Hamilton City Council
Te kaunihera o Kirikiriroa
We’re making some changes to our district plan, to help manage flood impacts in Hamilton and ensure new developments are resilient to flooding.
Status Hearings
Plan Change 14 was publicly notified on 21 January 2025, with the submission period closing on 28 February 2025. Council received 57 submissions.
The further submission period was open 2 – 16 April 2025. Council received 14 further submissions.
On 28 October 2025, Hearings have started.
Plan Change 14 makes changes to the District Plan (our rule book for development) to ensure that as Hamilton grows, new developments are resilient to flooding caused by extreme weather. Rules to protect us from flooding are not new – we have had rules in place about building in flood hazard areas for some time. Plan Change 14 strengthens the objectives, policies and rules around development in areas affected by flooding information, and updates stormwater management rules. It also shifts to a management regime where, instead of fixed or static maps which can become outdated, mapping of the City’s flood hazards is dynamic and can be updated as new information becomes available.
This enables us to use the most accurate and detailed information about different types of flood information for a property, including flood hazard areas, overland flow paths, depression areas and flood extent areas. Plan Change 14 separates out the planning controls in the District Plan (the provisions of Plan Change 14) from the flood maps. These separate flood maps are available on a platform called “Floodviewer”. Floodviewer is a separate tool which enables the public to access the City’s flood maps to see which areas of the City may be prone to flooding hazards.
Areas that will be flooded during heaving rainfall, generally categorised as:
Where water would flow across the ground if pipes and culverts become overloaded or blocked.
Places that have the potential to fill up with water in heavy rain if pipes and culverts become overloaded or blocked.
Areas that may experience shallow flooding, which is unlikely to be hazardous, less than 10cm deep, likely to occur once in 100 years (on average).
This includes all the documents and reports that are part of the planning process, such proposed changes, policies, maps, and technical studies.
Proposed Plan Change 14 cover page
Chapter 4.9 – specific standards large lot residential zone
Chapter 14 – future urban zone
Chapter 21 – Waikato River corridor and gully system
Chapter 25.14 – transportation
Chapter 25.2 – earthworks and vegetation removal
Chapter 25.4 – hazardous facilities
Appendices
Appendix 1 – definitions and terms
This report evaluates the costs, benefits, and risks of different planning options. It helps ensure that the chosen plan or policy is the most efficient and effective.
Appendix 01 – scale and significance
Appendix 02 – assessment of options
Appendix 03 – evaluation of objectives policies and rules
Appendix 04 – technical report flooding
Appendix 05 – onsite stormwater management report
Appendix 07 – Te Ture Whaimana
Appendix 08 – Depression areas
Appendix 09 – Flood Hazard management feasibility study
These are written comments or opinions from the public about a proposed change on the District Plan. They can support, oppose, or suggest changes to the plan.
You can review the summary of submissions and individual submissions below.
Plan Change 14 — public notice —summary of submissions
These are additional comments made in response to the original submissions. They allow people to support or oppose the views expressed in the initial submissions. You do not need to be an original submitter to make a further submission, but your comments must be related to the points raised in the original submission. You cannot introduce a new topic.
Commissioner Directions are guidelines and instructions provided during the planning and hearing processes. This section also contains communications directed to the Hearing Panel, including legal memorandums and responses to those memorandums and directions. The documents are arranged in chronological order.
Legal Memo - HCC 18 September 2025
Legal Memo - Metlifecare, Southern Cross, Argosy and Stride Investment
Statement of evidence of Dr Juliana Reu Junqueira (Planning)
Appendix A (Planning) – Officer’s recommendation version (see section below)
Statement of Evidence of Luis Alejandro Cifuentes for the Waikato Regional Council
Statement of Evidence of Sara Brown on behalf of WEL Networks Limited
Statement of Evidence of Mark Bulpitt Chrisp on Behalf of Fonterra Limited – Planning
Statement of Evidence of Scott Dean King on Behalf of Fonterra Limited - Civil Engineering
Statement of Evidence of Miles Rowe for The Fuel Companies - Planning
Statement of Evidence of Sharon Gail Dines for PB Consultants Limited – Planning
Statement of Evidence of Andres Roa Concha for PB Consultants Limited – Flooding and Stormwater
Statement of Evidence of David Eric Badham on behalf of Foodstuffs – Planning
Statement of Evidence of Constantinos Fokianos on behalf of Foodstuffs – Water Resource Engineer
Statement of Rebuttal Evidence: This is a written document in response to another party’s Statement of Evidence. It addresses specific points raised in the original evidence, providing clarification, counter arguments, or alternative expert opinions. Rebuttal evidence helps decision-makers understand contrasting perspectives on technical or factual matters.
