The rural area is the location for the network utilities and infrastructure that enable the South Waikato to function and link it to the rest of New Zealand.
The section of the Waikato River running through the district has five hydro-electric power generation facilities, and there are also major National Grid, electricity lines, and gas transmission lines in the district. These are of national significance and have been recognised within the district plan. Their future and that of additional renewable energy generation, are provided for through a Special Purpose Zone- Electricity Generation Zone.
Specific upgrading and maintenance works on telecommunications facilities and on existing electricity transmission lines are permitted nationally under National Environmental Standards. These standards prevail over the requirements of the district plan, unless the NES specifically states otherwise.
Standards have been developed which address potential adverse environmental effects of infrastructure and aim to avoid incompatible development that could result in pressure for infrastructure facilities to be curtailed. Managing the potential impacts of infrastructure on outstanding landscapes and significant natural areas and historic heritage is of particular importance.
Network utilities and infrastructure are physical resources and include infrastructure such as telecommunications, radiocommunication, water supplies, sewage and stormwater disposal systems.
The District contains utilities that play a key role in New Zealand’s economy and prosperity and networks underpin the district’s future. Since utility corridors traverse a number of different zones, the plan’s approach is to make them permitted activities throughout the District, subject to consistent standards.
It is recognised that utilities can have significant adverse effects, for example upon important landscapes and significant natural values. In such circumstances, a balance needs to be struck between competing issues associated with natural and physical resource use. Such a balance must be achieved on a case-by-case basis, having regard to the costs, benefits and effects of the particular proposal.
To provide for the sustainable, secure and efficient use and development of infrastructure within the District, while seeking to avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects on the environment recognising the technical, locational and operational requirements and constraints of the infrastructure concerned.
To provide for the important and safeguard it from the reverse sensitivity effects of inappropriate subdivision, use and development.
To provide for outward expansion of existing townships where the new areas can be efficiently serviced with network utilities and infrastructure including provision for cycling and pedestrians, and where funding provision has been made consistent with the level of projected demand for new building sites for houses and businesses.
To ensure that new urban development is efficiently serviced and integrated to mitigate adverse effects on existing network utilities and infrastructure, and the health, safety and wellbeing of people and communities.
To recognise and provide for the national, regional and local benefits of a sustainable, radiocommunication and telecommunication facilities including broadband.
To provide for new network utility and infrastructure developments, 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 identify and address possible effects from urban activities on the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River and its catchments during decision making.
Enable the provision and expansion of the network utilities and infrastructure and industrial facilities, that are necessary to underpin the operation and prosperity of the District’s urban areas while managing new subdivision and land-uses that may potentially conflict with, restrict or compromise the existing operation of the District's key industrial sites.
Land within the Putaruru Growth Cells will not be developed for urban use until the provision of network utilities and infrastructure to service the land is secured through private developer agreements or other appropriate legal mechanisms.
Each Putaruru Growth Cell shall be developed and serviced to provide sufficient capacity in network utilities and infrastructure for the scale and density of residential and or business development anticipated for the entire Growth Cell.
Safeguard the operational performance, maintenance and minor upgrade of the National Grid and other network utilities and infrastructure in the rural area by managing the adverse effects of neighbouring activities.
Promote consolidation of new residential, commercial and industrial development in the existing vacant, zoned and serviced land in order to achieve the efficient use of existing infrastructure.
Allow new telecommunications lines to only traverse areas identified as Outstanding Natural Landscapes, Significant Natural Areas and Significant Amenity Landscapes where the infrastructure is subject to a significant functional constraint, or where there is no feasible alternative route and/or when significant adverse effects are outweighed by the overall benefits of the proposal.
Enable infrastructure development where the associated effects are avoided, remedied or mitigated and the functional requirements of the developer and operator of the network utilities and infrastructure are considered.
Manage infrastructure development to ensure it does not adversely affect the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River.
Manage infrastructure development to avoid adverse effects on the historic heritage of the district, whilst recognising the technical, locational and operational requirements and constraints of the infrastructure concerned.
Provide for infrastructure developments 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 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 network utilities and infrastructure.
Enable emergency service facilities to establish and operate throughout the district by implementing appropriate development controls.
Manage use and development that may adversely affect the existing operation of network utilities and infrastructure and related activities.
