2.3: PLAN PHILOSOPHY AND INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

2.3: PLAN PHILOSOPHY AND INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 2.3.1 INTRODUCTION The Council has adopted a sustainability approach to managing the resources of the District for the future. It formulated a Vision for the District as the foundation of its 2009 Long Term Plan. This Vision formed part of the consultation process of that Plan and has been adopted as the community s Vision for the future. The Vision also encapsulates Council s goal to ensure that the sustainable management of the Districts natural and physical resources is undertaken in an integrated manner. The Council s Vision is one of three principal strategic elements that establish the direction for the District Plan. The other strategies studies are the Heretaunga Plains Urban Development Strategy and the Hastings Urban Design Framework. The District Plan addresses the integrated management of the District s natural and physical resources. The District Plan must be consistent with other relevant legislation and plans and internally between its different sections. This is important because the Goals and Objectives of the District Plan are often met through a multitude of Policies, Rules and other Methods. Sections 2.4 to 2.10 of the District Plan cover the resource management issues which are addressed through a number of different Zones, District Wide Activities, and other Policies. These strategy Sections outline the overall directions established by the District Plan and identify how the different parts of the Plan will contribute towards the management under the different Strategic Management Areas. 2.3.2 COUNCIL VISION The vision is: 2.3.2.1 GREATER LIVING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE We will progress as town and country together and sustain our resources, enhance our values lifestyle and heritage, and build a strong economy and community founded on innovation and partnering for success. Hawke s Bay will be the premier land based production region of the South Pacific. The Council is actively pursuing this Vision in all of the strategies and studies that are undertaken to ensure that the outcomes from the studies reflect the Vision. The Vision is very much based on the importance of land based production to the District. Historically the Heretaunga Plains and its rural hinterland have played significant roles in the nation s food production. Projections show that land based production will continue to play an important role in the regional economy. Sustaining our resources is a central premise of the Vision. The District s resources include not only the physical and natural resources, such as our land and water resources, but also include roads, services and buildings. This means that we want to make the best use of our land and buildings by using them efficiently so that the land upon which our economy is currently based will be available for future generations. Consideration would be given to the need to unnecessarily replace buildings or construct new ones when the existing ones have not been used to their full extent. The Plan therefore recognises that sustaining the potential of the land for use in the future is important, and the long term opportunity for the use and enjoyment of the Hastings District s soil and water resources should not be irreversibly affected by short term demands. The District Plan accordingly will need to manage the effects of activities in a manner which protects the resources of the Hastings District in the long term, and the social and economic wellbeing of the community. Last amended 12 th July 2004 Section 2.3 Plan Philosophy and Integrated Resource Management Page 1

We are seeking to sustain our land resource but we also want to maintain the living environment that has come to be associated with Hawke s Bay. This includes ready access to our rural environment, residential areas that have higher levels of amenity in the form of access to open space, and Special Character Areas such as Havelock North that, because of their topography and landscapes are not replicated in other parts of the country. 2.3.3 THE ROLE OF THE DISTRICT PLAN IN DELIVERING THE VISION There are two aspects of the Vision that need to be actively addressed in the District Plan. The first is that the resources of the district that support land based production need to be carefully managed to ensure that they remain available for future generations. The second is that the values, lifestyle and heritage that set the Hawke s Bay region apart need to be identified, and management policies adopted, to ensure that these are enhanced. There has been a clear message from the community that the versatile soils of the Heretaunga Plains should be protected from unnecessary development and that future urban growth should be provided for within the existing boundaries of the urban environment. This will require more intensive use of the existing residential areas. The resources also include the consideration of the water resource which is carefully managed by the Hawke s Bay Regional Council. Land use cannot be considered without recognition being given to the water resource. The consideration of resources is not only limited to natural resources but must also include the physical infrastructure that supports land