Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan

The Draft Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan is a resource management plan for managing how Nelson grows and develops, and for protecting our natural environment. 

Phase one of public engagement on the Draft Nelson Plan will run from 6 October - 6 December 2020. You can find out more and have your say at shape.nelson.govt.nz/nelson-plan.

Nelson City Council is working on a full review of all of its plans developed under the Resource Management Act 1991 (“RMA Plans”). Once prepared, the reviewed plan will be called the Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan (the ‘Whakamahere’, or ‘Nelson Plan’). Nelson’s RMA Plans include the Nelson Regional Policy Statement, Nelson Air Quality Plan and the Nelson Resource Management Plan which incorporates the district plan, regional plan and regional coastal plan. The Nelson Plan will integrate all of these Plans into the one document.

The Nelson Plan will prescribe how we manage the growth, development and protection of our built and natural environment; for example setting limits for subdivision, building height, earthworks or discharging pollutants into waterways. As it is a plan that governs our natural and physical environment, it is different to Council’s Long Term Plan/Annual Plan process which sets levels of service and decides how Council’s budget will be spent.

It is a requirement that plans developed under the RMA are reviewed every ten years.

March 2020 - Covid-19 update

Nelson City Council was looking to release the Draft Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan for public feedback early in 2020.  The Covid-19 Pandemic lockdown has meant that public engagement has been postponed. Council will use the time available to further test the Draft Plan.  Wider public engagement will get underway later this year.