Both parts of Plan Change 1 have been in development since early 2025, but amendments to the Resource Management Act in August 2025 (known as Plan Stop) introduced new requirements to pause certain plan‑making processes unless they met exemption criteria. To move forward, Council sought an exemption, noting that the replacement resource management system will not be fully implemented until at least 2029. Proposed changes to the Renewable Energy Chapter and the new Waipukurau South Development Area chapter both met the Plan Stop exemption criteria and approval to proceed was granted in January 2026.

Every council is required to have a district plan. It is a ‘rule book’ that directs how we will use, develop and subdivide land in our district. It includes our environmental objectives and policies and sets out the rules to help us achieve those goals. It specifies what can and can’t be done without a resource consent, and the standards that must be followed. District plans ensure that our district's current needs, including economic and residential growth, are balanced with protecting the natural environment for our residents today and for future generations.

Our District Plan maps show the zonings that apply across the district, for instance:

• Residential
• Rural
• Commercial/ Retail
• Industrial/Service

For each zone, our District Plan has a set of provisions that regulate activities within them. There are also rules that apply across the district. For instance, the District Plan includes rules relating to matters such as natural hazards, historic heritage, sites and areas of significance to Māori and significant natural areas.

District Plans are constantly under review, there can be many reasons a council will undergo a plan change.

We don’t always get it right, the community needs change, or there may be unintended consequences in our District Plan that we need to address. In this instance council can initiate a plan change, we need to follow legislative processes. Plan changes can be initiated by the council or community.

By incorporating the Draft Structure Plan into the District Plan, the community would have assurance that connectivity between Tavistock and Pōrangahau Roads, as well as the wetland areas around the stormwater ponds, would be protected should development occur. It is important to note that the land within the precinct is not owned by the Council; however, any future development would need to align with the Draft Structure Plan.

A structure plan is the framework that guides the development of a specific area. It shapes future land use, infrastructure, open space, and transportation networks while addressing critical factors such as geological risks (e.g., fault lines) and sustainable stormwater management to mitigate flooding and erosion.

Think of it as a big picture road map for shaping how this area grows.

We asked for community feedback on the draft structure plan in 2025

No, large, utility scale solar farms that connect directly to the grid still require resource consent in accordance with the District Plan. The changes are only to the definition of ‘small scale’ renewable energy.