How is the PDP relevant to me?
Why should I care about the District Plan?
The District Plan affects almost everything you do on the land (whether you are a landowner or not), and how you do it. The plan minimises the need for regulation by providing a framework to control land use. The level of management is focused on the potential for adverse effects. Some of the most common ways the District Plan can affect you are:
- Intensity of land use
- Location and design of a new development
- What kind of business can operate next door to you
- Whether you or your neighbour can subdivide land and for what purpose
- How our indigenous biodiversity, and cultural and historical heritage are managed and protected
- The different type and scale of commercial activities for different locations
- Noise standards for different activities
- Whether your property is at risk from natural hazards.
- During the appeals period, both the Operative District Plan and the Proposed District Plan – Decisions version apply. See the Council decisions on submissions page for more information.
What information will be put on LIMs as a result of the Proposed District Plan?
From 30 June 2026, LIMs will identify all layers from the Proposed District Plan – Decisions Version and the Operative District Plan.
Will my rates or development contributions change because of the Proposed District Plan?
Any changes to current rates and development contributions will be considered by the council through future annual and long-term plans, separate to the District Plan review process.
How do I know which rules apply to me?
To find out how the Proposed District Plan may affect you and which proposed rules may apply go to the Proposed District Plan -Decisions Version ePlan here.
Make sure you open the Proposed ePlan in Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox browsers. It doesn’t work in Internet Explorer.
In the Proposed ePlan, search for a property by typing the address into the search bar. For more detail on the property search results and how to find your way around the ePlan, check out How to use the ePlan. You can also contact the council’s District Plan Team by emailing pdp@fndc.govt.nz or calling 0800 920 029.
For those unable to access the Proposed District Plan - Decisions Version ePlan online, you can view a hard copy of the plan at the council’s Kaikohe, Kerikeri and Kaitāia service centres.
What's a District Plan?
A District Plan is how we manage land use and subdivision. It’s essentially a 10-year ‘rule book’ that makes clear what activities you can do as of right (permitted activities) and what activities you or your neighbour will need a resource consent for. In addition to regulating what you can or cannot do on a property, the District Plan also controls any adverse effects your activity could have on the neighbours and vice versa. For example, how much noise you can make or how close to a boundary you can build your house. The District Plan also protects the uniqueness of our district, for example by looking after our cultural and historic heritage, and natural environment and biodiversity.
Why is the current District Plan being reviewed?
The current District Plan was notified in two volumes in 2000, with the majority of provisions being made operative in 2007. Since then our district has changed a lot and our current plan is out of date. We are also required by law (the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA)) to review our District Plan every 10 years. We need to check if it is up to date with all the national policies and regulations that have come into force since the last District Plan was prepared. The new District Plan has been under development for several years. We have now reached the stage where the Proposed District Plan has been notified for further public participation in the plan making process.
What is the Proposed District Plan notification?
The release of the Proposed District Plan is a formal process guided by the RMA. It involves:
- Formal public notification
- A submissions and further submissions process
- A public hearing process The release of decisions
- Appeal rights to the Environment Court.
How is a District Plan different from a Long Term Plan?
While the District Plan is the rule book, the Long Term Plan details the council’s budget plan and work programme over a 10-year period.
How is the Proposed District Plan different from the current Operative District Plan?
The Proposed District Plan is supported by a large amount of research and technical evidence, which has been developed during the review of the current Operative District Plan. It has also been informed by engagement with tangata whenua, key stakeholders and the wider Far North community. Key differences between the Operative and Proposed District Plans are:
- The Operative Plan is an effects-based plan. The Proposed Plan is considered an activities-based plan, which gives plan users more certainty around what activities fit better in particular places
- Instead of two volumes like the current District Plan (PDF Text and Maps), the Proposed Plan is contained in an ePlan.
- The Proposed Plan includes strategic objectives to provide an overarching tone and direction for any new activities in the district.
- The Proposed Plan simplifies the rule structure by using colour coding to indicate status (i.e. does an activity require a consent) and uses a format with a logical flow through different activity types.
For further information, please visit: Proposed District Plan home Far North District Council and read the section 32 report relevant to your situation Section 32 Reports Far North District Council.
Some guidance has been prepared to assist with Papakainga provisions promoted in the Proposed District Plan. This guidance is not to replace the PDP objectives, policies, rules and methods, or the section 32 reporting associated with eh Proposed District Plan. It provides some graphic representations of the methods promoted in the plan and is not part of the Proposed District Plan.
What are existing use rights?
In situations where an activity is ongoing and was permitted under the current plan or an earlier one but now requires resource consent under the Proposed District Plan, the activity is protected by existing use rights under s10 of the RMA and no further resource consent is required. This is the same for an activity that was established by way of resource consent.
However, the protection is only for the activity as it was lawfully established under the current or earlier plan. It must remain the same or similar in terms of scale, intensity and character as existed prior to Proposed District Plan notification, and must not cease for more than 12 months. If you have any doubts whether an activity can rely on existing use rights, then contact the council Duty Planner at duty.planner@fndc.govt.nz or call 0800 920 029. An application can be made under s139A (Existing Use Rights certificate) of the RMA that confirms lawful establishment and ongoing operation.
What technical information has been gathered to inform the Proposed District Plan?
District plans require a large amount of evidence and technical information to support their direction and provisions. Technical reports and other relevant documents which have been developed during the review of the current Far North District Plan can be found on our supporting information webpage.
What impact does the RMA reform have on the Proposed District Plan?
The proposed Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bills are expected to be enacted in September 2026 with a transition period spanning several years. The Proposed District Plan will provide a sound platform for integration into a regional plan and will provide a more streamlined and up-to-date approach to achieving the environmental, economic, social and cultural outcomes during the transition period.