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P L I M M E R T O N F A R M
P L I M M E R T O N
P H A S E 1 S I T E E V A L U A T I O N +R E Z O N I N G R E P O R T
A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
P L I M M E R T O N D E V E L O P M E N T S L I M I T E D
[DISCLAIMER: FOR PCC INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT DISTRIBUTE WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL BY PDL]
F O R P O R I R U A C I T Y C O U N C I L
DOCUMENT CONTROL
AUTHOR
WILLIAM DORSET – Senior Planner
STEPHANIE BLICK – Planning Manager
IN CONJUNCTION WITH:
- PLIMMERTON DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED - ALAN BLYDE + PAUL JAMES – ENVELOPE ENGINEERING - LAUREN WHITE + MICHAEL KIBBLEWHITE – HARRISON
GRIERSON - PAUL BLACHSKE – BLASCHKE & RUTHERFORD - DAVID WILSON – URBAN ENGINEERS - GUY CASSIDY + ADAM SMITH – ENGEO - DAN MALES + MARK NEWDICK– LOCAL LANDSCAPE
APPENDIX NINE: PCC DISTRICT PLAN REVIEW ENGAGEMENT DOCUMENT
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1. INTRODUCTION As part of the Porirua City District Plan Review, Plimmerton Developments Limited (“PDL”) are seeking the rezoning of a
large landholding commonly referred to as ‘Plimmerton Farm’ located at 71 State Highway 1 (“SH1”), Plimmerton. With
an area of 385 hectares, the site, legally described as Pt Lot 30 DP 328137, is the largest single rural landholding in the
Plimmerton area.
Plimmerton Farm is currently zoned Rural in the Operative Porirua City District Plan (the “District Plan”) and has been
identified as an urban growth / development area in the Porirua City Council (“PCC”) Northern Growth Area Structure
Plan (“the Structure Plan”).
The Structure Plan, adopted by Porirua City Council in December 2014, seeks to guide the coordinated growth and
development of the rural area north of Camborne and south of Pukerua Bay and set out the scenario for future urban
development in this area over a 30+ year period. The Structure Plan anticipated that a district plan change would be
progressed to rezone the land within the growth area from rural to a combination of residential, rural residential, and
commercial zones. It also anticipated that the introduction of new provisions would regulate urban and rural residential
development within the strategy area.
In the Structure Plan, the Plimmerton Farm site is identified as being suitable for residential and rural residential
development. The southernmost portion of the site is identified as the ‘Cambourne North Development Area’. The
Structure Plan states that –
“Enabling the extension north of the existing Camborne urban area enables the increased utilisation by new
residents of the amenities and infrastructure of the existing village and supports the upgrading of these. This
includes school, shops, rail station, open spaces churches, roading and other services”
The Northern Growth Area Structure Plan was adopted by Council after a robust public consultation process, thereby
signalling that the community appreciates that, in the future, the site will likely undergo change to a more urbanised
environment.
PDL intend on developing the site for residential purposes, together with some commercial sites, and supporting /
complementary land-uses. Accordingly, PDL would like the rezoning of the site included in the Draft District Plan that is
to be released for public feedback in October 2018. PDL have sought to achieve this by engaging a project team of
experts to undertake site investigations necessary to support and justify rezoning and the inclusion of a precinct plan
into the Draft District Plan.
Ultimately, the District Plan review process presents the opportunity to realise the growth potential of land from
Cambourne to Pukerua Bay in line with the Northern Growth Area Structure Plan and to provide housing supply to meet
projected population growth within the Porirua District.
1.1 PHASE ONE WORKS AND PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT
Porirua City Council (“PCC”) Officers confirmed to PDL in May 2018 that PCC would consider including the rezoning of
the Plimmerton Farm site from rural to residential or a combination of land-use zones as part of the District Plan
Review. This was confirmed on the basis that a draft precinct plan and supporting investigations and evaluations be
provided ahead of the October deadline for the release of the Draft District Plan.
In mid-July 2018, PCC agreed that the following deliverables are to be provided by PDL:
• Site context analysis, including technical evaluation reports;
• An overarching draft vision for the site and draft precinct outcomes;
• Indicative land use zoning and precinct overlays;
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• Indicative multi-modal transport links and connectivity (roading, rail, public transport, cycle and pedestrian
access);
• Indicative yield and staging;
• Indicative housing mix / typologies (depicted as a mood board);
• Indicative reserves and open space networks – including blue and green networks;
• Indicative community, retail, education and commercial facilities;
• Identification of how significant sites, features or values (which may be cultural, ecological, historical or amenity
related) will be protected / maintained or managed;
• An indication of servicing of the area, including stormwater, water and sewerage; and,
• Initial engagement with stakeholders, PCC officers, NZTA and Wellington Water.
Work necessary to complete the above deliverables has been termed “Phase One”. This report provides a summary of
the Phase One works.
