Plan Changes 4A and 4C: Temporary Activities and Minor Improvements

Overview

Two plan changes to the Whangārei District Plan are proposed:

  • Plan Change 4A – Temporary Activities
  • Plan Change 4C – Minor Improvements 

The plan changes were formally notified on 5 May 2026. The submission periods have now closed and a hearing will be scheduled in due course. The Hearing Report will be available for viewing at least 15 working days prior to the hearing date.

Plan Change 4A – Temporary Activities

This plan change proposes the introduction of a new chapter to the District Plan to manage temporary activities like events, markets and festivals. New rules are proposed to manage where and how these activities are provided for in the District.

The proposed plan change seeks to enable events in public places (such as parks, reserves and sports fields) and appropriately manage the effects of events (such as noise and traffic) on private land.

Plan Change 4C – Minor Improvements

Through consultation and day-to-day dealings, Council has received feedback that certain District Plan provisions have gaps and errors and / or are imposing costs and consenting delays without corresponding benefits. In response, Plan Change 4C proposes minor changes to some District Plan rules to address these issues. 

Updates are also proposed to the mapping of roads in the District Plan to align with changes to the District’s road network over time and correct historical errors. This includes some changes to the mapped classification of roads to better reflect their current characteristics, such as traffic volume.

What changes are being proposed?

Plan Change 4A – Temporary Activities

It is important that provisions are included in the District Plan to provide for and acknowledge the benefits of temporary activities (such as events and festivals) to the District. However, it is also important to manage significant adverse effects that may arise from temporary activities. 

The District Plan does not contain clear direction (such as policies) for how temporary activities should be managed, and there are very limited rules relating to temporary activities.

Plan Change 4A seeks to address this by introducing a new Temporary Activities chapter and associated amendments to the existing signs and noise and vibration chapters of the District Plan.

Specifically, Plan Change 4A proposes the following:

  • a new Temporary Activities chapter with clear objectives, policies and rules for temporary activities, including temporary military training activities 
  • amendments to the definition of temporary activities 
  • amendments to the Transport, Noise and Vibration, and Signs chapters specific to temporary activities.

The proposed provisions and related reports can be viewed following the link below:

Notification documents 

Any changes to zoning or to liquor licensing rules are not part of this plan change. 

Plan Change 4C – Minor Improvements

Plan Change 4C proposes a narrow suite of amendments without making changes to the overall direction of the District Plan (such as objectives, policies or zoning).

You can view a summary of the proposed amendments for Plan Change 4C using the link below.

Summary of proposed changes to the District Plan – Plan Change 4C: Minor Improvements(PDF, 169KB)

The proposed changes include:

  • amendments to improve the clarity of provisions and ensure consistency of interpretation where provisions are ambiguous or contradictory
  • amendments to address gaps within rules, without making changes to the overall policy direction, objectives or policies.
  • correct errors, grammar and formatting
  • updates to the Road Hierarchy maps to ensure appropriate application of rules that are triggered by mapping.

The proposed provisions and related reports can be viewed following the link below:

Notification documents

Any changes to policy direction or to zoning are not part of this plan change and there is no ability to include these matters in this plan change. 

The changes to mapping of roads do not relate to any physical works such as roadworks, construction of any new roads, footpaths or crossings, nor any speed limits. Rather, these changes ensure mapped information aligns with the characteristics of the District’s road network and correct historical mapping errors.

What is the District Plan?

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

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

What does this mean for my property?

Plan Change 4A proposes new rules to make it easier for temporary activities, like community events, to be undertaken in the District, whilst ensuring the impacts of these events (such as noise and traffic) continue to be appropriately managed.

This won't change what you can and can't do on your property unless you are planning to use it for a temporary activity in the future.

Plan Change 4C seeks to address minor issues and inconsistencies and retain policy intent, however some changes may impact the current rules, in some cases relaxing rules while in other cases making them more restrictive. 

Council has resolved to delay the legal effect of any proposed rules of Plan Changes 4A and 4C (excluding Road Hierarchy Mapping) until the plan changes become operative.

Therefore:

  • any rule changes will not come into effect until the plan change process is complete and the plan changes are made operative; but
  • the proposed amendments to the Road Hierarchy layer of the Energy, Infrastructure and Transport mapping group within the District-Wide Matters maps will have legal effect once a decision on submissions relating to this mapping layer is made and publicly notified.

Once in effect, existing activities and buildings on your property will not need to comply with the rules, unless you plan to make changes or do something different with your property.

Notification and submissions

The documents in this section contain information on the plan change notification and submissions process.

Notification documents

Section 32 Report

These documents are required by legislation to support the plan changes. They explain the reasons for, and options considered in proposing these plan changes.

Plan Change 4A – Temporary Activities

Section 32 Report(PDF, 576KB)

Proposed Plan Change 4A Amendments to Whangārei District Plan Text(PDF, 290KB)

Plan Change 4C – Minor Improvements

Section 32 Report(PDF, 4MB)

Proposed Plan Change 4C Amendments to Whangārei District Plan Text(PDF, 671KB)

Proposed Plan Change 4C Amendments to Whangarei District Plan Maps(PDF, 46MB)

You can view the District Plan Changes in GIS.

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

Original submissions

Original Submissions 001 – 005(PDF, 2MB)

Original Submissions 006 – 010(PDF, 717KB)

Original Submissions 011 – 015(PDF, 1MB)

Original Submissions 016 – 019(PDF, 2MB)

Council officers have summarised the original submissions received on Plan Changes 4A and 4C in the documents below:

Summary of Decisions Requested – PC4A Temporary Activities(PDF, 183KB)

Summary of Decisions Requested – PC4C – Minor Improvements(PDF, 159KB)

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, 120KB)

Other original submission documents

Full Public Notice(PDF, 156KB)