Proponent Rebuttal
These are formal meetings where submitters can present their views in person to the decision-makers. It's an opportunity for further discussion and clarification of the issues raised in submissions.
Tabled Statements
Transpower New Zealand Limited
Summary of Evidence - Miles Rowe for Fuel Companies
Summary of Evidence - Zeb Worth for Southern Cross & Argosy Property No 1
Summary of Evidence - Mark Chrisp for Fonterra Limited
Summary of Evidence – Alejandro Cifuentes for WRC
Harry Bowkett - Hearing Evidence
Harry Bowkett - Executive Summary
Proponent Supplementary Evidence
Supplementary statement of evidence of Dr Juliana Reu Junqueira (Planning)
Appendix 1 - Updated set of Officer’s recommended amendments to PC14 provisions
Presentation - Dr Juliana Reu Junqueira (Planning)
Presentation - Dr Yong Vann (Economic Impacts)
Hearing Schedule
Hearings Recording
Second Supplementary Statement of Evidence
Public notification (and your chance to tell us what you think)
Summary of Submissions published and call for further submissions
Further submissions closed
HCC is to lodge its expert evidence-in-chief.
Submitters present evidence
Any rebuttal evidence
Last day to identify topics for the Expert Conferencing
If the Panel directs expert conferencing
Legal submissions
Hearing Days
*30 Oct 2025 (back up reserved day)
Notification of the decision.
If you applied for a resource consent prior to the notification of Plan Change 14 and your application is still being processed, the application will need to be assessed against the notified flooding rules. If any additional information is required in light of the changes to the flooding rules, the processing planner will be in touch.
The notified flood hazard rules have legal effect under Section 86B of the RMA. All of the notified Plan Change 14 rules will need to be assessed on all resource consent applications.
Your existing Resource Consent applies. No changes will be required to your resource consent application unless you want to change the approved conditions of consent.
If the flooding maps have changed since you obtained Resource Consent you may not comply with the minimum floor levels required by the Building Unit.
If you need to make any amendments to your approved Resource Consent, you may require a change of condition application. This would need to be assessed against the notified flooding rules.
For more information about flood modelling and mapping, please visit our flood mapping page. This page contains information on how to challenge the Floodviewer maps if you consider a change is required.
To find out more about the plan change and planning process, email us at planchange14@hcc.govt.nz.
For more detailed questions on PC14, drop into the main Council building reception anytime during the drop-in session hours to speak to a planner.
Drop-in hours
|
Date |
Time |
|
Wednesday 29 January |
10am - 4pm |
|
Thursday 30 January |
9am - 3pm |
|
Monday 3 February |
9am - 3pm |
|
Tuesday 4 February |
10am – 4pm |
|
Tuesday 11 February |
9am - 3pm |
|
Wednesday 12 February |
9am - 3pm |
|
Thursday 20 February |
10am – 4pm |
|
Friday 21 February |
10am – 4pm |
|
Monday 24 February |
10am – 4pm |
|
Tuesday 25 February |
9am – 3pm |
Expected schedule of Floodviewer updates
|
Catchment |
Assumptions being updated |
Type of flooding |
Expected publication |
|
St Andrews |
LiDAR (from 2019 to 2023) |
Flood Hazards/extents |
Mid 2025 |
|
Kirikiriroa |
LiDAR (from 2019 to 2023) |
Flood Hazards/extents |
Mid 2025 |
|
Hamilton East/Chartwell |
LiDAR (from 2019 to 2023) |
Flood Hazards/extents |
Mid 2025 |
|
Waitawhiriwhiri |
LiDAR (from 2019 to 2023) Climate Change (from 2.1 to 3.8 degrees Celsius (average)) |
Flood Hazards/extents |
Mid 2025 |
Check out Floodviewer to see these areas in a map view.