As further described in Section 6 of this report, the following Phase Two works are proposed ahead of the notification
of the Proposed District Plan in mid to late 2019, including:
• Further stakeholder engagement and consultation;
• PCC, Greater Wellington Regional Council (“GWRC”), the New Zealand Transport Agency (“NZTA”) and
Wellington Water workshops;
• Further technical site investigations; and,
• PCC Officer workshops.
1.2 STRUCTURE OF THIS REPORT
This evaluation report contains the following sections:
• Section 2 provides rationale for the rezoning of Plimmerton Farm.
• Section 3 provides detail on the strategic and statutory context.
• Section 4 provides summaries of the technical evaluations of the site.
• Section 5 provides a description of the key features of the Draft Precinct Plan and identifies draft intentions and
outcomes specific to each Precinct.
• Section 6 provides details of the project team workshop and initial stakeholder engagement undertaken to date.
• Section 7 provides details of further work that will be advanced ahead of the Proposed District Plan being
released in mid to late 2019.
The preparation of the Draft Precinct Plan is supported by a number of site evaluations by technical experts and, along
with the Draft Precinct Plan, these reports that are attached as appendices as follows:
• Appendix One: Draft Precinct Plan prepared by Lauren White and Michael Kibblewhite of Harrison Grierson
Consultants Limited (‘Harrison Grierson’).
• Appendix Two: Urban Design Assessment prepared by Lauren White and Michael Kibblewhite of Harrison
Grierson.
• Appendix Three: Engineering report and plans prepared by Alan Blyde and Paul James of Envelope Engineering.
• Appendix Four: Stormwater Management Assessment prepared by David Wilson of The Urban Engineers.
• Appendix Five: Ecological Assessment prepared by Dr Paul Blaschke of Blaschke and Rutherford.
• Appendix Six: Landscape Assessment prepared by Dan Males and Mark Newdick of Local.
• Appendix Seven: Transport Summary prepared by Jamie Whittaker and Mark Georgeson of Traffic Design Group
(now Stantec).
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• Appendix Eight: Geotechnical Assessment prepared by Guy Cassidy and Adam Smith of ENGEO.
• Appendix Nine: PCC District Plan Review Engagement Document.
2. WHY REZONE PLIMMERTON FARM? The Plimmerton Farm site has long been identified as a growth area for Porirua City. Recent population projections
indicate that Porirua will increase from its current population of 55,500 people to some 65,500 people over the next 25
years, representing an 18% increase.1 Furthermore, the number of dwellings during the same period is expected to
increase by around 30%, from 18,000 to 23,500 households. This equates to approximately 220 new households
required per year.
A comprehensive understanding of Porirua’s ability to absorb this change within existing capacity is not fully known at
this point in time, although, as confirmed through the completed Phase One works, the Plimmerton Farm site does
provide the capacity to absorb some of this potential housing demand brought about by population increase and
changes to household composition and demographics.
At this Phase One stage, PDL’s development aspirations for the site includes a mixture of residential and commercial
activities, including:
• 2,000 residential dwellings including a range of densities and forms, from medium/high density to rural lifestyle;
• Retirement village comprising approximately 150 dwellings;
• Primary School (with a student roll of 150);
• Supermarket – approximately 3,000m² Gross Floor Area (“GFA”);
• A neighbourhood hub comprising necessary community services (i.e. a small medical centre, takeaways etc);
• Big box retail – approximately 3,000m² GFA; and,
• A park and ride facility.
Given growth projections for Porirua, PDL believes the full development of the site will take between 15 to 20 years.
At present the site is located within the Rural Zone and the Porirua City Operative District Plan provisions of this zone
largely only permit the use of the site for rural based activities and does not provide for residential growth in this area.
Therefore, it is considered that the current rural zoning is not appropriate for the city’s Northern Growth Area nor for
the level and type of development aspirations sought by PDL.
For growth to occur on the site that will assist in meeting Council’s expectations for growth, a change in the
environment needs to occur. This was signalled to the community in previous work undertaken by PCC through the
preparation of its Northern Growth Area Structure Plan.
The rezoning of the site will result in a physical change in the site, however through adopting a precinct plan framework
approach, and through the involvement of a number of disciplines in the precinct plan development process, many
effects associated with the development of the site will be positive and anticipated adverse effects are able to be
appropriately mitigated.
From a strategic planning and growth point of view, rezoning of the Plimmerton Farm site presents mutually beneficial
outcomes for –
• PDL through the realisation of its development aspirations;
• The Plimmerton and wider Porirua community via the introduction of new social, community, educational and
recreational assets and new and varying housing stock (including affordable homes); and,
• PCC through providing sufficient residentially zoned land to accommodate 30+ years of population growth (as
required in the NPS-UDC as further detailed in Section 3 below).
1 Source: .idcommunity, demographic resources: ‘Porirua City Population Forecast’. Website: https://forecast.idnz.co.nz/porirua
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The rationale for the rezoning of the site, coupled with the implementation of a precinct plan framework, includes that
it will:
• Provide additional housing capacity to meet expected housing demand brought about by projected population
increase over the next 30 years.
