The Draft Kawerau District Plan Change 5, addresses the necessary updates to the Kawerau District Plan following the April 2024 boundary reorganisation that transferred land from the Whakatāne District to the Kawerau District.

Council is legally required to rezone this newly acquired land by September 2026 and to include Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) from the Whakatāne District Plan affected by the boundary change. Although the Government issued a "plan stop" directive in August 2025, Kawerau District Council successfully applied for an exemption to continue this work, which was approved in December 2025.

The scope of the District Plan Change 5 review is limited to re-zoning land transferred in the boundary reorganisation; a new Māori purpose zone and recognising the significant nature areas that come into the Kawerau District from Whakatāne. 

Conversations and consultation has been carried out with the registered land owners of all the land parcels which were part of the boundary reorganisation. This includes consultation with Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Settlement Trust on the Māori purpose zone. The purpose of the early engagement with those involved with the boundary reorganisation was to ensure that the goals and aspirations for their land were incorporated into the rezoning of the draft Māori purpose zone. Further consultation with landowners will continue through the upcoming formal consulation period which is also open for the community from Friday, 27 March to 30 April 2026. 

Contents:

What is being changed by Plan Change 5?

Māori Purpose Zone

Significant Natural Areas

Plan Change 5 Process

Provide Feedback and Drop-in Session

What is being changed by Plan Change 5?

Areas to be rezoned

Area 1 - Mixture of Rural Lifestyle and Māori Purpose:

Area 2 - Mixture of Industrial, Māori Purpose and Rural Lifestyle:

: 

Area 3 - Māori Purpose Zone:

Area 4 - Rural Lifestyle Zone:

Māori Purpose Zone

The Kawerau District contains a significant area of Māori ancestral land and Treaty settlement land. It is recognised that this legal and governance framework for Māori land provides for a unique situation for tangata whenua. 

The Māori Purpose Zone recognises and provides for the relationship of Māori with:

• Māori customary land or Māori freehold land as defined in the Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993;
• Treaty Settlement Land including Cultural and Commercial redress land owned by iwi or hapu through Treaty Claims Settlement legislation;
• Land held by or on behalf of an iwi or hapū if the land was transferred from the Crown, a Crown body, or a local authority with the intention of returning the land to the holders of the tangata whenua over the land; and
• Land held by a Post-Settlement Governance Entity (PSGE) for the long-term benefit of iwi members.

The zone provides for the use and development of Māori land which can support the social, cultural and economic aspirations of tangata whenua and enable a range of cultural and economic activities to be undertaken. Council has responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Ture Whenua Māori Act to provide for the on-going use and development of Māori land.

The zone permits a wide range of activities including: 

• Māori Purpose Activities 
• Commercial 
• Agriculture, horticulture, green houses
• Conservation and recreation 
• Small scale renewable electricity generation activities 

The National Environmental Standards (NES) in New Zealand are regulations made under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) that set consistent rules for environmental matters across the country. The National Environmental Standards for Papakainga (NES-P) contains regulations (rules) for papakāinga and some ancillary activities. Those regulations apply in the Māori Purpose Zone. [NOTE – the NES-P is to be released in 2026]
Owners and Trustees of Māori land can use the provisions of the NES-P and Māori Purpose Zone as relevant to proposed use and development. Activities are governed are governed by rules of the zone which include, but are not limited to: 

• Height in relation to boundary (refer diagram below)
• Setbacks - from road and side/rear boundaries 
• Greater distances where adjoining Residential Zones
• Site coverage - 50%  
• Noise levels 

Significant Natural Areas 

The District Plan has been prepared to list the Significant Natural Areas, previously referred to as Natural Heritage Sites. This will include areas already in the Kawerau District and incorporate the four areas that have been transferred with land from the Whakatāne District. (Refer to the map showing the locations of all Significant Natural Areas). 

Existing significant natural areas in District Plan and significant natural areas from Whakatane District brought in through boundary adjustment. No new significant natural areas. 

Plan Change 5 Process

The Council formally adopted Plan Change 5 for public notification on Wednesday, 25 March 2026. This is the formal process required under Resource Management Act (RMA) for submissions and hearing, Landowners impacted by Plan Change 5, and the public may only make submissions on the matters being changed in the District Plan. 
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Provide Feedback

Council is seeking your opinion on draft Plan Change 5 which includes rezoning of the land blocks transferred into Kawerau District from the boundary reorganisation, a (new) draft Māori Purpose Zone chapter and the updated significant natural areas (formerly natural heritage site). Any person or organisation is welcome to provide feedback on draft Plan Change 5.

The consultation period for submissions opens on 27 March 2026 and closes on 30 April 2026.

The Council will consider all feedback prior to finalising Plan Change 5. Once the Plan Change 5 is finalised, Council approves Plan Change 5 for public notification and formal submissions. Council will consult again on the Proposed District Plan Change 5 as part of the submissions process.

Hard copy feedback forms are available in the Kawerau District Council Offices and Kawerau District Library

Please note Kawerau District Council must receive any feedback by 5.00pm on Thursday 30 April 2026.
If you would like to talk directly to our planner regarding the draft District Plan Change 5, please contact Council on 07 306 9009 or come to our drop-in session at 1pm, Wednesday 22 April in the Concert Chamber.

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