Hearing Stream Three - Rural land use activities, Forestry and Vegetation Clearance, and Earthworks
Key Information
Hearing Stream 3 addresses the topics Rural land use activities, Forestry and Vegetation Clearance, and Earthworks.
Hearing Stream 3 will run from 26th May to 30th May at the Wellington Regional Council office at 100 Cuba St, Te Aro.
This page will be updated regularly as documents become available and details are finalised, including the link to the Hearing Stream schedule and the link to listen to the proceedings live.
Hearing Panels
Throughout the hearings process, the Panels release directions on procedures, dates and evidence deadlines through Minutes. It is essential that all parties attending a hearing have read and understood these Minutes.
Further Assistance
For any questions about Plan Change 1 not covered by our website content, please contact our team at regionalplan@gw.govt.nz.
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Hearing Dates
| Notice of Hearing | 4pm, 15th of April, 2025 |
| Submitter Evidence | 4pm, 5th of May, 2025 |
| Rebuttal Evidence | 5pm, 16th of May 2025 |
| Hearing | From 26th May, 2025 to 30th May, 2025 |
Hearing Venue
Greater Wellington Regional Council - Council Chamber (G-12: Taumata Kōrero)
Backup Venue - Naumi Hotel (10 Dunlop Street Wellington 6011)
Reporting Topics and Provisions
| Change 1 Provision |
| 5.2 and 5.3 Discharges to land and water and land use rules |
| 6.17 Small farm property registration |
| 8.2.4 Rural land use and earthworks |
| 9.3.4 Land uses |
| A Certification requirements under the Resource Management (Freshwater Farm Plans) Regulations 2023. |
| Annual stocking rate |
| B Management objectives |
| B Management objectives. |
| C Content of a farm environment plan. |
| D Risk assessment and mitigation to address risk. |
| E Erosion Risk Treatment Plan. |
| Effective hectares |
| Erosion risk treatment plan |
| F Small stream riparian programme. |
| General comments - definitions |
| General comments - economic cost/impact |
| General comments - maps |
| General comments - overall |
| General comments - plantation forestry |
| General comments - rural |
| General comments - water bodies |
| General comments - water quality improvements |
| High erosion risk land (pasture) |
| Highest erosion risk land (pasture) |
| Intensive grazing |
| Map 90: Highest and high erosion risk land (Pasture) – Te Awarua-o-Porirua. |
| Map 91: Highest erosion risk land (Woody vegetation) – Te Awarua-o-Porirua. |
| Map 92: Highest erosion risk land (Plantation forestry) – Te Awarua-o-Porirua. |
| Map 93: Highest and high erosion risk land (Pasture) – Te Whanganui-a-Tara. |
| Map 94: Highest erosion risk land (Woody vegetationclearance) – Te Whanganui-a-Tara. |
| Map 95: Highest erosion risk land (Plantation forestry) – Te Whanganui-a-Tara. |
| Map 96: Mākara catchment. |
| Map 97: Mangaroa catchment. |
| Method M42: Small farm property registration within Whaitua Te Whanganui-a-Tara and Te Awarua-o-Porirua Whaitua. |
| Method M44: Supporting the health of rural waterbodies. |
| Nitrogen discharge risk |
| Policy P.P20: Managing diffuse discharges of nutrients and Escherichia coli from farming activities. |
| Policy P.P21: Capping, minimising and reducing diffuse discharges of nitrogen from farming activities. |
| Policy P.P22: Achieving reductions in sediment discharges from farming activities on land with high risk of erosion. |
| Policy P.P23: Phasing of farm environment plans. |
| Policy P.P24: Managing rural land use change. |
| Policy P.P25: Promoting stream shading. |
| Policy P70: Minimising effects of rural land use activities. |
| Policy P71: Managing the discharge of nutrients. |
| Policy P72: Priority Catchments. |
| Policy P73: Implementation of farm environment plans in priority catchments. |
| Policy P74: Avoiding an increase in adverse effects of rural land use activities and associated diffuse discharges of contaminants. |
| Policy P76: Consent duration for rural land use in priority catchments. |
| Policy WH.P21: Managing diffuse discharges of nutrients and Escherichia coli from farming activities. |
| Policy WH.P22: Capping, minimising and reducing diffuse discharges of nitrogen from farming activities. |
| Policy WH.P23: Achieving reductions in sediment discharges from farming activities on land with high risk of erosion. |
| Policy WH.P24: Phasing of farm environment plans. |
| Policy WH.P25: Managing rural land use change. |
| Policy WH.P26: Managing livestock access to small rivers. |
| Policy WH.P27: Promoting stream shading. |
| Policy WH.P28: Achieving reductions in sediment discharges from plantation forestry. |
| Recognised Nitrogen Risk Assessment Tool |
| Registration |
| Rule P.R25: Farming activities on properties of between 4 hectares and 20 hectares – permitted activity. |
| Rule P.R26: Farming activities on 20 hectares or more of land – permitted activity. |
| Rule P.R27: The use of land for farming activities – discretionary activity. |
| Rule P.R28: Change of rural land use – discretionary activity. |
| Rule P.R29: Farming activities – non-complying activity. |
| Rule R110: Use of rural land in priority catchments – permitted activity. |
| Rule R111: Use of rural land in priority catchments – controlled activity. |
| Rule R112: Use of rural land in priority catchments – discretionary activity. |
| Rule WH.R26: Farming activities on a property of between 4 hectares and 20 hectares – permitted activity. |
| Rule WH.R27: Farming activities on 20 hectares or more of land – permitted activity. |
| Rule WH.R28: Livestock access to a small river – permitted activity. |
| Rule WH.R29: Livestock access to a small river – discretionary activity. |