• Deliver a range of housing typologies to the market to meet a wide range of demographics. This was identified
as a key issue through the District Plan review public engagement process.
• Complement the existing urban development and contribute to a compact urban form.
• Ensure development of the site occurs in a comprehensive, integrated and co-ordinated manner.
• Enable a more efficient and integrated use of the strategic land resource; and,
• Coupled with the future revocation of SH1, provide an opportunity to ensure the new communities are well
connected with established neighbourhoods as well as the Plimmerton Village and Plimmerton Train Station.
2.1.1 PROPOSED REZONING AND PRECINCT PLAN FRAMEWORK APPROACH
At this stage, based on the Phase One works undertaken, residential, commercial, rural lifestyle, and public open space
zonings are considered to be suitable site zonings to achieve PDL’s development aspirations; to facilitate the delivery of
the precinct plan that will include key development features and specific provisions; and, to a degree, address PCC’s
own aspirations for the site as outlined in the Structure Plan.
In addition to site rezoning, to fully address and recognise the particular values, opportunities and constraints of the
site (as further detailed in the following sections of this report and the accompanying technical reports), a precinct plan
framework approach is proposed where a separate overlay map comprise a number of distinct precincts where specific
development intentions and outcomes are sought will be included in the District Plan.
PCC’s District Plan review documents do not outline that the development of greenfield land will be managed via the
adoption of precinct plan framework approach within the Draft District Plan. However, engagement with PCC Policy
Planners has confirmed that this is the desired approach for the Plimmerton Farm site, given that, among other things,
the large scale of the site necessitates a need to provide a long-term framework to guide development.
Through the introduction of the precinct plan framework, there is an expectation that a high standard of amenity will
be achieved whilst also giving appropriate recognition to the existing values of the site, particularly ecological and
landscape values. Descriptions, intentions, and outcomes for each precinct will form part of the ‘Plimmerton Farm
Precinct Plan’ material that is proposed to be included in a separate chapter of the Draft District Plan (in accordance
with the Draft National Planning Standards template which PCC is understood to be adopted).
The Draft Precinct Plan itself sets out the significant key elements that PDL wishes to achieve on the site and is of an
appropriate density and layout considered acceptable by the project team. These elements include an indicative
roading layout, pedestrian and cycle connections, a park and ride facility, a public open space network, reserves
(neighbourhood parks) and the main land uses. The provision of stormwater and servicing infrastructure is also
addressed in the servicing and stormwater reports accompanying this report and further work will be progressed ahead
of notification of the Proposed District Plan in mid to late 2019.
It is envisaged that, at the time of subdivision and land development, consent applications will require assessment
against new zone provisions of the Proposed District Plan and specifically developed precinct provisions that will be
developed to specifically satisfy the recommendations put forward by the project team technical experts. Also, all
resource consent applications will be assessed on, among other things, the extent to which the applications are
generally consistent with the Precinct Plan including whether key elements have been incorporated into the detailed
design.
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3. RELATIONSHIP WITH KEY PLANNING DOCUMENTS Rezoning of a site should take account of and consider both local and national government plans and policies. This
section provides detail of the existing strategic and statutory context that influences the rezoning of Plimmerton Farm.
3.1 STRATEGIC CONTEXT
3.1.1 PORIRUA SUBURBAN CHARACTER STUDY 2005
The Porirua Suburban Character Study was undertaken in response to community concerns about the impact of more
intensive residential development on amenity and character values of suburban areas.
The Study concluded with a number of recommendations to PCC, including:
1. To plan for areas of intensification and strengthen management and control of infill development.
4. Provision and management of suburban open space
5. Develop a city wide greening strategy
5. Consider land use relationship between rural and urban areas
6. Develop a city-wide open space strategy
3.1.2 PORIRUA DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 2009
The Porirua Development Framework 2009 (“the Framework”) was prepared as a guiding document that was intended
to influence how and where Porirua will physically develop over time. The framework “provides a ‘picture of what the
city may eventually look like – areas where people may live, work and play”.
The Framework sets out principles and objectives that guide long-term development. There are a number of objectives
that are relevant to the rezoning of Plimmerton Farm. These include:
Business and Employment:
• Objective 2: Ensure there is sufficient land available of a suitable quality to cater for future business
needs.
Housing:
• Objective 4: Improve housing choice, by enabling a variety of housing types and form to be built,
catering for differing levels of affordability and need.
• Objective 5: Improve housing quality, be promoting sustainable housing and good quality urban
design outcomes that integrate with existing communities.
Social Infrastructure
• Objective 6: Advocate to ensure education facilities meet the needs of the local population and
businesses, and are located in easily accessible areas.
