Issues

The Rural Lifestyle Zone (RLZ) covers identified rural areas within the District that are mostly characterised by smaller site sizes, rural living activities and small scale farming.

The Rural Lifestyle Zones are generally characterised by:

1. Existing low density and clustered rural living development including dwellings, landscaping/gardens and small scale rural production activities.

2. Presence of some rural production activities and associated effects (such as odour, noise from machinery and livestock and such as barns, green houses and silos).

3. Generally low levels of traffic, other than that associated with seasonal activities.

4. A range of landscapes and a sense of spaciousness, with visual connections to the wider environment.

5. Informal arrangement and design of roadways and structures, subservient to natural landform patterns.

6. Presence of natural features including landforms, watercourses and indigenous vegetation.

The locations of Rural Lifestyle Zones are generally limited so as to contain potential adverse effects on rural amenity and productivity, particularly as they may adversely affect activities in the Rural Production Zone and key infrastructure corridors. Impacts on the local roading network have been considered in the selection of suitable areas for the Rural Lifestyle Zone and unsealed through roads have been avoided due to dust nuisance and the impacts on future road maintenance and seal extensions.

The Rural Lifestyle Zone aims to support rural communities and their identification has specifically considered distance to social infrastructure such as schools and Rural Villages. Due to the locations of Rural Lifestyle Zones and the potential sizes of allotments it is uneconomic, unnecessary and unsustainable to provide reticulated services within the Rural Lifestyle Zone. On-site servicing is common throughout the Rural Area.

It is expected that the rural character of the Rural Lifestyle Zone will be retained through careful siting of buildings and the provision of landscaping to maintain a sense of spaciousness, as well as enabling the continuation of some smaller scale rural land use activities. The effects from rural production activities will generally be limited in scale because of smaller site sizes and the requirement to comply with the environmental standards set out in the District-Wide provisions. The ability to undertake non rural land use activities will be determined by the scale, nature and location of the activity.

Subdivision is limited to that which, in general is in keeping with the average allotment size of the existing environment of the Rural Lifestyle Zone.

Objectives

RLZ-O1Appropriate Locations

Consolidate rural living development in appropriate locations where existing subdivision pattern reflects a rural living environment and adverse effects (including reverse sensitivity effects) can be avoided.

RLZ-O2Living Opportunities

Provide for rural living opportunities while maintaining rural character and amenity.

RLZ-O3Site Sizes

That a variety of site sizes are provided to enable rural living, commercial activities that are ancillary activities to residential activities on the same site and some rural land use activities to occur.

RLZ-O4Non-Rural Activities

Enable the establishment of non-rural activities that are of an appropriate and compatible nature, scale and character to the Rural Lifestyle Zones.

RLZ-O5Viability of Rural Settlements

New or extensions to Rural Lifestyle Zones are managed to protect the viability of Rural Settlements.

Policies

RLZ-P1Rural Lifestyle Zone Character and Amenity

To enable rural living in the Rural Lifestyle Zone while maintaining rural living character and amenity including:

1. Low levels of noise and lighting, particularly at night.

2. A high degree of privacy.

3. Ample access to daylight and sunlight.

4. Generally low levels of traffic, other than that associated with seasonal activities.

5. Presence of rural production activities and associated activities.

RLZ-P2Earthworks

To ensure buildings and major structures are designed, constructed and located to minimise the need for significant earthworks, the loss of native vegetation and/or natural habitats.

RLZ-P3Compatible Uses

To protect the rural living character and amenity by limiting commercial activities and industrial activities to those that are appropriate and compatible in nature, scale and character to the Rural Lifestyle Zone and meet the stated Issues for the Rural Lifestyle Zone.

RLZ-P4Traffic Movements

To maintain and enhance rural living character and amenity by limiting the establishment of activities that generate high levels of traffic movements or that are of a nature and scale that is incompatible with the character of the Rural Lifestyle Zone.

