Background

Traditionally, the Waipā District has had a primarily pastoral farming environment, with some horticulture. These are both 'farming activities' under the District Plan. More recently, climate change and a need to diversify have seen horticulture become more common in the district. With this, the need for shelterbelts and artificial crop protection structures has increased in the Rural Zone.

What is Plan Change 25?

The intent of Plan Change 25 is to provide better clarity on how crop protection occurs within the Rural Zone and consider what the impacts on rural character may be.

Draft Plan Change 25 will be considering provisions relating to:

  • The establishment and maintenance of shelterbelts
  • The construction of crop protection structures associated with farming activities, mainly horticulture.

The objectives of the plan change are to ensure:

  • The efficient and effective use of rural land for farming purposes is maintained
  • Adverse effects on the environment arising from shelterbelts and artificial crop protection structures are appropriately mitigated
  • That the District Plan accounts for the changing land use pattern in a manner consistent with national direction (National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land, and National Environmental Standard for Commercial Forestry)
  • Avoidance of unnecessary resource consent requirements.

What has been done so far?

In August 2023, the council resolved to prepare a draft plan change (Plan Change 30) to address minor technical amendments, which included crop protection structures and shelterbelts.

The focus under Plan Change 30 was amending the shelterbelt rule relating to species, amending yard setbacks, and introducing standards for shade cloth materials related to crop protection structures in the Rural Zone.

The current District Plan provisions were reviewed following contact with industry representatives and concerned landowner groups. This review resulted in the council resolving to separate these topics into Plan Change 25.

From September to October 2024, the Council had conversations with Mana Whenua, Iwi, and other stakeholders, and engaged with the community on the topic of Artificial Crop Protection Structures and Shelterbelts. Over 70 people and groups shared their thoughts through the 'Have Your Say' platform. Responses to all the feedback can be found below in the ‘Plan Change Documentation’ section.

From November 2024 to February 2025, the Council continued meeting with Mana Whenua, Iwi, stakeholders, and interest groups. Staff also visited properties near existing kiwifruit orchards and toured orchard operations in Parallel and Kaipaki Roads.

Based on the feedback received and ongoing discussions with Mana Whenua and Iwi, industry groups, landowners, and utility operators, the first draft of provisions has been updated.

In February 2025, the proposed changes to the draft provisions are being discussed with Elected Members in a workshop.

What is the Operative Waipā District Plan?

The District Plan has provisions for ‘farming activities’, these include:

  • Crop protection structures are deemed to be a building for the purposes of the bulk and location standards (eg. setbacks from boundaries, height, site coverage) and are associated with the permitted farming activities.
  • Shelterbelts are controlled by the maximum height a shelterbelt plant species can grow to – being 6 metres.
  • Crop protection structures, and in certain instances for shelterbelts, require resource consent when located in identified landscape areas.

Community, industry, and council have raised concerns regarding the effectiveness of these provisions, and how the flow-on effects from these structures and shelterbelts should be managed and mitigated.

The intent of Plan Change 25 is to address these concerns and provide greater certainty on how crop protection can occur in the Rural Zone.