Plan Change 3: Rosvall Sawmill Rezoning (Private Plan Change)

On 9 July 2024, we received a request for a private plan change seeking the rezoning of Rosvall Sawmill from Rural Production Zone to Strategic Rural Industries Zone.

On 21 November 2024, we decided to accept the request.

Accepting a private plan change request means that the Council agrees to process the request and proceed with public notification, submissions and hearings.

It does not imply that the Council supports or endorses the proposed plan change; rather, it initiates a formal process to evaluate the request based on community input and thorough assessment.

The plan change has progressed to the hearings stage, with the hearing currently postponed until an associated variation to the plan change is progressed.

On 11 November 2025, we received a formal request from Rosvall Sawmill Limited for a variation to Plan Change 3 - Rosvall Sawmill Rezoning.

The variation corrects a technical acoustic modelling error in the original plan change by revising the extent of the proposed noise control boundary. This adjustment ensures the noise control boundary accurately reflects the sawmill's existing consented noise emissions.

On 27 November 2025, we accepted the request.

The variation was to directly affected parties. Directly affected parties are all persons who own properties or live within the revised extent of the noise control boundary.

The proposed changes include:

• rezoning land from Rural Production Zone to Strategic Rural Industrial Zone
• enabling construction, external alteration or relocation of any building or major structure without a resource consent (subject to restrictions relating to visual impact, height and setbacks from the boundary)
• enabling the construction of a principal residential unit for the exclusive use of a site caretaker
• introducing a noise control boundary that limits the noise emissions from the sawmill to a maximum level at the boundary and requires any new development within the noise control boundary to be designed and constructed to ensure a maximum internal noise level
• enabling more traffic to and from the site to that which is currently allowed.

The proposed plan change and associated variation will not affect existing buildings or properties surrounding the sawmill site unless you plan to make changes to them.

A noise control boundary is proposed to manage the impact of sawmill noise on residential developments.

Any new residential developments within this boundary must meet specific acoustic performance standards.

Additionally, the sawmill must ensure their noise emissions do not exceed the maximum permitted level at the noise control boundary.

Other changes are also proposed to land use and development rules for the sawmill site.

The plan change and associated variation have been notified to directly affected parties.

All owners and occupiers of properties within the revised extent of the noise control boundary have been formally notified and have had the opportunity to make a submission on both the plan change and the variation.

Only directly affected parties could make a submission on the proposed variation, which closed on Monday 19 January 2026.

The Whangārei District Plan sets out how land in the District can be used, developed and subdivided.

It includes objectives, policies and methods to achieve the sustainable management of resources within the Whangārei District.

A private plan change is a process under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) that allows individuals or organisations to request changes to the District Plan.

This process enables applicants to initiate changes without waiting for a Council-led plan review.

Application as lodged

Private Plan Change 3 Application(PDF, 49MB) (large file)

Appendix A - Records of Title and Instruments(PDF, 5MB)

Appendix B - Consent History Summary and RC317180 Records(PDF, 29MB) (large file)

Appendix C - Proposed Strategic Rural Industries Zone Chapter(PDF, 790KB)

Appendix D - Proposed Rural Production Zone Chapter(PDF, 19MB) (large file)

Appendix E - Proposed Rural Lifestyle Zone Chapter(PDF, 5MB)

Appendix F - Proposed Noise and Vibration Chapter(PDF, 40MB) (large file)

Appendix G - Economic Impact Assessment(PDF, 6MB)

Appendix H - Traffic Impact Assessments(PDF, 19MB) (large file)

Appendix I - Landscape Assessment(PDF, 8MB)

Appendix J - Acoustic Assessment(PDF, 23MB) (large file)

Appendix K - Engagement Plan and Community Information(PDF, 10MB) (large file)

Appendix L - Reverse Sensitivity Setback Map and Development Entitlement Assessment(PDF, 4MB)

Appendix M - Regional and District Plan Assessments(PDF, 16MB) (large file)

Appendix N - Section 32 Analysis(PDF, 36MB) (large file)

Appendix O - Proposed Planning Maps(PDF, 2MB)

Request further information

The Applicant submitted the plan change request application on 9 July 2024.

We reviewed the application and determined further information was necessary to assess the request.

The request for further information was sent to the Applicant on 6 August 2024.

On 4 October 2024, the Applicant provided an updated application and a letter outlining the additional information that had been included.

Request for Further Information(PDF, 249KB)

Response to Request for Further Information(PDF, 2MB)

Section 32 Report

This document is required by legislation to support a plan change. It explains the reasons for, and options considered in proposing this plan change.

