Plan Change 29 was publicly notified on 11 August 2023 with a closing date for submissions of 19 September 2023. Due to expressions of interest, the Council has agreed to extend the submissions period which will now close at 4.00pm on Tuesday 31 October 2023.

Check out our neighbourhood meetings or a drop-in session where you can talk directly to a planner.

Alternatively, you can email environmental.planning@ncc.govt.nz or call 03 546 0200.

Please note the Friend of Submitters service is also available at no charge to you.

Council is changing parts of the Nelson Resource Management Plan (NRMP) to introduce more flexibility around housing policies and rules. The changes are being made in response to population growth and demand for housing in the region, and to fulfil Council’s obligations under central government’s National Policy Statement for Urban Development (NPS-UD) 2020.

Under this national direction, Council must ensure Nelson grows into a well-functioning environment that can provide for sufficient housing capacity to meet growth pressures.

Proposed Plan Change 29 also assists in implementing the intensification scenario identified in the 2022 Nelson Tasman Future Development Strategy (FDS) and the Te Ara ō Whakatū - City Centre Spatial Plan.

Plan Change 29 is the biggest plan change that we have ever done as a Council. It will result in some changes to policies and rules throughout the Nelson urban area. This means that property owners in all residential, commercial and industrial zones may be affected by one or more of the proposed changes.

Plan Change 29 is not a full plan review, rather it is being progressed as an interim response while the Draft Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan (Nelson Plan) is on hold, in recognition that housing supply and affordability is a critical issue within Nelson.

A full plan review will be progressed once the new legislation, the Natural and Built Environment Act (NBEA) and Spatial Planning Act (SPA) are in place.

About the Plan Change

The main objective of the Plan Change is to amend the Nelson Regional Management Plan (NRMP) to implement the NPS-UD by supporting housing delivery and the provision of well-functioning urban environments within Nelson while ensuring that natural hazard risks are appropriately managed and historic heritage is protected.

The scope of the Plan Change includes:

1. Enabling the intensification of development on land currently zoned for residential and commercial uses (Residential Zone, Inner City Zone, and Suburban Commercial Zone), that is not within areas potentially affected by significant natural hazards. Residential intensification will be enabled primarily through the introduction of three new residential zone areas: General Residential zone, Medium Density Residential zone and High Density Residential zone which enable density at varying levels depending on the area.
2. Changes to rules that focus on achieving a well-functioning urban environment (as defined in Policy 1 of the NPS-UD), within the General Residential Zone, Medium Density Residential zone, and High Density Residential zone areas;
3. Managing development in urban areas potentially susceptible to natural hazards (river and coastal flood, fault, liquefaction, and slope instability), within the Residential, Inner City, Suburban Commercial, and Industrial Zones (including in areas that will retain their current NRMP zoning);
4. Amendments to heritage buildings and other structures located within the Plan Change area including a new heritage precinct in Richmond Avenue;
5. Provide for tangata whenua to develop papakāinga housing; and
6. Alignment with the national planning standards and Medium Density Residential Standards where practicable.

If you require further information, please refer to the FAQs and supporting documents. A friend of the submitter is also available to assist you with the preparation and lodgement of your submission, and to answer your questions about the plan change process. Learn more about the friend of the submitter.

Plan Change 29 can be viewed on ePlan, an interactive, electronic version of the Nelson Resource Management Plans (Regional Policy Statement, Air Quality Plan and the Resource Management Plan). For optimal loading speeds, it's recommended to use either Edge or Firefox as your browser of choice.