INF-R1 Per activities |
Subject to |
(1) The operation, maintenance, minor upgrading or repair of existing, lawfully established infrastructure, except within the SPZ-ELG |
(a) INF-R6(1) to INF-R6(3) and INF-R6(5) (b) INF-R8
|
(2) Pipe renewals, and any ongoing maintenance or repair of existing, lawfully established network utilities and infrastructure, except within the SPZ-ELG | |
(3) Underground pipes, cables and lines, and necessary incidental equipment including pump stations |
(a) INF-R6(1) to INF-R6(3) and INF-R6(5) (b) INF-R8 |
(4) Navigational aids and beacons | |
(5) Soil conservation and river control works | |
(6) Land drainage, stormwater control or irrigation works including pump stations | |
(7) Trig stations and survey marks | |
(8) Radiocommunication and/or telecommunication facilities | |
(9) Meteorological instruments and facilities | |
(10) Water storage tanks, reservoirs and wells, including pump stations | |
(11) All works proposed by a network utility operator and authorised under road opening notice procedures. | |
(12) Fire stations | |
(13) Recycling depots with a gross area of less than 20m2 |
INF-R6(6) and INF-R8 |
INF-R2 CON activities within GIZ,COMZ & GRUZ |
Subject to |
(1) Refuse transfer stations |
Matters of control (a) AA-R3(1) and AA-R3(2) (b) INF-R6(1)-(3), R6(6) (c) INF-R8 |
(2) Recycling depots with a gross floor area of over 20m2 |
Matters of control (a) AA-R3(1) and AA-R3(2) (b) INF-R6(1)-(3) as a guide (c) INF-R8 |
INF-R3 RDIS activities |
Subject to |
(a) Any PER or CON activity specified above which does not comply with any of the relevant standards in R5
|
Matters of discretion (a) INF-R6(1)-(6) and INF-R8 as a guide (b) AA-R3(1) and AA-R3(2) (c) In assessing the effects of non-compliance withand in addition to criteria AA-R3(2)(m) and (q). Council restricts its discretion to the degree of non-compliance and the extent to which that non-compliance results in adverse effects on waterbodies, including cultural effects. |
INF-R4 DIS activities |
Subject to |
(1) Network utilities and infrastructure except for existing hydroelectric power generating infrastructure and associated activities within the SPZ-ELGZ, not otherwise specified as PER, CON or RDIS |
(a) AA-R4(1) to (3) (b) INF-R8 as a guide |
INF-R5 NC activities COMZ-PREC3, GRZ-PREC3, MU-SETZ,GRUZ,RLZ, and GIZ |
Subject to |
(1) Within the National Grid Yard (a) Any building or addition to a building for a sensitive activity (b) Any change of use to a sensitive activity or the establishment of a new sensitive activity (c) Any building, structure or earthworks not PER by INF-R6(5) |
RMA provisions
|
The following Standards apply to all activities specified in INF-R1-PER activities (except for the operation, maintenance, minor upgrading or repair of existing electricity lines or cables) or INF-R2-CON activities and to RDIS activities in that zone if granted. Failure to comply with one or more of the standards results in that activity being a RDIS activity.
(a) New masts, and poles supporting lines, shall not exceed a maximum height of 12 metres
(b) Structures other than masts and poles shall not exceed a maximum height of 8 metres, and shall comply with the height plane requirements in the relevant zone
(c) No mast or building shall be closer than 5 metres to any site boundary. This 5m setback shall not apply to network utility and infrastructure buildings with a floor area of less than 10m2, or to overhead lines and cables including any support structures. This 5m setback also shall not apply to masts in respect of the road boundary of the site concerned
(d) No dish antenna shall exceed a diameter of 2.5 metres.
(a) The following setback requirements shall apply to masts and poles with a height of 12m or less:
(i) On sites in GRUZ and RLZ
(ii) On sites in COMZ, or GIZ:
(b) Other structures (except network utility and infrastructure buildings with a floor area of less than 10 m2) shall comply with the relevant setback and height requirements for the zone in which they are located. These height and setback requirements shall not apply to overhead lines and cables including support structures (e.g. poles or towers)
(c) Masts and poles shall have a maximum height of 25m in GIZ and GRUZ and 20m in other zones
(d) Masts with a height of more than 12m shall be set back at least 30 metres from the notional boundary of any residential unit, place of assembly or educational facility
In this rule the notional boundary is defined as a line 20 metres from:
(e) Masts with a height of more than 12m located on any site zoned GRUZ shall be set back at least 20 metres from any road or any boundary of a site zoned GRZ or MU-SETZ.