based production. The most significant of these is transport infrastructure both for internal distribution of goods and the export of produce offshore. Sustaining these resources means that Council may need to become more involved in actively creating a healthy, safe and attractive environment for its communities so that they can be sustained in the long term. This may very well be achieved through methods other than the District Plan. The second part of the Vision that needs to be clearly established in the District Plan is capturing and enhancing the values, lifestyle and heritage with which the Hastings District is identified. This can only be done through careful engagement with the community. At the outset of the review process, special effort was made to get the community to identify those parts of the district which have special values. The areas identified have become the focus of the place based planning approach taken for the structure of this Plan. This approach recognises that activities could have very different effects in different parts of the District. The Zones that are identified in this Plan reflect the unique nature of their location, their topography, or the built environment that gives the place an identifiable value. For instance, the topography of Havelock North and the character of the built environment give it a special character that is valued by the community and therefore requires a set of District Plan provisions that are tailored to that environment. Flaxmere, too, has a special character that warrants a place based approach to the provisions for its future management. 2.3.4 THE ROLE OF THE DISTRICT PLAN IN DELIVERING THE VISION 2.3.4.1 ESTABLISHING LONG TERM PLANNING STRATEGIES FOR THE DISTRICT S DEVELOPMENT The District Plan recognises that the District Council s Resource Management responsibilities cannot be achieved through the District Plan alone. The District Plan is a key document in achieving the integrated management of natural and physical resources, but is not the only mechanism to address these resource issues in detail, and to establish long, medium and short term responses to them. In addition, the District Plan is not the appropriate vehicle for Council to promote its long term strategic vision for the development of the Hastings District. The Council has undertaken a number of studies, which are referred to in Section 2.0 of the District Plan, the relevant Zones and District Wide Activities. These include strategic development objectives which are to be implemented outside of the Plan, and methods for managing effects other than District Plan regulation. Since the commencement of the District Plan preparation process the Council has undertaken the following resource reviews. Last amended 12 th July 2004 Section 2.3 Plan Philosophy and Integrated Resource Management Page 2

Heretaunga Plains Urban Development Strategy (HPUDS) 2010 Medium Density Strategy Hawke s Bay Regional Land Transport Strategy 2012 Outstanding Landscapes Review 2012 Noise Review 2012 Residential Character Review 2012 Hastings Coastal Environment Strategy Review 2011 Over the life of the District Plan the Council will continue to add to, and review these studies and where appropriate, incorporate their findings and directions into the District Plan, as Policies, Rules, other Methods, Standards, and Outcomes. The Council will also ensure that the other methods identified in strategic reviews for integrated management of effects and the sustainable management of resources are included in the Council s Long Term Annual Plan, and Asset Management Plan. Progress against these strategic objectives will be measured as part of the Council monitoring process in the District Plan. 2.3.5 ESTABLISHING A SUSTAINABLE URBAN ENVIRONMENT The District Plan recognises the need for urban development to continue. However the potential effects of utilising additional land on the Heretaunga Plains for housing raises issues about the sustainable management of the finite resource and the management of effects on it by further urban development. A joint response by the Hastings District Council the Napier City Council and the Hawke s Bay Regional Council has resulted in the Heretaunga Plains Urban Development Strategy, outlined in Section 2.5 of the District Plan. Enabling people to achieve economic, social and cultural wellbeing means that the urban areas need to continue to develop as attractive places to reside, work, and undertake business and recreation with the aim of increasing the density within existing areas rather than extending further onto the Heretaunga Plains. Ensuring effective transportation networks and setting appropriate levels of urban amenity and design are important elements in achieving this. While the District Plan can address these issues to a certain degree, Council recognises that it must be actively involved in creating a healthy, safe and attractive environment for its urban communities that can be sustained in the long term, through methods other than District Plan Rules. It has launched several initiatives such as the Iway cycle scheme, the Medium Density Strategy and the Reserves Strategy to achieve the aim of a sustainable community. The Council is also a signatory to the NZ Urban Design Protocol. The Protocol forms part of the Government s Sustainable Development Programme of