Medium density land use guide
The land use practice note outlines the opportunities and key changes, such as new development opportunities, incorporated into the Residential Zone, Commercial Zone and Medium Density Residential Zone (MDRZ) through Plan Change 26 (PC26) to the Waipā District Plan. This plan change became operative on 30 August 2024.
Download the land use practice guide (1.4MB, PDF).
Plan Change 26 introduces a new Section 2A – MDRZ and alters the existing Section 2 – Residential and Section 6 – Commercial zones in the District Plan.
Commercial Zone
A Height Overlay has been introduced within the commercial areas of Te Awamutu, Cambridge and Leamington (Refer to Appendix A).
- In these areas, the permitted height of buildings is increased to 18m (Te Awamutu and Cambridge) and 16m (Leamington).
- Failure to comply with maximum height requires a resource consent for a Discretionary Activity.
Residential Zone
This zone now only applies to the part of Karāpiro shown below in Diagram 1.
- No changes have been made to what people can do on land in this area.
- This zone no longer contains provisions relating to Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Kihikihi, and existing growth areas/structures plans.
Diagram 1: Karāpiro Residential Zone
Medium Density Residential Zone (MDRZ)
This new zone applies to the previous residential zone in Cambridge, Te Awamutu, and Kihikihi.
- The following overlays apply in this zone:
- Character Cluster Areas, Character Cluster Qualifying Matter Overlay & Character Street Policy Overlay (refer to the Character Practice Note for further information)
- Regionally Significant Industry Qualifying Matter Overlay
- River / Gully Proximity Qualifying Matter Overlay
- Stormwater Constraints Qualifying Matter Overlay
- Infrastructure Constraints Qualifying Matter Overlay
Further details, including spatial extent, on each of these can be found in the Qualifying Matter Practice Note.
Note: the activity lists from the existing residential zone are largely carried over to the MDRZ and are not discussed further in this guide.
Medium Residential Density Zone – New Permitted Activities (Rule 2A.4.1.1)
New residential activities permitted in the MDRZ are:
- Up to two dwellings per site within the Infrastructure Constraint Overlay
- Up to two dwellings per site within the Regionally Significant Industry Qualifying Matter Overlay (refer to Appendix B)
- All permitted activities relating to character areas in the MDRZ are detailed in the Character Practice Note.
These are subject to the performance standards set out in the table under bullet ‘4’ below.
Medium Residential Density Zone – Restricted Discretionary Activity (2A.4.1.3)
Resource consent is required for the following activities, excluding matters in the character areas:
- Three dwellings per site in the Infrastructure Constraints Qualifying Matter Overlay
- Three dwellings per site in the Regionally Significant Industry Qualifying Matter Overlays
- Four or more dwellings per site
- Permitted activities failing to comply with one or more performance standards (refer to the table under Performance Standards below)
Note: for any development proposing three or more dwellings on a site, an infrastructure capacity assessment is required under Rule 15.4.2.19A as part of any resource consent application lodged (for further detail refer to the Infrastructure Capacity Assessment Practice Note).
Performance Standards (Rule 2A.4.2)
In the MDRZ, the following performance standards applying to buildings, including dwellings, and site development have been added. These include:
- New performance standards
- Existing residential zone performance standards carried over into the MDRZ.
| Standard | Control | |
|---|---|---|
| Permitted number of dwellings
(Rule 2A.4.1.1) | two dwellings per site (in all areas except character areas below) | |
| Character Cluster Qualifying Matter Overlay = 1 principal + 1 secondary (attached, ≤70m2 GFA; minimum net site area for secondary dwelling = 850m2) | ||
| Character Cluster = existing dwelling only | ||
| Front yard setbacks
(Rules 2A.4.2.4 & 2A.4.2.5) | 1.5m (in all areas unless exemption below applies) | |
| Exemptions (Rule 2A.4.2.6): - State Highway frontage = 7.5m (dwellings and sleepouts only) - Arterial road frontage = 4m - Character Street = 6m | ||
| Side and rear yard setbacks
(Rules 2A.4.2.4 & 2A.4.2.5) | 1m (in all areas unless exemption below applies) Note: this is the closes point to the boundary with no encroachment of eaves permitted into the setback. | |
| Exemptions (Rule 2A.4.2.6) for 2nd+ dwellings per site: - Reserve boundary = 4m - Significant natural area boundaries = 20m | ||
| Maximum height
(Rule 2A.4.2.1) | 11m | |
| Height in relation to boundary
(Rules 2A.4.2.2 & 2A.4.2.3) | 4m + 60° recession plane | |
| Maximum building coverage
(Rule 2A.4.2.7) | 50% net site area (in all areas unless exemption below applied) | |
| Exemptions (Rules 2A.4.2.8, 2A.4.2.9, 2A.4.2.11 and 2A.4.2.12): - 40% (River / gully proximity overlay and stormwater constraint overlay) - 700m2 (St Kilda Structure Plan Area - Site coverage and impermeable) | ||
| Maximum site impermeability
(Rule 2A.4.2.10) | 60% net site area (in all areas unless exemption below applies) | |
| Exemptions (Rules 2A.4.2.11 and 2A.4.2.12): - 45% Net Site Area in Cambridge North Structure Plan area - 700m2 (St Kilda Structure Plan Area - Site coverage and impermeable) | ||
| Landscaping
(Rules 2A.4.2.26 to 2A.4.2.28) | 20% of site landscaped with grass or plants (in all areas unless exemption below applies) | |
| Exemption (Rule 2A.4.2.28) - 30% of site planted in native plants (river / gully proximity overlay) | ||
| Outdoor living space
(Rules 2A.4.2.13 and 2A.4.2.14) | Dwellings with ground floor level | 20m2 (3m minimum dimension) - may include balcony, patio or roof terrace |
| Dwelling above ground floor level | 8m2 (1.8m minimum dimension) | |
| Outlook space
(Rules 2A.4.2.15 to 2A.4.2.23) | Principal living room | 4m x 4m |
| Other habitable rooms | 1m x 1m | |
| Street windows
(Rule 2A.4.2.24) | Dwellings = 20% of street facing façade in glazing (windows or doors) | |
| Roof pitch
(Rule 2A.4.2.25) | Any dwellings of two or more storeys. | - Character Cluster Areas = 30° minimum - All other Areas = 15° minimum |
Failure to comply with one or more of these performance standards is a Restricted Discretionary Activity.