• Objective 7: Ensure that each community is provided with universally appropriate, accessible, safe
public services and facilities that meet the needs of all sectors of society
Culture and History
• Objective 8: Recognise and provide for cultural and historical associations with the natural and built
environment.
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• Objective 9: Ensure the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi as set out in the Charter of Understanding
between Ngati Toa Rangatira and Porirua City Council, are taken into account when planning for
future growth and development.
Transport and Infrastructure
• Objective 10: Improve and better understand the balance between development, and the provision of
infrastructure capacity.
• Objective 11: Ensure new development is supported by the provision of appropriate and efficient
infrastructure.
• Objective 12: Improve the transport system, by strengthening the links between communities while
ensuring they are safe for all users; focusing on the creation of transport nodes; widening the choice of
transport modes; future proofing the physical infrastructure; and focusing on the use and provision of
public transport and walking/cycling
Recreation:
• Objective 14: Ensure recreational facilities are located in easily accessible areas; are an appropriate
form to cater for community needs; and are safe environments for leisure and recreation activities to
occur.
Environment:
• Objective 15: Ensure the natural environment is sustainably managed, which includes:
- Indigenous biodiversity is protected through effective management, which includes the
protection of indigenous vegetation, important ecosites and habitats for indigenous fauna.
- Strengthen the city’s green and leafy appearance.
- Improve water quality in the Pauatahanui Inlet, Porirua Harbour and waterways, by ensuring
effective management of sediment discharges, pollutants, excess nutrients and other
contaminants. This may be achieved through explicit management and advocacy.
- Managing development in the coastal environment through explicit management and advocacy.
- Identify significant landscapes, and ensure they are appropriately managed and protected.
• Objective 16: Ensure new urban development is not exposed to unacceptable risk from natural hazards
and impacts of climate change. Further development in existing communities may occur in areas
potentially affected by climate change or subject to natural hazards, where appropriate mitigation is
achievable.
Planning Places:
• Objective 19: Ensure there is sufficient urban zoned land available for both residential and non-
residential purposes, to cater for future demand.
The Framework notes that there will be a conflict between certain objectives and outcomes recommended and that
trade-offs are inevitable.
The Framework also includes a framework map (refer Figure One below) showing preferred locations for specific
development forms and an associated Strategic Study Area Map (refer Figure Two below). The Framework includes the
Porirua Development Framework Detailed Action Plan, which specifies a set of projected actions required to implement
the Framework.
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` FIGURE ONE: PORIRUA DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK MAP
FIGURE TWO: STRATEGIC STUDY AREAS
The Framework identifies north of Camborne as a potential urban growth area. However, it notes that “this area has a
range of constraints and limitations that would require further detailed investigation before Council could consider a
specific change to its District Plan”. This led to the development of the Structure Plan.
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3.1.3 PORIRUA NORTHERN GROWTH AREA STRUCTURE PLAN 2014
The Structure Plan was adopted by Porirua City Council in December 2014 as a strategy for guiding future long-term
urban growth between Camborne and Pukerua Bay. The Structure Plan considers this area desirable for growth given
the ability to access the current SH1 alignment, along with the presence of established community amenities, and
suggests development of some 1,200 to 2,000 new dwellings.
FIGURE THREE: NORTHERN GROWTH AREA STRUCTURE
The key proposals for the Northern Growth Area:
A - Pukerua Bay West Development Area
B - New Village Development Area
C - Camborne North Development Area
D - Rural Residential Areas
E - Open Spaces Areas
F - Rural Deferred Development Areas
The Plimmerton Farm site comprises proposed land use types B, C, D E and F from council’s Structure Plan.
The Structure Plan sets out a scenario for future urban development in this area, considering the following aspects:
• Providing for a range of housing and building options to meet demand from a growing population;
• The opportunity to more-efficiently utilise existing transportation infrastructure including commuter rail
services within proximity to the structure plan area;
• Planning and funding essential infrastructure and community facilities (including schools and other community
services) needed for this;
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• Protecting important natural environmental values including important landscapes and natural features
(including Taupō Swamp Wetland and the Porirua Harbour), heritage, and biodiversity; and,
• Feedback from affected landowners, various stakeholder agencies, and the wider community about all of the
above.
DEVELOPMENT SCENARIOS FOR PLIMMERTON FARM
The Northern Growth Area Structure Plan prepared by Council envisages:
• A proposed “New Village Area” on the site, which will include small centre shops around a ‘public open space’
and school site(s);
• The ‘Camborne North Development Area’ which is traditional residential development in the same theme as
existing residential development to the south of the Plimmerton Farm site;
• ‘Rural Residential Areas’ which allow for larger lots on steeper sites, bush clad sites and areas of where
development occurrence will have significant visual impact;
• ‘Open Space Areas’ which will generally be the areas of steeper gully/ watercourses and low-lying flood plain
and wetland areas; and,
• Some limited area of ‘Rural Deferred Development Area’ with steeper terrain and vegetation or visual
protection zones where protection would be desirable.