(a) The height requirements in INF-R6(1) and INF-R6(2) shall not apply to antennas, earthpeaks or lightning conductors which do not exceed a height of 3m above the height of the building, pole, tower or the mast upon which they are sited
(b) Where network utilities or associated structures are located underground, the ground surface and any vegetation disturbed shall be reinstated or replaced as soon as possible
(c) Activities involving works within significant natural areas identified in SCHED3-SNA shall comply with all the rules and standards in Chapter 10.1 ECO.
(a) No activity, or combination of activities on a site shall have either:
(i) A requirement for water from Council’s reticulated supply exceeding 10m3 per connection per day (this does not include water required to be taken or used for emergency or training purposes in accordance with section 48 of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017).
(ii) A requirement to discharge wastewater to a public sewer exceeding 10m3 per connection per day.
(b) Activities within Putaruru Growth Cell 4 shown on the Planning Maps, shall not result in:
(i) An increase in wastewater discharged to Council’s reticulated network that would cause the total amount of wastewater discharged from the Growth Cell to exceed 108 cubic metres per day or
(ii) An increase in demand on Council’s reticulated water supply network that would cause the water supply demand from the Growth Cell to exceed 120 cubic metres per day.
Within any part of a National Grid Yard:
(a) Under the National Grid Conductors (wires)
(i) On existing urban sites, the following buildings and structures are PER within the National Grid Yards:
(b) On all urban sites within the COMZ-PREC3,GRZ-PREC3 and GIZ’s within any part of the National Grid Yard any buildings and structures must:
(i) be PER, or
(ii) be a fence, or
(iii) be Network Utilities within a transport corridor or any part of electricity infrastructure that connects to the National Grid, or
(iv) be an official sign, and (c) below
(c) On any GRUZ and RLZ site all buildings and structures within any part of the National Grid Yard must:
(i) If they are for a sensitive activity, not involve an increase in the building height or building footprint where alterations and additions to existing buildings occur, or
(ii) be a fence, or
(iii) be Network Utilities within a transport corridor or any part of electricity infrastructure that connects to the National Grid, or
(iv) be an uninhabitable farm building or structure for farming activities (but not a milking/dairy shed, poultry farming building, or intensive farm building (excluding ancillary structures)), or
(v) be an uninhabited horticultural building or structure, or
(vi) be an official sign, and
(d) All buildings or structures permitted by (a) and (b) and (a) and (c) for above must comply with at least one of the following conditions:
(i) A minimum vertical clearance of 10m below the lowest point of the conductor associated with National Grid lines or
(ii) Demonstrate that safe electrical clearance distances are maintained under all National Grid line operating conditions.
(e) Activities around National Grid support structures
(i) Buildings and structures within urban sites shall be at least 12m from a National Grid support structure unless it is a:
(ii) Buildings and structures within the GRUZ and RLZ shall be at least 12m from a National Grid support structure unless it is a:
Refuse transfer stations shall be located at least 100 metres from the nearest dwelling
(1) In assessing applications for activities within Putaruru Growth Cell 4 shown on the Planning Maps that do not comply with INF-R5(4)(b) relating to water supply and/or wastewater disposal, the matters in respect of which the Council has restricted its discretion are:
(a) The availability of sufficient water and wastewater infrastructure including water supply for firefighting in accordance with the NZ Fire Fighting Water Supplies Code of Practice (SNZ PAS 4509:2008), to service future subdivision and/or development throughout Putaruru, including in the residential Growth Cells identified by this Plan.
(b) The feasibility of alternative measures to achieve required public wastewater and or water supply capacity,
(c) Whether the staging and design of development will align with the provision of infrastructure so that the overall capacity of the infrastructure is not exceeded.
(d) Whether temporary wastewater or water supply capacity can be provided which does not undermine the long-term solution.
(e) Whether funding or other such measures have been agreed between the Council as service provider and the applicant to achieve the required public wastewater and or water supply capacity.
