Rules remain for Waiheke rural areas

Existing rules to protect the eastern side of Waiheke Island from development will remain in force despite Auckland Council’s decision to remove the Rural Urban Boundary from the Regional Policy Statement.

Today the Governing Body adopted a recommendation of the Independent Hearings Panel on the Auckland Unitary Plan to put the Rural Urban Boundary in the district plan, meaning it can be altered by future plan changes as further development in the region is required.

While the decision means that there will be no Rural Urban Boundary on Waiheke Island separating the urbanised western side from the rural eastern side, the objectives and policies in the Hauraki Gulf Islands District Plan will remain operative until the council wraps that district plan into the Auckland Unitary Plan.

In particular, the district plan objectives “ensure that ‘village’ style activities and development on western Waiheke do not spread into or occur within eastern Waiheke so that the distinct character of each end of the island is maintained”.

Penny Pirrit, Director Regulatory Services, says the rules, policies and objectives in place under the district plan means that anyone wanting to develop on the eastern side of the island would have to apply for a Plan Change or resource consent for a non-complying activity.

“Anyone applying to develop on the eastern side of Waiheke Island would be assessed against the rules, objectives and policies of the district plan, which are robust enough to enable appropriate consideration of development,” says Ms Pirrit.

“Just because there is no longer a RUB on Waiheke, people shouldn’t think that they can go onto the eastern side and start building villages.

“Work is already planned to start bringing the operative Hauraki Gulf Islands District Plan into the Unitary Plan and those rules will remain in place until that process is complete.”

ENDS

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