Toxic Algae Warning
Lower Hutt is susceptible to a wide range of natural hazards. These hazards can result in harm to people and damage to property and buildings. It is therefore important to identify areas susceptible to natural hazards and to avoid or manage subdivision, use and development, relative to the natural hazard risk posed.
The Natural Hazards chapter focuses on the following natural hazards:
- Flooding
- Fault rupture
- Liquefaction
- Slope Instability
- Coastal inundation, including from sea level rise
- Tsunami
The chapter includes objectives, policies and rules that manage new land use and built development within areas that have been identified as being susceptible to natural hazards. Objectives, policies and rules for coastal hazards (specifically, coastal inundation and tsunami) are located in the Coastal Environment chapter.
Slope Assessment Overlay
The Proposed District Plan includes a new Slope Assessment Overlay. The purpose of the Slope Assessment Overlay is to identify areas in Lower Hutt that have a higher risk of slope instability than other areas. The overlay mostly applies to hilly areas in Lower Hutt’s urban and rural-residential areas.
Under the Proposed District Plan, if someone wanted to undertake earthworks for a new building platform, they would need to apply for a resource consent for those earthworks. The application would need to address how the risk of slope instability from those earthworks would be managed.
In addition, the potential risk of slope stability would need to be considered as part of any application for new subdivision within the overlay if the subdivision would result in new building platform within the overlay.
This would not affect any existing buildings or development. It would only apply to new buildings and development.
Read the Information Sheet on Natural Hazards (PDF 81 KB)
Read the Information Sheet on the Slope Assessment Overlay (PDF 59 KB)
Read the Natural Hazards s32 Evaluation Report (PDF 1.8 MB)