3.2 STATUTORY CONTEXT
A number of policies and plans inform the nature of rezoning of the Plimmerton Farm site. A summary of legislation and
the relevant policy and plans that have informed the project teams preliminary rezoning concepts and draft precinct
plan is provided below.
3.2.1 NATIONAL POLICY STATEMENT ON URBAN DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY 2016
The National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity 2016 (NPS-UDC) sets out the objectives and policies for
providing development capacity under the Resource Management Act 1991 (“the Act”).
The NPS outlines that local authorities play an important role in shaping the success of our cities by planning for growth
and change and providing critical infrastructure. The NPS outlines that, ideally, urban planning should enable people
and communities to provide for their social, economic, cultural and environmental wellbeing through development,
while managing its effects. This is a challenging role, because cities are complex places; they develop as a result of
numerous individual decisions, and this often involves conflict between diverse preferences.
The NPS provides direction to decision-makers under the Act on planning for urban environments. It recognises the
national significance of well-functioning urban environments, with particular focus on ensuring that local authorities,
through their planning, both:
• enable urban environments to grow and change in response to the changing needs of the communities, and
future generations; and
• provide enough space for their populations to happily live and work. This can be both through allowing
development to go “up” by intensifying existing urban areas, and “out” by releasing land in greenfield areas.
The NPS covers development capacity for both housing and business, in recognition that the mobility and connectivity
between both are important to achieving well-functioning urban environments.
The NPS aims to ensure that planning decisions enable the supply of housing needed to meet demand and outlines that
local authorities need to provide for the wellbeing of current generations, and they must also provide for the wellbeing
of the generations to come. The overarching theme running through the NPS is that planning decisions must actively
enable development in urban environments and do that in a way that maximises wellbeing now and in the future.
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The NPS identifies that competition is important for land and development markets because supply will meet demand
at a lower price when there is competition. There are several key features of a competitive land and development
market. These include providing plenty of opportunities for development. Planning can impact on the competitiveness
of the market by reducing overall opportunities for development and restricting development rights to only a few
landowners.
The NPS requires councils to provide in their plans enough development capacity to ensure that demand can be met.
This includes both the total aggregate demand for housing and business land, and also the demand for different types,
sizes and locations. This development capacity must also be commercially feasible to develop, and plentiful enough to
recognise that not all feasible development opportunities will be taken up.
Under the NPS development capacity must be provided for in plans and also supported by infrastructure. The NPS
states –
Urban development is dependent on infrastructure, and decisions about infrastructure can shape urban
development. This national policy statement requires development capacity to be serviced with development
infrastructure, with different expectations from this infrastructure in the short, medium and long-term. It
encourages integration and coordination of land use and infrastructure planning. This will require a sustained
effort from local authorities, council-controlled organisations, and infrastructure providers (including central
government) to align their intentions and resources.
Another key theme running through the NPS is for planning to occur with a better understanding of land and
development markets, and in particular the impact that planning has on these. This NPS requires local authorities to
prepare a housing and business development capacity assessment and to regularly monitor market indicators, including
price signals, to ensure there is sufficient development capacity to meet demand.
Local authorities must respond to this information in that, if it shows that more development capacity needs to be
provided to meet demand, local authorities must then do so. Providing a greater number of opportunities for
development that are commercially feasible will lead to more competition among developers and landowners to meet
demand.
The NPS takes a tiered approach to the application of policies using the Statistics New Zealand urban areas
classification, and population projections to target different policies to different local authorities. This classification also
informs local authorities that they must work together. The boundaries of the urban areas do not restrict the area in
which the local authorities apply the policies.
Porirua City Council is identified in the NPS as a ‘Medium Growth Area’ (‘MGA’). The NPS defines an MGA as any urban
area that has a resident population of over 30,000 and in which the population of that urban area is projected to grow
by 5-10 percent between 2013 to 2023. There are five MGAs in the Wellington Region, Wellington City, Porirua City,
Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Kapiti Coast District.
As a MGA, PCC is required to quantify demand for different housing types in Porirua over a 30-year horizon and make
sure land is available to service that land. PB6 of the NPS requires “local authorities to monitor on a quarterly basis a
range of indicators in the housing and business market”.
3.2.2 NATIONAL POLICY STATEMENT ON FRESHWATER MANAGEMENT
GWRC’s current whaitua process is designed to meet their obligations under the NPS-FM. This process involves setting
catchment contaminate load limits.
Although the Te Awarua-o-Porirua Whaitua process has not finished the whaitua committee is anticipating completing
the Whaitua Implementation Programme in August 2018. Their current (as at 10 May 2018) draft fresh water quality
objectives provide an indication for likely limits for the Taupō Stream and Swamp catchment (refer Appendix A of the
Stormwater Management Assessment in Appendix Four). The draft objectives are targeting significant improvements
in E.coli and dissolved zinc and copper toxicity, and improvements in ammonia and nitrate toxicity. The draft objectives
are targeting similar levels in the Kakaho Stream catchment and it is understood from Wellington Water that PCC have
agreed in principle for these objectives (or similar) to be included in the Draft District Plan.
