Independent commissioners are expected to release their decision on the Proposed Waikato District Plan this coming Monday, 17 January 2022.

The district plan provides important guidance for those who live and work in our district and is critical for supporting our ongoing economic growth and prosperity.

It guides decisions around what can be done with land, including whether a property can be subdivided and where you can locate a building. It also protects our cultural heritage and environment by identifying Māori sites of significance, heritage buildings, and significant natural areas.

A district plan review is carried out every 10 years to make sure that rules are kept up-to-date and in line with current practices.

Waikato District Mayor Allan Sanson is pleased to see this latest iteration come to fruition and is looking forward to having more certainty for the district when it comes to future growth and development. He’d also like to acknowledge the significant amount of effort that has gone on behind the scenes and the commitment that Council staff have shown to achieving what he believes will be a positive outcome.

“The Council has been working hard on the Proposed District Plan (PDP) for several years and it has been no mean feat amalgamating two plans into one. The upcoming decision is a major milestone for everyone concerned - our communities, the industries involved, and our wider stakeholders.”

“We received over 900 submissions with more than 10,000 individual points on the PDP after it was notified in 2018, so we know there is a lot of anticipation surrounding these decisions”, says Mayor Sanson.

Once any appeals are resolved, the Proposed Waikato District Plan will become the next Operative Waikato District Plan. This means that for the first time, the Waikato district will have just one plan as it replaces the currently separated Waikato and Franklin sections of the existing plan.

Keep an eye out for the decision that will be shared via Council’s website www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz

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