RLZ-P5Reverse Sensitivity

To manage reverse sensitivity effects by avoiding the establishment of sensitive activities within close proximity to Mineral Extraction Activities and the Rural Production Zone, Business Zones and Strategic Rural Industries Zones.

RLZ-P6Privacy

To maintain rural amenity, privacy, open space and rural character by ensuring that all new buildings and major structures and rural land uses:

1. Are of a scale and character appropriate to the Rural Lifestyle Zone; and

2. Are sited in a location sufficiently setback from site boundaries to enable privacy, the retention of open space and access to sunlight; and

3. Avoid adverse effects on ecological values, water quality, versatile soils, open space character, historic heritage values or landform.

RLZ-P7Stormwater

To manage the effects of stormwater runoff by utilising the principles of low impact design and ensuring that additional stormwater flows arising from proposed subdivision and development are managed so that they will not result in any increase in peak discharge rates.

RLZ-P8Wastewater

To manage the effects of wastewater discharge by requiring site specific design and any other evidence or mitigation measures necessary to demonstrate that the effects of wastewater disposal can be adequately addressed.

RLZ-P9Subdivision Design

To design any subdivision and locate associated development to avoid an urban form and character; to maintain and enhance rural living character and amenity; and protect and enhance environmental features by:

1. Designing subdivisions to respond to the topography and characteristics of the land being developed.

2. Requiring subdivisions to meet a minimum and average allotment size so that development does not result in uniform development patterns.

3. Identifying building platforms that respond to site topography and environmental characteristics.

4. Locating access ways, services, utilities and building platforms where these can be provided without the need for significant earthworks, retaining, benching or site contouring.

RLZ-P10Allotment Size

To avoid a uniform pattern of development at the minimum allotment size and maintain at least an average allotment size of 2ha across the Rural Lifestyle Zone by providing a single opportunity to subdivide titles created before 12 December 2018.

Rules

RLZ-R1Any Activity Not Otherwise Listed in This Chapter

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. Resource consent is not required under any rule of the District Plan.

2. The activity is not prohibited under any rule of the District Plan.

RLZ-R2Minor Buildings

Activity Status: Permitted

Note:

1. Minor buildings are exempt from rules RLZ-R3 – R6.

RLZ-R3Building and Major Structure Height

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. The maximum building height and major structure height is 8m above ground level.

Compliance Standard:

1. Crop support structures and artificial crop protection structures are exempt from RLZ-R3 and shall comply with RLZ-R13.

Activity Status when compliance not achieved: Discretionary

RLZ-R4Building and Major Structure Setbacks

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. All buildings and major structures are set back at least:

   1. 10m from road boundaries.

   2. 3m from all other site boundaries.

   3. 27m from Mean High Water Springs and the top of the bank of any river that has a width exceeding 3m (excluding bridges, culverts and fences).

Compliance Standard:

1. Crop support structures and artificial crop protection structures are exempt from RLZ-R4 and shall comply with RLZ-R13.

Activity Status when compliance not achieved: Discretionary

RLZ-R5Building and Major Structure Height in Relation to Boundary

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. All buildings and major structures do not exceed a height equal to 3m above ground level plus the shortest horizontal distance between that part of the building or major structure and the site boundary.

Activity Status when compliance not achieved: Discretionary

RLZ-R6Building and Major Structure Coverage

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. The coverage does not exceed 500m² of the site.

Activity Status when compliance not achieved: Discretionary

RLZ-R7Impervious Areas

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. The impervious area within the site does not exceed 15% of the net site area.

