By Anna Bensemann, Senior Planner, Baseline Group Marlborough | Jun 26, 2022
The expansion of our towns and cities, and our ever-growing obsession with rural lifestyle blocks has been threatening the viability of our productive soils for many decades. The Resource Management Act includes some tools for protecting this land from development, but these tools are often given lip service in light of the pressures to develop, leading to the slow and steady degradation of our key versatile soils.
On the other hand, individual land owners invest time and money into their land, sometimes across multiple generations. With variable economic times, some landowners need the ability to subdivide and sell to the market land that is marginal, or no longer required. Such ability facilitates innovation and technological advancement on the balance of many properties, or simply enables a happy retirement.
This balance is being tested by the proposed National Policy Statement (NPS) relating to Class 1, 2 and 3 land and possibly other productive vineyard lands. The proposal includes regulations as to the expansion of urban activities onto this land, and the subdivision or further fragment land that is considered to be highly productive.
The implications of this are that private land containing highly valuable soils, which make up 14% of New Zealand, will have an additional matter that will need to be considered at the time of any subdivision or development. As seen with the NPS on freshwater, these documents carry a significant amount of weight and should not be taken lightly. The NPS on freshwater has seen regional councils limiting how much water is available for irrigation and making the resource consents process more complicated, with layers of additional reporting and investigations into the effects of water takes and discharges on water bodies.
The NPS for highly productive soils appears on the face of it to be ensuring we have a farming industry secured into the future, but like any government lead policy the devil will be in the detail. The real issues will arise when the policy is implemented by local government on a case by case basis. Policies that are written for the big picture often overlook the site specific unique features or anomalies that mean private landowners should be able to further develop their Class 1, 2 or 3 lands.
Government received around 250 submissions on the draft NPS, and decisions on submissions are due soon after 22 July 2022. We will see the full extent of the outcome of this process in due course as rural landowners look to develop their land.
Articles you might be interested in
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan Update
- Confused by Environmental Legislation? You are Not Alone.
- The costs of subdividing hitting Selwyn | development contributions
- The Role of Planning in the Climate Change - Discussion for Agriculture
- Risks to farmland in the planning framework
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes - effect on farming
- What does a professional planner do?
- Navigating New Opportunities: The Importance of Land Development Planning in 2024
- What does The Selwyn District Plan (appeals version) mean for the planning process and consent?
- Subdividing – The Basics
- Crime Prevention Through Environment Design (CPTED)
- How Tree Canopies Transform Neighbourhoods and Enhance Lives
- But that’s the way we have always done it!
- Managing Cultural Heritage Sites
- The National Policy Statement for Natural Hazard Decision-Making and its effects on Resource Consents
- Ensuring Compliance with Resource Management Laws
- The impact of consent notices when purchasing land
- Boundary disputes – What are they and how can you resolve them?
- The rise or fall of rural lifestyle blocks in the Selwyn District?
- Flood Management – An Update
- Build-to-Rent Development in New Zealand: A Rising Trend in Housing
- Cross lease titles - an overview
- Rural allotment sizes set to double in West Selwyn
- Make Your Additional Land Profitable Under the Selwyn Proposed Plan
- Your Rights as an Affected Neighbour: Navigating Development Under the RMA
- Managing Wastewater in Rural Canterbury: A Guide for Property Owners
- Housing Growth continues in Selwyn with Legislative Support
- What to do when you inherit land
- Good District Plan provisions save time and money
- Tiny Homes and Granny Flats
- Time's up on the RMA
- Planning Rules can Affect Property Value
- Rivers, Lakes and Coastline, Public Space for All
- Going for housing growth, to improve housing affordability
- Councils are Increasing Residential Density, but why, who does it benefit?
- What does your zone mean for you and your property?
- A New Dawn for Granny Flats and Accessory Dwellings
- Our History - How We All Play a Part in its Protection
- Fundamental Culture Shift in New Zealand Planning Legislation.
- The importance of knowing your boundaries
- Submissions to a Resource Consent by Affected Parties
- Indigenous Biodiversity: what does it mean for a farmer?
- How might Development Contributions affect you?
- Selwyn District Council Changes Urban Allotment Sizes
- Historic Heritage Challenges for Landowners
- RMA changes are coming, are you ready?
- Who Shapes our Planning Rules?
- Buildings under exemptions may still need resource consent
- Rural Allotment Sizes set to Double
- Change isn't coming, it's here!
- Tiny Home Revolution May Not Save Costs
- Understanding Zoning and Density Rules in Selwyn
- Is it a Wetland or Not?
- Planning land use to be resilient to natural hazards
- A recent Baseline Group project was recognised at the 2022 Canterbury Architecture Awards
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan - What next?
- Cross Lease Titles
- Importance of Sediment Management in Land Development Projects: Simple Techniques for Effective Sediment Runoff Control
- How lizards might affect your new development
- Who Pays for Infrastructure in Greenfield Land Development?
- The dream of subdividing your land
- Game changers for housing under the RMA
- Housing Intensification – Not for Everyone Says CCC
- Spotlight on District Plan Provisions
- Negotiating with Neighbours Under the RMA
- Minimum Car Parking Requirements to be Chopped
- Crunch Time For New Freshwater Legislation
- Hazardous activities, land contamination and resource consent applications
- District Plan in Selwyn – How will it Affect You?
- Flood Management | Changes in Selwyn
- Why we have complicated septic tank disposal rules
- Minimum car parking requirements to be chopped
- Back to Basics for the RMA Reforms
- Changes to Resource Management Planning Signalled in Proposed Legislation
- Planning Permissions – Resource Consent or Plan Change?
- The Role of Planning in Land and Property Development
- New Indigenous Biodiversity Legislation Mandates Significant Natural Area Identification
- Have your say on Development Projects
- A Practical Guide for District Plan Reviews
- Land Development opportunities and times of change
- Burning crop stubble on your property?
- How to navigate Rural Land Development Under the National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Soils
- Time matters – With Resource Consent
- Balancing Common Sense and Legal Process under the RMA: Protecting Communities and the Environment
- What does an activity status mean for your land development?
- Commercial Activity in a Rural Zone – What’s the Harm?
- Is the RMA really the problem?
- With increasing density, good design matters
- The Great Forestry Debate
- State highways, noise and reverse sensitivity: what’s the buzz?
- The Taking of Esplanades at the Time of Subdivision
- Wild Weather and Resource Consent Requirements