Plan Change 18 – Beekeeping in the Residential Zones
Update - September 2021
In their decision on Plan Change 18, the Hearing Panel determined that a bylaw for the control of nuisance from animals would be a more appropriate vehicle than the District Plan for controlling bees in residential zones.
At their meeting on 7 September 2021, Council’s Strategic Planning and Policy Committee resolved to proceed with a bylaw as the most appropriate mechanism to address issues relating to the regulation of the bees. The Committee also extended the scope of the bylaw to include keeping of animals and poultry. A bylaw provides the ability to deal with nuisance effects to be dealt with on a case by case basis and not by applying a blanket rule over all properties.
Staff will commence preparing a draft animal nuisance (including beekeeping) bylaw for consideration by the Committee with the following proposed timetable:
- Approval of the draft bylaw and Statement of Proposal for public notification – November 2021
- Consultation period – November to December 2021
- Hearing of submissions – February or March 2022
- Council adoption of final bylaw – February or March 2022.
Give me the highlights
The District Plan contains rules that restrict beekeeping in the Residential Zone and Large Lot Residential Zone. The rules are in the District Plan so that the effects, including nuisance effects, of keeping bees in urban areas can be controlled.
What’s the Issue?
There are several issues with both rules:
- They are too restrictive and do not reflect the actual beekeeping activities within the Residential Zone and Large Lot Residential Zone
- There is a lack of detail relating to rules
- The current rules are not backed up by suitable objectives and policies
- Cost to a hobbyist beekeeper
What’s the Fix?
Council staff have considered the issues and have identified the following options for consideration:
- Option 1: Do nothing
- Option 2: Delete the rules and provide no replacement
- Option 3: Delete the current rules and replace with a bylaw
- Option 4: Retain rule that permits beekeeping activities with some controls
Option 1 is not a viable option as it is not appropriate to continue with rules that are ineffective.
Options 2 and 3 are not viable because they do not offer enough flexibility for the standards that would apply, and also for enforcement options.
Option 4 is a viable option as it provides greater flexibility for enforcement in the case of nuisance effects. It also allows the option of applying for a resource consent to increase the number or vary the location of beehives on a site.
Status
| Action | Date |
|---|---|
| Notified | 4 December 2020 |
| Hearing | 29 March 2021 |
| Decision | 28 May 2021 |
| Appeal period closed | 12 July 2021 |
| Operative | 27 July 2022 |
HEARING PANEL DECISION
OTHER DOCUMENTATION
- PC18 - Combined and Redacted Submissions - Feb 2021
- PC18 Summary of Decisions Requested by Submitter - Feb 2021
- PC18 Summary of Decisions Requested by Topic - Feb 2021
- Proposed Plan Change 18 and Section 32 Report - Notified 4 Dec 2020
- Public Notice of Summary of Decisions Requested for Proposed Plan Changes 15, 16 and 18