Section 32 Report(PDF, 16MB) (large file)

Proposed Plan Change 3 Amendments to Whangārei District Plan Text(PDF, 526KB)

Proposed Plan Change 3 Amendments to Whangārei District Plan Maps(PDF, 1MB)

Open the District Plan Changes map in GIS (gismaps.wdc.govt.nz)

Other notification documents

Committee Meeting Minutes(PDF, 187KB)

Original Submissions 001 – 006(PDF, 19MB) (large file)

Council officers have summarised the original submissions received on PC3 in the below document:

Summary of Decisions Requested(PDF, 142KB)

If making a further submission, you must serve a copy of your further submission on the original submitter within five working days. For original submitters contact details, please refer to the below:

Original Submitters Mailing List(PDF, 83KB)

X007 GA & S Parkes Partnership(PDF, 2MB)

Letter to WDC Requesting Variation and Limited Re-Notification(PDF, 220KB)

• Attachment A – Section 32AA Report - Variation Request(PDF, 896KB)
• Attachment B – Proposed Strategic Rural Industries Zone Chapter (Variation)(PDF, 598KB)
• Attachment B – Proposed Rural Production Zone Chapter (Variation)(PDF, 524KB)
• Attachment B – Proposed Rural Lifestyle Zone Chapter (Variation)(PDF, 241KB)
• Attachment B – Proposed Noise and Vibration Chapter (Variation)(PDF, 476KB)
• Attachment C – Updated Acoustic Assessment (Variation)(PDF, 9MB)
• Attachment D – Development Entitlement Analysis (Variation)(PDF, 4MB)

Section 32AA Report – Variation Request(PDF, 896KB)

Variation to Proposed Plan Change 3 Amendments to Whangārei District Plan Text(PDF, 310KB)

Variation to Proposed Plan Change 3 Amendments to Whangārei District Plan Maps(PDF, 3MB)

Open the District Plan Changes map in GIS (gismaps.wdc.govt.nz)

Other notification documents

Council Meeting Minutes(PDF, 263KB)

Direction from Commissioner #1(PDF, 144KB)

Direction from Commissioner #2(PDF, 121KB)

Direction from Commissioner #3(PDF, 128KB)

Direction from Commissioner #4(PDF, 130KB)

Direction from Commissioner #5(PDF, 111KB)

Section 42A Hearing Report

This document is required by legislation to respond to the submissions received on Private Plan Change 3. The report includes recommendations to accept, accept in part, or reject the decisions requested in submissions.

Section 42A Hearing Report(PDF, 6MB)

Applicant's pre-circulated evidence

Planning Evidence of Holly Jenkins (with attachments)(PDF, 1MB)

Acoustic Evidence of Lodewyk Jansen (with attachment)(PDF, 1MB)

Economic Evidence of Rodney Yeoman(PDF, 184KB)

Landscape and Visual Evidence of John Earl(PDF, 7MB)

Traffic and Transport Evidence of Todd Langwell(PDF, 209KB)

Memorandum Accompanying Acoustic Evidence of Peter Runcie(PDF, 1MB)

Acoustic Evidence of Peter Runcie(PDF, 1MB)

Submitter's evidence

Pre-circulated evidence - Peter Hill (Acoustics)(PDF, 509KB)

Other evidence

Interim Joint Witness Statement - Acoustics - Peter Ibbotson, Lodewyk Jansen and Jon Styles(PDF, 638KB)

Memorandum of Counsel for Applicant Requesting Adjournment of Hearing Set Down for 28 July 2025 (21 July 2025)(PDF, 117KB)

Memorandum of Counsel for Applicant Requesting Extension of Time (11 August 2025)(PDF, 100KB)

Memorandum of Counsel for Applicant Regarding Expert Conferencing and Proposed Hearing Timetable (9 September 2025)(PDF, 154KB)

Minute of Second Expert Witness Conference of Acousticians (9 September 2025)(PDF, 68KB)

Email of Council Planner Requesting Further Information (18 September 2025)(PDF, 149KB)

Letter of Applicant to Council Planner Providing Further Information (29 September 2025)(PDF, 472KB)

• Letter to Council Planner (29 September 2025) - Attachment A: Revised Noise Control Boundaries(PDF, 7MB)
• Letter to Council Planner (29 September 2025) - Attachment B: Revised Proposed Noise and Vibration Chapter(PDF, 533KB)
• Letter to Council Planner (29 September 2025) - Attachment C: Map of NCB Alongside Written Approvals to 2003 Consent(PDF, 5MB)

Letter of Applicant to Council Planner on Re-Notification (6 October 2025)(PDF, 227KB)

• Letter to Council Planner (06 October 2025) – Attachment A: NCB Change Analysis(PDF, 3MB)
• Letter to Council Planner (06 October 2025) – Attachment B: Development Entitlement Assessment(PDF, 4MB)

Memorandum of Counsel on behalf of Peter Hill (10 October 2025)(PDF, 213KB)

Memorandum of Counsel for Applicant Further Evidence and Hearing Timetable (14 October 2025)(PDF, 165KB)

• Memorandum of Counsel for Applicant (14 October 2025) – Attachment A: Planning Evidence (pending)
• Memorandum of Counsel for Applicant (14 October 2025) – Attachment B: Acoustic Supplementary Evidence (pending)

Letter of Council Planner to the Commissioner - Re-Notification (17 October 2025)(PDF, 264KB)