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3.2.3 REGIONAL POLICY STATEMENT FOR THE WELLINGTON REGION 2013
The Regional Policy Statement for the Wellington Region 2013 (“the RPS”) identifies the regionally significant issues
around the management of the regions natural and physical resources and sets out what needs to be achieved in the
form of objectives and a policy framework for achieving the objectives.
The sections of most relevance to the rezoning of Plimmerton Farm include:
• Freshwater (Section 3.4) – the regions rivers, lakes and wetlands support healthy functioning ecosystems.
• Historic heritage (Section 3.5) – seeks to identify and protect historic heritage from inappropriate modification,
use and development.
• Indigenous ecosystems (Section 3.6) – promotes the maintenance and restoration of indigenous ecosystems
and habitats with significant biodiversity value.
• Landscape (section 3.7) – seeks to protect, maintain and enhance the values of outstanding natural landscapes
and significant amenity landscapes.
• Natural hazards (Section 3.8) – Risks and consequences to people and property from natural hazards, climate
change are reduced and activities do not increase the risks of natural hazard events.
• Regional form, design and function (Section 3.9) – Promotes a compact, well designed and sustainable regional
form where urban development takes place in existing urban areas, or where beyond urban areas, development
reinforces the regions existing urban form. Also promotes strategically planned rural development, a range of
housing, integrated land use and transport, and efficient use of existing infrastructure (including transport
network infrastructure).
• Resource management with tangata whenua (Section 3.10) – promotes local authorities and iwi authorities to
work together for the sustainable management of the regions environment.
Also relevant to the rezoning of Plimmerton Farm, to enable medium to high density developments where appropriate,
the RPS anticipates that more intensive residential development will be enabled in areas with good access to services,
including public transport. In particular, the following policies of the RPS are relevant:
• Policy 10 relating to Travel Demand Management
• Policy 31, 33 and 55 relating to a compact well designed and sustainable regional form
• Policy 54 requiring developments to incorporate Urban Design and Low Impact Urban Design considerations
• Policy 57 relating the integration of land use and transportation
• Policy 58 relating to co-ordinating land use with development and operation of infrastructure.
• Policy 67: Maintaining and enhancing a compact, well designed and sustainable regional form.
STRUCTURE PLAN DEVELOPMENT
Specific to the development of structure plans, Policy 55 – Maintaining a compact, well designed and sustainable
regional form, states that –
When considering an application for a resource consent, or a change, variation or review of a district plan for
urban development beyond the region’s urban areas (as at March 2009), particular regard shall be given to
whether:
(a) the proposed development is the most appropriate option to achieve Objective 22; and
(b) the proposed development is consistent with the Council’s growth and/or development framework or
strategy that describes where and how future urban development should occur in that district; and/or
(c) a structure plan has been prepared.
The explanation to this policy includes the Porirua City Development Framework in examples of growth and/or
development frameworks or strategies.
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The explanation outlines that structure planning integrates land use with infrastructure – such as, transport networks,
community services and the physical resources and that structure planning should also deliver high quality urban
design.
While the explanation outlines that the content and detail of structure plans will vary depending on the scale of
development, it notes that, structure plans, as a minimum, should address:
• Provision of an appropriate mix of land uses and land use densities;
• How environmental constraints (for example, areas at high risk from natural hazards) and areas of value (for
example, indigenous ecosystems, rivers, streams and ephemeral streams, wetlands, areas or places with historic
heritage, outstanding landscapes, or special amenity landscapes) are to be managed;
• Integration with existing and proposed infrastructure services, such as, connections to existing and proposed
transportation systems and provision of public and active transport linkages by undertaking an integrated
transport assessment;
• The integration of the development with adjoining land use activities including measures to avoid, remedy or
mitigate reverse sensitivity effects;
• Integration of social infrastructure and essential social services as necessary;
• Development staging or sequencing; and,
• How the region’s urban design principles will be implemented.
The Regions Urban Design Principles are described in Appendix 2 of the RPS and have been considered by the project
team’s urban designer through the development of the Draft Precinct Plan.
3.2.4 PORIRUA CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT PLAN REVIEW
PCC, with Ngāti Toa, are currently reviewing their District Plan and Council have confirmed that the rezoning of the
Plimmerton Farm site could be included in the Draft District Plan. As acknowledged in this report, as the PCC District
Plan Review process is currently being progressed, PDL will not be looking to advance a private plan change to rezone
the Plimmerton Farm site.
As discussed in Section 1, PDL are seeking to have the land rezoned in Council’s District Plan review. This is being
achieved by assisting Council in undertaking site evaluations and investigations that are necessary to support and justify
rezoning.