Action, which aims to ensure our towns and cities are healthy, safe and attractive places where business, social and cultural life can flourish. This protocol applies not only in terms of residential development but is valid across the environments. The Protocol identifies seven essential design qualities in achieving its aims: Context seeing that buildings, places and spaces are part of the whole town or city; Character reflecting and enhancing the distinctive character, heritage and identity of our urban environment; Choice ensuring diversity and choice for people; Connections enhancing how different networks link together for people; Creativity encouraging innovative and imaginative solutions; Custodianship ensuring design is environmentally sustainable, safe and healthy; Collaboration communicating and sharing knowledge across sectors, professions and with communities. Last amended 12 th July 2004 Section 2.3 Plan Philosophy and Integrated Resource Management Page 3

The Urban Design Protocol is an important component of the Council s sustainability initiative and it has been implemented in the Flaxmere and Havelock North Village Centre Plan Changes. It will continue to be used across the District as a tool for achieving sustainable development. 2.3.6 HERETAUNGA PLAINS URBAN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY The Council s Vision for the District focuses on sustainable development and this has had a significant influence on a number of recently produced strategies and studies, with sustainability principles being the principal objective for the outcomes from the studies. The Heretaunga Plains Urban Development Strategy established a vision that referenced the Council s sustainability goals. This study looks at the Districts urban development needs including the residential, commercial and industrial environments through to 2045. The outcome from the Strategy is for development based on consolidation of the existing built environment and on establishing defined and defendable urban limits to the existing boundaries. The aim is to achieve an increase in the overall density levels over time for both infill development and new greenfield development. At the same time, the aim is to increase the proportion of new housing being constructed within the existing urban boundaries and gradually reduce the levels of greenfield development. These same intensification aims apply to the Rural Residential, Commercial and Industrial Zones in the District. This will ensure that there is less pressure on the Heretaunga Plains soils resource which will provide for sustainable management of this use over time and it will also make more sustainable use of the existing infrastructure. While increased intensification is the goal of the Heretaunga Plains Urban Development Strategy the challenge is to maintain the levels of amenity currently enjoyed by the community. Guidance on these aspects has been achieved through the Hastings Urban Design Framework. Section 2.5 of the Plan sets the strategic direction for urban development and establishes overarching Objectives and Policies on this issue. 2.3.7 PROTECTING THE DISTRICT S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT The Hastings District is a heavily modified environment, and the identification and protection of those remnants of its natural past are considered to be important both locally and nationally. The District Plan provides for a range of opportunities and incentives to achieve this. The community should be encouraged, through the District Plan and in conjunction with other statutory and voluntary agencies, to work to ensure the success of these and other initiatives. The District Plan incorporates the results of extensive work undertaken by the Council in the examination and identification of the Hastings District s landscape and natural environment. The Hastings District incorporates many bold and significant landscapes, which are enjoyed locally, regionally, and nationally. The important landscapes from a cultural perspective have also been identified. The long term protection of these, while allowing the inevitable dynamics of change to occur, is a matter which the Plan attempts to address in Sections 15.4 Landscape, 15.9 Riparian Land Management and Public Access DWA 15.10 Indigenous Vegetation and Habitats of Indigenous Fauna DWA. These Sections endeavour to minimise regulation while maximising the opportunities for the community to recognise, and integrate their developments with the landscape. The Coastal Environment of the Hastings District is also subject to a range of conflicting development pressures. The Council has completed a review of the Coastal Environment Strategy which ensures an integrated response to the competing demands between protecting a sometimes fragile coastal resource, and the community s desire for access to and the use, development and enjoyment of its resources. (See Section 2.7 of the District Plan). Separate to this, the Council is to establish an independent policy that covers the management of the effects of climate change on the coast and the resulting coastal erosion issues that are already evident. This is especially evident in the Haumoana/Te Awanga area. Last amended 12 th July 2004 Section 2.3 Plan Philosophy and Integrated Resource Management Page 4

