RURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY2012 UPDATE

IntroductionCouncil is required to review the District Plan at least every 10 years, so by 2017 the current Plan must be reviewed. Council prepares high level documents to provide strategic direction for reviewing the Plan. In the past there has been little consideration given to the management of the rural area. The draft Rural Development Strategy (RDS) has been prepared to identify the important resource management issues for the rural area, and to provide strategic direction to co-ordinate and guide the review of District Plan’s rural provisions over the next five years.

The draft RDS takes into consideration and expands on the outcomes of Council’s recently adopted Growth Strategy, as well as a wide range of views from industry and community groups.

The RDS will provide a high level vision for the rural area that will underpin more detailed work on future District Plan changes. As part of these future Plan changes any affected landowners will be individually notified and given the opportunity to submit on specific provisions under the statutory notification and submission processes.

Themes and the Vision

living options choice diverse views/activities life stages lifestyle alternatives variety flexibility freedom costal and rural · landforms land uses cultural ecology different diversity productive uses distance from urban area accessibility community values changes—seasonal/time · utilising productive areas value for money productive economy balanced system efficiency appropriate lot sizes access to natural features/markets/labour · avoiding reverse sensitivity efficient servicing promotes sense of community social interaction security protection relationships certainty strong focus choices consolidation avoiding conflicts compatibility · certainty investment reverse sensitivity unchanging planned efficiency resilience adapt to change preparedness confidence avoidance self sufficiency servicing future proofing maintenance what you need and when contained practicality having control perseverance longevity · community values sense of place traditions cultural ties identity heritage location aspect pride parochialism celebrations events language settlement ties connections

Our diverse & productive rural environment - supporting communities and a thriving economy

W a i r o a R i v e rW a i r o a R i v e r

B r e a m B a yB r e a m B a y

M a n g a k a h i a R i v e rM a n g a k a h i a R i v e r

M a n g a n u i R i v e rM a n g a n u i R i v e r

P a c i f i c C o a s tP a c i f i c C o a s t

W h a n g a r e i H a r b o u rW h a n g a r e i H a r b o u r

M a n g a n u i R i v e rM a n g a n u i R i v e r

B a y o f I s l a n d sB a y o f I s l a n d s

Maungatapere

Maungakaramea

Titoki

Pipiwai

Mangapai

Waiotira

Ruatangata West

Pataua

Oakura

Ngunguru

Tutukaka

Taurikura

Matapouri

Waipu Cove

McLeod Bay

Taiharuru

Whananaki

Mouresses

Helena Bay

Whangaruru

Ocean Beach

Kauri Dairy Factory

Portland Cement Works

Rural LivingClusters

Rural and Coastal Villages and Hamlets

Rural Villages

Rural Hamlets

Coastal Villages

Coastal Hamlets

Coastal Area of Influence

Coastal Policy AreasBland Bay - Mimiwhangata

Bream Bay

Horohora-Awahoa

Ngunguru

Ocean Beach - Whangarei Heads

Parua Bay - Waikaraka

Portland - Takahiwai

Sandy Bay - Tutukaka Coast

Urban Fringe

Whananaki

Rural Development Strategic Direction

District-wideDistrict-wide context

Resource areasDistrict-wide contexte.g. vegetation, esplanade priorityareas

RuralGeographical contexte.g. catchments

Policy areasLocal contexte.g. coastal policy areas

Environments (zones)Neighbourhood contexte.g. rural production environment, rural village environment

Rural environment

District Plan Layers

So farThe RDS follows on from Sustainable Futures 30/50 with priority given to avoiding scattered lifestyle development on productive farmland and managing reverse sensitivity.

The actions set out in the RDS will form the basis for changes to the District Plan zone rules and were derived from feedback received from industry and the public. The Rural Development Strategic Direction Map illustrates the actions.

From feedback six themes emerged. The themes fed into the vision for the RDS. The themes and vision are located on the front of this brochure.

The themes link to the actions in the RDS as follows:

Choice - providing living choices in the rural environment through the creation of new zones.

Diversity - recognising the diverse and changing rural environment through catchments and policy areas.

Production - to protect the productive functions of the rural environment through the middle tier of the Plan and the Rural Production Environment (zone).

Consolidation - to promote consolidation of living and industrial activities to avoid conflicts through the creation of new zones.

Confidence - planning strategically so communities are resilient through district wide issue identification and the creation of new zones.

Identity - recognising the sense of place of different communities through policy areas.

District wide issues include Hazards and Contaminated Sites, Biodiversity, Infrastructure, Network Utilities, Cultural Values, Landscape, Heritage Values, Water Resources

The middle tier of the District Plan will include a new section for the rural environment to set out the context of rural areas relative to urban & coastal areas. The rural section will recognise catchments and that land use activities carried out within them can significantly affect the receiving waterbodies

• Where common issues affect multiple zones policy areas will ensure targeted methods for specific outcomes

• Like the way the Costal Management Strategy identified coastal policy areas where localities of common interest can be identified and

• The existing Coastal and Countryside Environments are replaced with all new Environments (zones)

• Rural Production—Rural environments for rural production activities like farming

• Rural Living — For the hobby farmer who enjoys the lifestyle

• Rural Village—Stronger communities through mixed use opportunities

• Rural Industry—To protect activities of strategic importance like Kauri Dairy Factory and Portland Cement Works

How it all fits together

The Actions District Plan Layers

We want your feedback We want to know what you think of what we have come up with so far for the RDS and if you think we are heading in the right direction.

All feedback needs to be with Council by 4pm 5 November 2012 on the attached feedback postcard which can be mailed back to us free of charge to:

Whangarei District Council Policy and Monitoring Department Private Bag 9023 Whangarei 0148 (fax: 09 438 7632)

The plan from here

Private Bag 9023, Whangarei 0148 | Forum North Building, Rust Ave, WhangareiRuakaka Service Centre, Takutai Place, Ruakaka Phone: +64 9 430 4200 | Fax: +64 9 438 7632Email: mailroom@wdc.govt.nz | Website: www.wdc.govt.nz

Receive feedback from affected landowners (Oct 2012)

Consider and incorporate feedback into RDS as appropriate (Nov 2012)

Finalise RDS (Dec 2012)

Adopt RDS (Dec 2012)

Begin drafting plan changes for RDS (Dec 2012-Mar 2013)