(f) Means to mitigate effects of the additional demand for water supply and/or wastewater disposal capacity upon the relationship of Raukawa and their culture and traditions with their ancestral lands, water, sites, wāhi tapu and other taonga.
(2) In assessing land-use consent applications for buildings and structures which have become RDIS activities due to proximity to National Grid transmission lines, the matters in respect of which Council has restricted its discretion are:
(a) The extent of compliance with the NZ Electrical Code of Practice for Electrical Safe Distances (NZECP 34:2001)
(b) The location, height, scale, orientation and use of buildings and structures to ensure effects on the following are addressed:
(i) The risk to the structural integrity of the transmission line
(ii) The effects on the ability of the transmission line owner to operate, maintain and upgrade the transmission network
(iii) The risk of electrical hazards affecting public or individual safety, and risk of property damage
(iv) The extent of earthworks required, and use of mobile machinery near the transmission line which may put the line at risk
(v) Minimising the visual effects from the transmission line
(vi) Any other matters set out in plans for buildings and/or structures, and
(vii) Outcomes of any consultation with the relevant line owner
The following also may be relevant:
(1) Chapter 6 Strategic Matters
(2) Section 7.1 Energy, 7.3 Transportation
(3) Section 8.1 Contaminated Land, 8.2 Hazardous Substances, 8.3 Natural Hazards
(4) Section 9.1 Historic Heritage, 9.2 Sites and Areas of Significance to Māori
(5) 10.1 Ecosystems and Indigenous Biodiversity, 10.2 Natural Character, 10.3 Natural Features and Landscapes, 10.4 Public Access
(6) Chapter 11 Subdivision
(7) Section 12.1 All Activities
(8) Section 12.2 Activities on the Surface of Water, 12.3 Air Emissions, 12.4 Earthworks, 12.5 Financial Contribution, 12.6 Light,12.7 Noise, 12.8 Signs, 12.9 Temporary Activities
(9) Part 3- Any relevant zone or overlay
Telecommunications Facilities National Environmental Standard (NES) 2008
Funding for upgrading and maintenance of Council infrastructure networks set aside in the Long-Term Plan
Standards under The Regional Infrastructure Technical Specifications that promote low-impact environmental design solutions and consider climate change implications for stormwater networks.
Works within road reserve administered by South Waikato District Council requires approval of Council as the ‘road controlling authority’. Council issues ‘street opening notices’ for works on local road reserve.
Vegetation to be planted within the transmission or sub-transmission corridors should be selected and/or managed so that it does not breach the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003. To discuss works, including tree planting, near any electrical line, contact the line operator.
Vegetation to be planted within the transmission or sub-transmission corridors should be selected and/or managed so that it does not breach the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003. To discuss works, including tree planting, near any electrical line, contact the line operator.
Functional and efficient infrastructure cannot be achieved only through RMA methods and needs to be furthered through a variety of works undertaken by Council and other utility providers. The importance to the local and national economy of infrastructure, and communications means that if their maintenance and upgrading is not safeguarded under the district plan, there could be significant community impacts. Likewise, the district needs to play its part in the national (and international) imperative to respond to future climate change.
Possible future growth areas to cater for demand in Putaruru beyond the District Plan's ten-year timeframe have also been identified in the Putaruru Growth Plan 2017 and will be considered as part of future District Plan reviews once servicing upgrades have been programmed. Similar growth planning exercises are planned for the District's other towns.
In some circumstances, the Council could enter into Private Developer Agreements to record the level of commitment between the Council and developers to provide for an efficient and integrated network of infrastructure services for each of the Growth Cells.
Private Developer Agreements are expected to:
(a) Set out the agreed list of works (staging, timing, priority) required to support existing and new urban development in the selected growth cell;
(b) Confirm the timing and cost apportionment associated with these works to serve existing and proposed new urban development in the growth cell; and
(c) Set out the circumstances under which the developer can implement development earlier than programmed, if a greater funding contribution is available or Council is unable to confirm long term funding /budget allocations for the necessary infrastructure.
Operation, maintenance and upgrading of utilities is generally provided for, given their necessary function.
The utilities operate at a scale and in locations that minimise adverse effects
The standards that are applied avoid, remedy or mitigate the adverse effects of utilities upon the environment
Infrastructure services are provided by property owners in a manner that promotes the sustainable management of resources.