To this end, as part of the Phase One works, PDL and its Plimmerton Farm project team members:
• Met with PCC Policy Planners to determine likely zoning and zoning provisions to determine how such zonings
would align with development intentions for the site;
• Confirmed with PCC Policy Planners that the suburban zone rules would not have a minimum lot size as per the
operative district plan;
• Confirmed with PCC Policy Planners that likely a new rural residential zone would be introduced into the District
Plan; and,
• Confirmed with PCC Policy Planners that the various parts of the entire site would be rezoned residential,
business and public open space but specific development outcomes will be delivered via a precinct plan
framework approach that identified intentions, outcomes, objectives and policies and rules for the specific
precincts.
It is envisaged that PDL and its project team will work closely with PCC policy planners to ensure zone provisions, as well
as the specific precinct provisions; enhance site opportunities; mitigate and appropriately address site constraints; align
with the desired intentions and outcomes for the site; and address the issues raised in the Porirua City land use
planning review document that is summarised in the following section.
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DISTRICT PLAN REVIEW ISSUES DOCUMENT: HOW WE LIVE AND GROW, OCTOBER 2017
In October 2017, PCC released a document identifying the themes and issues for public engagement on the District
Plan. The document identifies 33 issues that the District Plan is intended to address. For each of the issues a number of
desired outcomes and potential responses that seek to ensure the outcomes are achieved were specified. The
document captures all of the issues, potential responses, desired outcomes and the Council’s regulatory requirements
in one place.
There are a number of issues that directly relate to the rezoning of the Plimmerton Farm site. The issues report is
provided in Appendix Nine of this report and the relevant outcomes that the proposed rezoning will contribute to
achieving have been marked green.
DISTRICT PLAN ENGAGEMENT REPORTING, NOVEMBER 2017
In November 2017, the Environment and City Planning Team at PCC released an engagement report that described
feedback through engagement on the District Plan review. The report outlines that the key messages from the
community on the District Plan include:
• Strong support for diverse housing options, affordable housing and acceptance of a need to grow
• A reluctance to see low density sprawl as the future growth model, instead supporting a move into medium
density intensification and increasing height limits in the CBD
• Strong support for the protection of the Harbour through planning tools (that could be based on the principles of
water sensitive urban design and storm water neutrality)
• An interest in the changes brought about by Transmission Gully including what happens to the current State
Highway 1, there was an acknowledgement that there are challenges and opportunities for Porirua
• Overall strong support for non-vehicular modes of transport and better pubic transport
• Support for a risk-based approach to natural hazards and the hazards of most concern are earthquakes, flooding
and slips
• Support for protecting landscape backdrops
• Support for native vegetation protection backed by penalties if required.
The above issues have sought to be addressed by PDL and its project team through the precinct plan development
process.
3.2.5 RESOURCE CONSENTS
PDL have indicated that, due to commercial considerations, resource consents may be advanced for some development
within Stage 1 ahead of the rezoning of the site becoming operative. PDL and their consultants will undertake early
engagement with PCC Officers and relevant stakeholders to ensure any resource consents advanced by PDL do not
prejudice development occurring in accordance with the precinct plan and accompanying intentions and outcomes and
provisions.
Development in Stage 1 will include the creation of four super lots (2-3 ha each) for future residential development, one
8ha superlot for a retirement village / residential lifestyle, two commercial lots (1.5ha – 2ha each), together with the
dedications of land for a potential Park and Ride facility and stormwater detention. It is proposed that Stage 1 will be
accessed via James Street to State Highway 1.
A small residential cul de sac at the end of Mo Street with a pedestrian connection to the precinct is also proposed in
Stage 1.
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4. EXPERT CONTEXT ANALYSIS AND SITE EVALUATIONS
Phase One works have involved the undertaking of site evaluations and assessments by the project team experts. Each
expert has identified site opportunities and constraints and recommendations with respect to how rezoning and future
development of the site can resolve such constraints.
The expert evaluations are summarised in the following sections.
4.1 ECOLOGY
Activities associated with the urbanisation of a site that will be facilitated through site rezoning and the implementation
of a precinct plan have the potential to affect ecological values of the site and wider locality include earthworks for land
development, removal of existing vegetation, modification of existing drainage and the generation of stormwater as a
result of new buildings and hardstand such as roading.
To inform decisions regarding appropriate zoning along with the development of the Draft Precinct plan an Ecological
Site Assessment (refer Appendix Five) was prepared by Dr Paul Blaschke of Blaschke and Rutherford. This assessment
was undertaken to ensure that any ecological constraints within the site are well understood and to ensure that future
development of the site will not adversely impact on the local or regional environment.
The scope of the assessment included:
• Assessing existing ecological habitats and values (terrestrial and freshwater) on Plimmerton Farm;
• Reviewing rezoning options and draft precinct plans and the supporting rezoning evaluation report to advise on
the accuracy or otherwise of existing identification and assessment of ecological resources on Plimmerton Farm;
• Undertaking a site visit;
• Summarising principles for effective incorporation of ecological values into development of precinct plan
options for Plimmerton Farm, including participation in team workshops and discussion; and
• Preparation of the Ecological Site Assessment Report.