The District Plan recognises the need to remedy adverse effects on District biodiversity values, with a view to enhancing biodiversity as well as maintaining existing values. 2.3.8 HOW THE DISTRICT PLAN WILL DELIVER THE VISION A place based approach has been adopted in the drafting of the District Plan. Placed based planning is based upon identifying those areas of the District that have special characteristics that set them apart from other areas of the District. These areas are identified in the Plan as Special Management Areas (SMAs). The SMAs describe the features that are unique to that area and each will have a set of overarching Objectives and Policies that specifically recognise the special identity and provide for it to be maintained for the future. This means that each of the areas will have its own vision for the type of environment that is to be maintained or enhanced through the District Plan. There will be a series of Zones within the SMAs that recognise the like areas of land uses. The Zones will follow the existing zoning provisions in the Plan beginning with the establishment of Objectives and Policies for dealing with the resource management issues of the Zone. The Objectives and Policies will not only be achieved by means of Rules, but also by a range of other Methods such as design guides. The Outcomes that are sought from the Rules and methods will be clearly identified in the District Plan. These Outcomes will link directly back to the Anticipated environmental results set out in the special management area and to the principles of sustainability, lifestyle and values that are outlined in the Vision. The District Plan can play an active part in defining, enhancing and protecting the amenity values of its environment in tandem with its own public amenity programmes. The District Plan deals with issues such as yards, sunlight, parking and other matters directly contributing to the health and amenity of the community; but the community must also be allowed to develop and create the environment that reflects its community, history and future. The District Plan identifies the use of design guides for development and the active recognition and protection of its Heritage Items in Section 15.14 of the Plan to assist in that process. There is also a Best Practice Design Guide for Subdivision and Infrastructure Development. The District s Tangata Whenua have a special relationship to the land and the environment. The District Plan addresses their desire to re establish communities on their traditional lands, and in traditional environments through Section 15.5 Waahi Tapu and Section 15.1 Papakainga. 2.3.9 GUIDING PRINCIPLES There are a number of Guiding Principles that have been applied both to the sustainability aims for land, water, and infrastructure resources and also to the urban design aspirations for our built environment. The Guiding Principles outline the aspects against which different projects might be assessed in meeting the ultimate Vision for the District. Recognise the inter dependency between the urban and rural environments, with the rural environment in particular not being able to be altered without consequences for the urban the environment. Promote sustainable use of land resources, which will include the protection of the versatile Heretaunga Plains soils, more compact communities, and agreed growth boundaries with buffer zones. Encourage sustainable housing by ensuring that the layout of the site and the orientation of the building platform are part of the subdivision process as well as the elements of design that are necessary to achieve sustainable housing. Ensure that there is a range of densities for new residential development with a greater overall density, and with more intensive redevelopment of existing urban areas that will continue to meet the amenity values of the existing residential areas. Undertaking sustainable use of water resources, including maintaining water quality through riparian management, and supporting the initiatives of the Regional Council in the volume of water used for productive purposes is sustainable. The need for resilience in the pastoral economy is recognised and provided for by means of encouraging flexibility of land uses while also ensuring that the amenity of the rural area is maintained. Last amended 12 th July 2004 Section 2.3 Plan Philosophy and Integrated Resource Management Page 5

Ensuring that the District Plan provides an integrated approach to planning, where all of the elements of growth are considered together, i.e. urban growth, transport, infrastructure and social facilities. Recognise the unique relationship that mana whenua have with the land and waterways and the effect of their kaitiaki role in sustaining these resources. 2.3.10 FUTURE DIRECTIONS The Council will continue to monitor its performance in achieving the Objectives contained within the strategies in Sections 2.0 and other provisions of the Plan. New initiatives will need to be developed in response to these Objectives over the life of this and subsequent District Plans. New Resource Management issues will be raised as the community s vision for its future changes, and the District Council through its District Plan, and other statutory and policy mechanisms will need to respond to these principles. Last amended 12 th July 2004 Section 2.3 Plan Philosophy and Integrated Resource Management Page 6