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Read moreCouncil is beginning a full review of Lower Hutt’s District Plan – the city’s rule book for land use and the blueprint for future development.
The review is a complex job and we’re expecting it will take up to four years before the new District Plan becomes operative.
The District Plan affects the lives of every resident. It influences housing availability and affordability.
It helps guide how our city will look, feel and operate over the decades ahead. It governs how we care for the environment around us and how we protect our natural and historic heritage. It determines whether you can build a second house or tiny home on your land, what your neighbours can do on their land, and whether a business can set up next door.
The new District Plan will reflect Council’s vision of making Lower Hutt a city where all of its people can thrive. The review provides an opportunity to take a fresh look at how we want our growing city to evolve and how we address environmental issues while ensuring the economic health of the city.
Council believes active and meaningful engagement with the public and stakeholders is crucial to developing a new District Plan that will be endorsed by the community, and one that truly takes into account the unique needs of the city’s people, its land and resources. Council is taking a partnership approach with mana whenua throughout the review to ensure their views and aspirations are fully considered.
Lower Hutt’s District Plan became operative in 2003. The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) requires Councils review their district plans every 10 years. There has been a rolling review of Hutt City Council’s District Plan, but around half of its chapters are yet to be reviewed.
The review will cover parts of the District Plan and involves a wide range of issues. The key ones are:
You can find the full list of issues to be covered in the District Plan.
Over the next few months, Council will provide more information about the review. While there will be opportunities for formal submissions during the review, we will also be asking you what you want for your city and what’s important to you about how Lower Hutt develops.
For more information check out the frequently asked questions for the district plan review.
You can contact our District Plan team at: dpreview@huttcity.govt.nz