Section 2 of the Ecological Site Assessment provides an overview of terrestrial and freshwater environments. Section 3
outlines that a recent Porirua City Council survey of Ecology and Landscape Areas as part of the Council’s District Plan
review2 has identified nine proposed Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) within Plimmerton Farm. Recognition of the sites
was based on matching at least one of several criteria for ecological significance identified in the RPS.
In addition, the Ecological Site Assessment identifies further sites that are considered to have ecological importance. Dr
Blaschke have recommended considering the additional sites during ongoing site development planning. Brief details of
these sites are shown in Table 1 of the assessment and Recognised SNAs in and adjoining Plimmerton Farm, and the
“additional noteworthy areas” are shown in Fig.1. Areas shown in green in Fig. 1 (“Highest Value Ecological Sites”) are
most of the proposed SNAs. Areas shown in pink (“Lowest Value Ecological Sites”) are two proposed SNAs which, in Dr
Blaschke’s view, have lower ecological values than those in green, principally because of lower density and/or less
developed native canopy. Areas shown in yellow (“Medium/high Value Ecological Sites”) are those areas detailed in
Table 2 which are not recognised as SNAs but have some ecological value or potential to add to ecological integrity of
the site as a whole.
Section 4 of the Ecological Site Assessment outlines the most important ecological values of the site as follows:
• Remnants of old-growth native forests (dominated by kohekohe and tawa, with a small number of podocarp
trees).
• Significant areas of regenerating indigenous manuka and kanuka-dominated scrub and low forest in gullies and
steep hillsides, developing towards characteristic native forests in threatened land environments. Many of these
regenerating areas protect and buffer significant streams and wetlands.
2 See https://poriruacity.govt.nz/your-council/city-planning-and-reporting/district-plan/ecology-and-landscapes/
• Important wetland outliers of the Taupō Swamp in the Lower Taupō Stream, one of the most significant
wetlands in the Wellington region.
• Numerous streams and wetlands draining into the Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour, a focus for protection at the
territorial and regional level.
• Fauna habitat for many native species including freshwater fish, birds and lizards. Some of these species are
identified as rare or threatened.
The assessment also acknowledges that –
• Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour is recognised as a Habitat of Indigenous Birds in the Coastal Marine Area and is
the subject of a major coordinated management programme and Action Plan3.
• Taupō Swamp is recognised as a Key Native Ecosystem (KNE)4 and a Significant Natural Wetland in Greater
Wellington Regional Council’s PNRP.
• Taupō Stream is also recognised as a River with Significant Indigenous Ecosystems in this PNRP5.
• Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour and places within the Taupō Stream catchment are recognised as Sites of
significance to Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
As outlined in Section 5 of Ecological Site Assessment, Dr Blaschke states that, in his view residential development on
the site can be compatible with protection and enhance of ecological values of Plimmerton Farm given the following
reasons –
• Existence of a number of SNAs and other areas with ecological values, as hubs of natural values. These can also
be a feature of planned residential and urban development and support an integration of development and
environmental values;
• The relatively large size of the property compared to the size of the most important ecological sites, enabling
flexibility in development and protection options;
• The topography of the property which dictates that significant areas would not be capable of residential
development, that other areas would support larger rural and hillside living precincts incorporating ecological
areas;
• The presence of easier contoured land on the southern and western parts of the property adjacent to transport,
road and infrastructure linkages, allowing relatively intensive development;
• These two factors thereby allow a mix of relatively dense and less dense development as well as protection of
important natural areas and natural values.
4.1.1 ECOLOGY RECOMMENDATIONS AND DRAFT PRECINCT PLAN RESPONSES
Section 5 of the Ecological Site Assessment identifies the following values that will need addressing on development
generally on the site:
• The desirability of protection for recognised SNAs on the property;
• Policy protection of all streams on the property from reclamation, included those outside of SNAs, by way of
Policy P102 in the Proposed NRP stating that the reclamation or drainage of the beds of lakes and rivers and of
wetland shall be avoided (with the exemption of ephemeral streams among other things) unless there are no
other practicable alternative methods of providing for the activity;
• The generally steep contour of the site, necessitating relatively large volumes of earthworks for development,
and the need for best practice methods of site development and of erosion and sediment control.
3 Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour and Catchment Strategy and Action Plan, see https://poriruacity.govt.nz/your-council/city-planning-and-reporting/our-strategic-priorities/healthy-harbour/how-were-looking-after-porirua-harbour/ 4 A KNE Management Plan has been prepared for the Taupō Swamp Complex, see http://www.gwrc.govt.nz/assets/council-publications/Key-Native-Ecosystem-Plan-for-Taup-Swamp-Complex-2016-2019.pdf 5 A full description and list of ecological designations is provided in the above KNE Plan