The Natural Resources Plan for the Wellington region is an integration and replacement of five regional plans for soil; fresh water; air; discharges to land; and the coastal marine area.   

Where we are at: 

The Natural Resources Plan (NRP) became fully operative on 28 July 2023.

Proposed Plan Change 1 to the Natural Resources Plan is open for submissions until 5pm 15 December 2023. The rules within this plan change have immediate effect.

You can read the Operative NRP here (PDF 94 MB) , or review specific Chapters below.

Foreword (PDF 1.3 MB)

Chapter 1 - Introduction (PDF 431 KB)  

Chapter 2 - Interpretation (PDF 405 KB)  

Chapter 3 - Objectives (PDF 331 KB)  

Chapter 4 - Policies (PDF 513 KB)

Chapter 5 - Rules (PDF 2 MB)  

Chapter 6 - Other methods (PDF 201 KB)  

Chapter 7 - Ruamāhanga Whaitua (PDF 1.8 MB)

Chapter 8 - Wellington Harbour and Hutt Valley Whaitua (PDF 543 KB)  

Chapter 9 - Te Awarua-o-Porirua Whaitua  (PDF 104 KB)

Chapter 10 - Kāpiti Coast Whaitua (PDF 524 KB)  

Chapter 11 - Wairarapa Coast Whaitua (PDF 102 KB)  

Chapter 12 - Schedules (PDF 2.3 MB)  

Chapter 13 - Maps (PDF 84 MB)  

Hard copies of the plan are available at our offices and at every public library in the Wellington region. 

 

Making the Natural Resources Plan operative:  

The NRP was originally notified on 31 July 2015, it then went through the submissions and hearings process. Decisions on the NRP were publicly notified on 31 July 2019. Consent orders were then issued by the Environment Court on provisions that were appealed. Provisions were then deemed operative (under section 86F of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA)) once the appeals process was complete.  

The Council adopted the Regional Coastal Plan part of the NRP (under clause 18 of the First Schedule to the RMA) on 25 August 2022. Those coastal provisions were then referred to the Minister of Conservation (under clause 19 of the First Schedule to the RMA) who approved them on 9 June 2023. The Council approved the part of the NRP that is not part of the Regional Coastal Plan (under clause 17 of the First Schedule to the RMA) on 29 June 2023 and approved for the NRP to become fully operative on 28 July 2023. 

If you're looking for archived documents and information from the plan change process, please reach out to regionalplan@gw.govt.nz.

Updated December 8, 2023 at 9:17 AM

Get in touch

Phone:
0800 496 734
Email:
info@gw.govt.nz