Activity Status when compliance not achieved: Discretionary

RLZ-R8Indigenous Vegetation Clearance

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. The clearance of indigenous vegetation:

   Either

   1. Does not exceed 500m² per site within each 10-year period from 12 December 2018; and

   2. Is not within 20m of a waterbody. OR

   3. Is associated with:

      1. Routine maintenance within 7.5m of the eaves of existing buildings:

         1. Including the removal of any tree where any part of the trunk is within the 7.5m distance.

         2. Excluding damage to the roots or removal of any tree where the trunk is outside the 7.5m distance; or

      2. Operation, maintenance and repair of existing tracks, lawns, gardens, fences, drains and other lawfully established activities; or

      3. Pest plant removal and biosecurity works; or

      4. Vegetation removal for customary rights; or

      5. Conservation planting, including planting for ecological restoration purposes.

Activity Status when compliance not achieved: Discretionary

RLZ-R9Principal Residential Unit

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. The maximum density is 1 principal residential unit per site.

Activity Status when compliance not achieved: Discretionary

RLZ-R10Minor Residential Unit

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. The maximum density is 1 minor residential unit per site.

2. The minor residential unit does not have a separate access/driveway from the principal residential unit.

3. The nearest distance between the minor residential unit and the principal residential unit does not exceed 15m.

4. The maximum gross floor area of the minor residential unit (including decking and garage areas) is 90m².

Activity Status when compliance not achieved: Discretionary

RLZ-R11Sensitive Activity

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. The sensitive activity (excluding non-habitable buildings) is set back at least:

   1. 500m from:

      1. The Mining Area of all Quarrying Resource Areas.

      2. The Strategic Rural Industries Zone.

      3. Business Zones.

   2. 20m from:

      1. The Rural Production Zone.

      2. All unsealed through roads.

   3. 30m from all existing plantation forestry on a separate site.

   4. 250m from:

      1. Existing intensive livestock farming on a separate site.

      2. Existing activities ancillary to farming or forestry on a separate site.

      3. The Fonterra Kauri Milk Processing Site Strategic Rural Industries Zone – Ancillary Irrigation Farms.

Activity Status when compliance not achieved: Discretionary

RLZ-R12Commercial Activities

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. The activity generates less than 20 traffic movements per site, per day.

2. In addition to the principal operator, the activity has no more than two other persons engaged in providing the activity.

3. The activity does not exceed the use of 15% of the total gross floor area of all buildings on-site.

4. The total area of signage is less than 0.25m², per site.

5. There is no illuminated signage or moving signage.

6. The activity is an ancillary activity to the residential use of the site.

7. The principal operator of the activity is a permanent resident on the site.

8. The activity does not include, before 08:00 or after 18:00 on any day, the operation of machinery, receiving customers or the loading or unloading of vehicles.

Activity Status when compliance not achieved with RLZ-R12.1 - 5: Discretionary

Activity Status when compliance not achieved with RLZ-R12.6 – 8: Non-Complying

RLZ-R13Crop Support Structures or Artificial Crop Protection Structures

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. The maximum structure height does not exceed 10m above ground level; and

2. The structure is set back at least:

   1. 1m from site boundaries.

   2. 27m from Mean High Water Springs and the top of the bank of any river that has a width exceeding 2m (excluding bridges, culverts and fences).

Activity Status when compliance not achieved: Discretionary

RLZ-R14Farming

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R15Plantation Forestry

Activity Status: Permitted

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R16Care Centre

Activity Status: Discretionary

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R17Emergency Services

Activity Status: Discretionary

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R18Retirement Village

Activity Status: Discretionary

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R19Supported Residential Care

Activity Status: Discretionary

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R20Farm Quarrying

Activity Status: Discretionary

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R21Place of Assembly

Activity Status: Discretionary

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R22Educational Facilities

Activity Status: Discretionary

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R23Recreational Facilities

Activity Status: Discretionary

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R24General Community

Activity Status: Discretionary

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R25Industrial Activity

Activity Status: Non-Complying

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R26Hospitals

Activity Status: Non-Complying

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R27Intensive Livestock Farming

Activity Status: Non-Complying

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.

RLZ-R28Mineral Extraction Activities

Activity Status: Non-Complying

Where:

1. The activity is a primary activity or ancillary activity.