Plan Change 9 - Historic Heritage and Natural Environment

Heritage is a term used to describe items, areas and sites we've inherited from the past that we want to protect as they help tell our story. It speaks to our identity and reflects our values. It tells people where we've come from and what we cherish. Be it our heritage buildings, heritage areas or archaeological and cultural sites, they all contribute to our unique identity and provide a sense of belonging.

In Hamilton, this includes physical elements (buildings, structures and areas) and cultural (archaeological sites).

But heritage doesn't just mean things that are old. We've got some elements from our more recent history that we want to protect so we're looking to include those in our District Plan too.

Nature is all living things on Planet Earth. It's the plants and trees, animals, birds, freshwater fish, insects that exist together. Plan Change 9 looks to provide further protection for important aspects of our natural environment by identifying and protecting our river and gully network, notable trees and areas of significant indigenous vegetation. These areas are home to native plants and/or native animals including the long-tailed bat.

Over time we've seen these environments change and this has put a number of these plants and animals at risk. We want to protect our unique biodiversity for future generations to enjoy and because of the value these spaces bring to individuals and communities.

Hamilton is one of the fastest growing cities in the country and we want to make sure that while we embrace this growth, we're protecting those elements that are important to us. It's been over a decade since we last assessed our heritage and natural environment elements. This Plan Change is about making sure we're protecting all of Hamilton's heritage and natural environments.

The District Plan identifies items, areas and sites of historic and natural significance that are important to the city, Waikato and in some instances New Zealand's past that we want to protect. It includes rules that must be followed when working on these items, areas and sites to make sure they're not damaged through inappropriate development.

We've worked with experts to assess both what is currently listed in our District Plan and any potential new elements that should be considered for inclusion. More detail on the process can be found on the specific elements webpage.

Property values reflect sales evidence up to the valuation date and are impacted by a variety of factors including supply and demand, interest rates, regional and national economic conditions etc. This means it's very hard to determine what, if any, impact to a property's value is a result of District Plan planning provisions.

In accordance with the RMA, we're not required to financially compensate landowners for identifying and protecting values such as SNA or heritage. You may raise your concerns relating to the reasonable use and development of your property through formal submissions on Plan Change 9. However, the ability to consider impacts on property values are limited under the RMA.

Yes.

Following notification of Plan Change 9, heritage and natural environment rules have immediate legal effect and will be listed on your LIM.

Property owners and the public can challenge the proposed scheduling of buildings, sites or areas, trees or significant natural areas, as well as any proposed rule changes in the District Plan through the formal Resource Manage Act change process. This involves lodging a submission on the Plan Change once it has been publicly notified in July 2022 and including any evidence that supports the submission.

Proposed changes to built heritage, historic heritage areas, archaeological sites and SNAs will have 'immediate legal effect' as soon as the Plan Change is notified. This ensures that the identified structures/items, sites and areas are protected throughout the formal hearing process. Proposed changes to notable trees will come into effect at the end of the formal hearing process.

The District Plan or a Plan Change does not determine rates. Most of the rates are calculated from each property's capital value and market value.

We're here to help so if you got any questions, please email planchange@hcc.govt.nz