| Rule WH.R30: The use of land for farming activities – discretionary activity. |
| Rule WH.R31: Change of rural land use – discretionary activity. |
| Rule WH.R32: Farming activities – non-complying activity. |
| Sacrifice paddocks |
| Schedule 35: Small farm registration. |
| Schedule 36: Additional requirements for Farm Environment Plans in Whaitua Te Whanganui-a-Tara and Te Awarua-o-Porirua Whaitua. |
| Small stream riparian programme |
| Stock unit |
| Stocking rate |
| Table 8.6: Phase-in of farm environment plans for part Freshwater Management Units. |
| Table 9.5: Phase in of farm environment plans for Part Freshwater Management Units. |
| Table D1. Financial contribution calculations for residential greenfield development |
| Winter Stocking rate |
| Change 1 Provision |
| 2.2 Definitions |
| 8.3.4 Land uses |
| 9.3.4 Land uses |
| A Purpose of the Erosion and Sediment Management Plan |
| Afforestation |
| B Management objectives |
| C Requirements of the Erosion and Sediment Management Plan |
| C1 Contents of the Erosion and Sediment Management Plan |
| C2 Certification of the Erosion and Sediment Management Plan |
| D Amendment of Erosion and Sediment Management Plan |
| Erosion and sediment management plan |
| General comments - consultation |
| General comments - current legislation |
| General comments - definitions |
| General comments - economic cost/impact |
| General comments - fresh water |
| General comments - overall |
| General comments - plantation forestry |
| General comments - target attribute states |
| General comments - water bodies |
| General comments - water quality improvements |
| Harvesting |
| Highest erosion risk land (woody vegetation) |
| Highest erosion risk land (plantation forestry) |
| Mechanical land preparation |
| Policy P.P26: Achieving reductions in sediment discharges from plantation forestry. |
| Policy WH.P28: Achieving reductions in sediment discharges from plantation forestry. |
| Registered forestry adviser |
| Replanting |
| Rule P.R16: Vegetation clearance on highest erosion risk land– permitted activity. |
| Rule P.R17: Vegetation clearance on highest erosion risk land – controlled activity. |
| Rule P.R18: Vegetation clearance – discretionary activity. |
| Rule P.R19: Plantation forestry – controlled activity. |
| Rule P.R20: Plantation forestry – discretionary activity. |
| Rule P.R21: Plantation Forestry on highest erosion risk land – prohibited activity. |
| Rule R104: Vegetation clearance on erosion prone land – permitted activity. |
| Rule R105: Vegetation clearance on erosion prone land in accordance with a Freshwater Farm Plan – permitted activity. |
| Rule R106: Earthworks and vegetation clearance for renewable energy generation – restricted discretionary activity. |
| Rule R107: Earthworks and vegetation clearance – discretionary activity. |
| Rule WH.R17: Vegetation clearance on highest erosion risk land – permitted activity. |
| Rule WH.R18: Vegetation clearance on highest erosion risk land – controlled activity. |
| Rule WH.R19: Vegetation clearance – discretionary activity. |
| Rule WH.R20: Plantation forestry – controlled activity. |
| Rule WH.R21: Plantation forestry – discretionary activity. |
| Rule WH.R22: Plantation forestry on highest erosion risk land – prohibited activity. |
| Schedule 33: Vegetation Clearance Erosion and Sediment Management Plan. |
| Schedule 34: Plantation Forestry Erosion and Sediment Management Plan. |
| Vegetation clearance (for the purposes of Rules WH.R20, WH.R21 and P.R19, P.R20) |
| Change 1 Provision |
| 8.2.4 Rural land use and earthworks |
| Earthworks |
| General comments - definitions |
| General comments - earthworks |
| General comments - fresh water |
| Policy P.P27: Management of earthworks sites. |
| Policy P.P28: Discharge standard for earthworks sites. |
| Policy P.P29: Winter shut down of earthworks. |
| Policy WH.P29: Management of earthworks. |
| Policy WH.P30: Discharge standard for earthworks. |
| Policy WH.P31: Winter shut down of earthworks. |
| Rule P.R22: Earthworks – permitted activity. |
| Rule P.R23: Earthworks – restricted discretionary activity. |
| Rule P.R24: Earthworks – non-complying activity. |
| Rule R101: Earthworks – permitted activity. |
| Rule R102: Construction of a new farm track – permitted activity. |
| Rule R103: Construction of a new farm track – controlled activity. |
| Rule WH.R23: Earthworks – permitted activity. |
| Rule WH.R24: Earthworks – restricted discretionary activity. |
| Rule WH.R25: Earthworks – non-complying activity. |
| Stabilisation |
Tracked changes version for use during hearings – Proposed Change 1 to the Natural Resources Plan for the Wellington Region
Updated: 22 May 2025 Read more here
date_range Published 23 May 2025
Download now (PDF 3.8 MB) get_appKey Hearing Documents
Supporting Documents
S42A Report - Rural land use activities
S42A Report - Forestry and Vegetation Clearance
S42A Report - Earthworks
Technical Evidence
Legal Submissions
There are no legal submissions associated with this hearing
Supplementary Rebuttal Documents
Submitter Presentations, Speaking Notes and Materials that arose during the hearing
Greater Wellington Presentations and Materials that arose during the hearing
| Document Title | Date Published |
| Hearing Stream 3 - Day 1 Transcript (PDF 771 KB) | 30/05/2025 |
| Hearing Stream 3 - Day 2 Transcript (PDF 830 KB) | 03/06/2025 |
| Hearing Stream 3 - Day 3 Transcript (PDF 704 KB) | 05/06/2025 |
| Hearing Stream 3 - Day 4 Transcript (PDF 792 KB) | 09/06/2025 |
| Hearing Stream 3 - Day 5 Transcript (PDF 714 KB) | 11/06/2025 |
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