In June, Council accepted an independent hearing panel’s recommendations on Plan Change 29. Today, Council has decided to make the accepted provisions of PC29 operative from 21 October.

The operative provisions include key changes that will better enable development around the city centre, supporting both housing and economic growth while contributing to city revitalisation.

One of the key changes sees the Inner-City Fringe Zone extended southwards along Vanguard and St Vincent Streets, replacing the previous Industrial Zone. This rezoning enables a more diverse range of development opportunities and scale for the area.

"This area can now accommodate a much wider range of activities, including residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments. It's about creating vibrant, diverse neighbourhoods that support both our housing needs and economic vitality," says Mandy Bishop, Group Manager – Environmental Management.

In addition to the St Vincent and Vanguard Street rezoning, the now-operative provisions include:

• Increased building heights in the Inner-City Centre and City Fringe zone from 15-20m to 24m (with reductions near the Cathedral View Shaft and heritage precincts)
• A new design framework for managing the design and layout of new buildings and substantial alterations
• Enabling residential units within the Inner-City Centre and Fringe zone
• Updated natural hazard provisions to manage the use of land with respect to the natural hazards of flood, fault, and liquefaction hazard mapping and associated rules
• Amended provisions for the Manuka St hospital site, providing opportunities to better enable the ongoing operation of the hospital.

These changes collectively enable better management of land use in relation to natural hazards while supporting sustainable development that will contribute to the city's revitalisation and growth.

Plan Change 29 was notified in August 2023 and underwent a comprehensive consultation process including submissions, further submissions, and hearings held in August and September 2024.

In June 2025, Council accepted the hearing panel's recommendations on PC29. While one appeal was lodged regarding aspects of the plan change that Council had rejected (specifically, the decision to decline the introduction of the Medium Density Residential Zone and General Residential Zone provisions), the approved provisions are beyond challenge and do not impact the appeal process.

The Resource Management Act provides the ability for councils to make non-appealed parts of plan changes operative, which Council resolved to do on 2 October 2025.

The operative status means these rules have full legal weight and are applied when making planning decisions under the Resource Management Act.

https://shape.nelson.govt.nz/plan-change-29

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