Note: The table above only includes the new performance standards added to Section 2A: Medium Density Residential Zone by PC26. Development will be subject to other existing standards in the district plan untouched through PC26.
Restriction of Discretion
In making decisions on resource consents for restricted discretionary activities, Council can grant or decline consent and may impose conditions. Consent may only be declined or conditions imposed about matters over which it has restricted its discretion. These are set out below:
- Restriction of Discretion for restricted discretionary activities (as set out in the Medium Density Residential Zone section above)
- Restriction of Discretion for performance standards (as set out in the Performance Standards section above).
Restriction of Discretion for Restricted Discretionary Activities
The matters of discretion that are specific to listed restricted discretionary activities are outlined below:
| Restricted Discretionary Activity | Restricted of Discretion | |
|---|---|---|
| Rule 2A.1.4.3.b | Four or more dwellings | - Building location, bulk and design - Development density - Landscaping - Where provided, the location of parking areas and vehicle manoeuvring - Crime prevention through environmental design - Traffic generation and connectivity - Privacy within and between adjoining sites - Noise - The outcomes of an infrastructure capacity assessment (for further detail refer to the Infrastructure Capacity Assessments practice guide) - Stormwater disposal - Alignment with any relevant urban design guidelines adopted by Council and included in the District Plan. |
| Rule 2A.4.1.3.c | Three dwellings (Infrastructure constraints qualifying matter overlay) | - The outcomes of an infrastructure capacity assessment (for further detail refer to the Infrastructure Capacity Assessment practice guide) - Stormwater disposal. |
| Rule 2A.4.1.3.d | Three dwellings (Regional significant industry qualifying matter overlay) | Reserve sensitivity effects on the operation of the Te Awamutu Manufacturing site |
Restriction of Discretion for Performance Standards
The matters of discretion that are specific to non-compliance of individual performance standards are outlined below:
| Standard | Restricted of Discretion |
|---|---|
| Setbacks | - Vehicle access to the rear of the site - Effects on the safe and efficient operation of the state highway network - Consistency of front year building setback and effects on established character along the identified character street - Effects on the function and associated amenity values of the adjacent reserve - Effects on the function and amenity values of the Te Awa Cycleway - Effects on ecological values, vegetation, biodiversity, soil, stormwater runoff, and ground water levels within a significant natural area - Effects of artificial lighting on native species within a significant natural area - Effects on the existing health and function of a significant natural area's vegetation and biodiversity. |
| Height in relation to boundary | Access to daylight and sunlight on the site and on adjoining properties. |
| Maximum building coverage | - The impact of the development on indigenous flora and fauna and the ability to avoid, remedy or mitigate any adverse effects on these - The flood effects due to displacement of floodwater arising from the proposed building development - The impact on rivers and waterbodies and whether any potential adverse effects from abuilding development are required by relevant consent or guidelines to be avoided or mitigated - An assessment of stormwater disposal and whether this can be accommodated on-site. |
| Stormwater qualifying matter overlay: - The flood effects due to displacement of floodwater arising from the proposed building development - The impact on rivers and waterbodies and whether any potential adverse effects from a development are required by relevant consent or guidelines to be avoided or mitigated - An assessment of stormwater disposal and whether this can be accommodated on-site. | |
| River / Gully proximity qualifying matter overlay: - The impact on rivers and waterbodies and whether any potential adverse effects from development can be avoided or mitigated - The impact of the development on indigenous flora and fauna and the ability to avoid, remedy or mitigate any adverse effects on these - An assessment of stormwater disposal and whether this can be accommodated on-site - The extent to which the increased site coverage adversely affects the ecological integrity and viability or the adjacent biodiversity corridors and the accessibility and amenity of the adjacent esplanade areas. | |
| Maximum site impermeability | - On-site stormwater disposal or the ability to connect to an approved stormwater - The effect of stormwater run-off to adjoining properties. |
| Outdoor living space | - The internal layout of the dwellings and its relationship to the outdoor living area - The size, dimension and orientation of the outdoor living area. |
| Outlook space | - Privacy within and between adjoining site - Outlook for adjoining neighbours. |
| Street windows | - Passive surveillance of the street - Safety. |
| Roof pitch | Degree of visual cohesiveness and compatibility wit adjacent and nearby buildings. |
Notification preclusion
Public notification will not be required in the following land use circumstances:
- For up to two units that do not comply with one or more of the performance standards in the MDRZ.
Public and limited notification will not be required in the following land use circumstances:
- Three or more units that comply with all of the performance standards in the MDRZ.
Appendices
Appendix A – Commercial Height Control Overlay Areas
Te Awamutu
Cambridge
Leamington
Appendix B – Regionally Significant Industry Qualifying Matter Overlay
