Nelson City Council wants to hear from you, the people of Whakatū Nelson, on the Draft Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan.

The Draft Nelson Plan is designed to help us sustainably manage Nelson’s natural and built environment. It provides a framework for managing how Nelson grows and responds to changing pressures, and for managing the use of our natural environment. It sets out what we are allowed or permitted to do on our properties and how we use natural resources.

Delayed due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the Draft Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan will be released for public engagement from Tuesday 6 October – 6 December 2020. Council will be launching the feedback period with a special consultation document, which will arrive in letterboxes across Nelson from 7 October and will also be available online at shape.nelson.govt.nz.

This initial two-month engagement period is the first phase of a three-phase process enabling the community to contribute to the development of the Plan. The second phase of engagement is planned for early next year to cover parts of the Plan not released in phase one. A third phase occurs in 2022 when the Plan will be publicly notified and the formal submission and hearing process begins, as required under the Resource Management Act 1991.

The Draft Plan proposes some key changes to how we will manage freshwater, residential growth and intensification, natural hazards and climate change, and development in the City Centre – now and for the future. In the current draft stage, it’s a discussion document that will allow the public and our stakeholders to help develop what the final Plan could be, and let us know what we’ve got right, what is missing and what we need to change to achieve our aspirations for Nelson in the future.

Mayor Rachel Reese says that these next two phases of informal engagement are a great opportunity for people to give their feedback on the proposals in the Draft Plan and a true opportunity for the people of Nelson to shape what will become the guiding resource management planning document for the Nelson region.

“We’ve had early conversations with communities about what was important to Nelson, and then further feedback from stakeholders in 2020. Now we’ve produced a Draft Nelson Plan, it’s your turn to help focus us in the right direction when it comes to how we develop and cherish this beautiful region we all call home.”

“The Draft Plan allows for a range of options for housing, and it enables intensification in a way that allows for smart use of land in the Smart Little City. The Draft Plan also gives effect to central government requirements on freshwater, and recognises the importance of environmental values to the wellbeing of our region.

The Draft Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan is a non-statutory development stage of the final Nelson Plan, which is proposed to be notified in 2022. It includes Nelson’s resource management plans – the Regional Policy Statement, the Air Quality Plan and the Nelson Resource Management Plan (NRMP).

Councillor Brian McGurk (Nelson Plan lead) encourages people to get involved through the feedback process. “We are looking forward to hearing from you and getting your feedback. This is a great opportunity for the people of Nelson to have their say on this important document.”

Council will be holding a series of drop-in sessions where the public can ask questions and talk to technical experts about areas that concern them. An online information and feedback platform has been set up at shape.nelson.govt.nz/nelson-plan. You can access all the plan chapters, topics, maps and supporting information through these pages.

There’s also a dedicated email address – nelson.plan@ncc.govt.nz for the Draft Nelson Plan. Feedback can be provided through this email address or online at shape.nelson.govt.nz; by post to Nelson Plan PO Box 645, Nelson 7040; or dropped off to Civic House, 110 Trafalgar Street, Nelson.

Under Covid-19 Alert Levels 1 and 2 we will be running public drop-in sessions around the city - including Stoke and Tahunanui - throughout the engagement period.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page, Council website or go to shape.nelson.govt.nz/nelson-plan for the most up-to-date information and dates and times of drop-in sessions.

In the event of the region going up to Alert Level 3 or 4, we will move to an online-only engagement model. This information will be available through the same channels.

To talk to someone about the Nelson Plan, call 03 546 0200.

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