Proposed district plan timeline

Clause 10A timeframe extension

The council received a timeframe extension approval from the Minister for the Environment for the Proposed District Plan project. Decisions on submissions must be notified by 27 May 2026. The public notice of the timeframe extension and supporting documents are available below:

Timeline overview

The current District Plan review process was initiated in 2016. A key part of that review process was undertaken in 2022 when we formally notified the Proposed District Plan and called for submissions. We received 580 submissions that raised thousands of requests to be considered.

We then provided an opportunity for landowners, tangata whenua, the wider community, and stakeholders to tell us whether they support or oppose what was requested in those original submissions. We still have several steps to complete before adopting a new District Plan. These are shown below.

Anyone who has made a submission or a further submission, can participate in hearings where they have indicated they wish to be heard. These submitters also have the right to appeal to the Environment Court if they disagree with the council's final decision.

What happens next?

Hearings have concluded and we are awaiting recommendations from the hearings panel. Once Council have received the recommendations, staff will workshop these with elected members and then take them to a Council meeting for formal adoption in May/June 2026.

Decisions on the PDP

In 2026 the council will give notice of its decisions on the Proposed District Plan based on the recommendations of the hearings panel.

Submitters have the option to appeal decisions to the Environment Court.
The plan will then be adopted, except any parts of the plan subject to an ongoing appeal.
The final District Plan will not be fully operative until all appeals relating to it have been resolved.