbish; panel beating, spray painting or fibre-glassing; or facilities for the boarding, breeding and/or training of animals on a commercial basis.
(g) Does not include the slaughtering of animals, or the manufacturing or retail sale of food prepared in the kitchen of the residential unit.
(h) The maximum floor area available for retail sales is 50m².
The following may also be relevant:
(1) Section 7.1 Energy, 7.2 Infrastructure, 7.3 Transportation
(2) Section 8.1 Contaminated Land, 8.2 Hazardous Substances, 8.3 Natural Hazards
(3) Section 9.1 Historic Heritage, 9.2 Sites and Areas of Significance to Māori,
(4) Section 10.1 Ecosystems and Indigenous Biodiversity, 10.2 Natural Character, 10.3 Natural Features and Landscapes, 10.4 Public Access
(5) Chapter 11 Subdivision
(6) Section 12.1 All activities
(7) Section 12.2 Activities on the Surface of Water, 12.3 Air Emissions, 12.4 Earthworks, 12.6 Light, 12.7 Noise, 12.8 Signs, 12.9 Temporary Activities
(8) Part 3- Any relevant overlay
The Waikato Regional Plan should also be consulted to ensure that there are no additional resource consents required from the Regional Council for structures within or in close proximity to waterways, or the modification of waterways, or for the discharge of effluent to land.
Support workshops and education programmes with key stakeholder groups to progressively encourage land management and behavioural changes, to complement industry-led programmes and initiatives
Support research programmes aimed at understanding the most sensitive areas of the district susceptible to environmental degradation due to the change in and intensification of land-use activities
Working with the Regional Council to improve the understanding of the characteristics and dynamics of the land and water resources of the catchments in the district for sustainable land uses
The district plan has an important role protecting the productive potential and the numerous other natural and ecological values of the rural land resource. The use of zoning and activity lists and standards aims to ensure sustainable use of the productive potential of the rural area continues. This approach will safeguard the natural and physical resources of the rural area for future generations and maximise the continued significant contribution of land-based activities and processing industries to the district’s economic progress. This includes the provision of ecosystem services such as food and clean water, flood and disease control, and spiritual and cultural benefits.
The policy framework aims to ensure the conservation of the soil resource, the enablement of primary production processing in the district where the grass and timber resource is well established, and to acknowledge that the rural area is a working environment and accordingly generates some environmental effects for neighbours.
Development in the rural area will be managed to avoid unnecessarily constraining established and legitimate primary production activities and other rural-based activities.
Primary production activities continue to promote the sustainable management of the land resource and enhance the social, economic and cultural wellbeing of the rural community.
Rural activities are managed to restore and protect the health and wellbeing of the waterways in the Waikato River catchment to help achieve the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River.
The scale and form of development utilises and protects the rural land resource and maintains the range of potential production purposes.
Rural activities minimise their potential to create reverse sensitivity issues associated with noise, dust and traffic affecting development in close proximity to them.
Land use and development of new activities is based on a legitimate need for a rural location.
The lawful operation of existing rural-based activities, of large-scale industrial facilities within the adjoining Industrial Zone, are not constrained by the introduction of new rural or rural lifestyle land- uses in the locality.
Low impact and small scale commercial outdoor recreational activities operate in a complementary way with established rural-based activities.
Rural activities implement best management practices to avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse environmental effects.