Horticulture — Far North
Overview
The Horticulture zone protects highly productive land in the Kerikeri/Waipapa area for horticultural activities. The district's subtropical climate, soils and access to water provide ideal conditions for horticulture. The Horticulture Processing Facilities zone recognises and provides for large-scale horticulture processing and storage facilities that support growers and contribute to economic and social wellbeing.
Objectives
| Objective | Intent |
|---|---|
| HZ-O1 | The Horticulture zone is managed to ensure its long-term availability for horticultural activities and its long-term protection for the benefit of current and future generations. |
| HZ-O2 | The Horticulture zone enables horticultural and ancillary activities, while managing adverse environmental effects on site. |
| HZ-O3 | Land use and subdivision in the Horticulture zone avoids land sterilisation, fragmentation, reverse sensitivity effects, natural hazards impacts, maintains rural character, and is serviced by on-site infrastructure. |
| HPFZ-O1 | Horticulture processing facilities are recognised for their contribution to social and economic wellbeing of the district and are managed to ensure their long-term protection. |
| HPFZ-O2 | The Horticulture Processing Facilities zone enables storage, processing, packing and distribution of produce including ancillary facilities, while containing adverse effects onsite and addressing effects on supporting roading network. |
| HPFZ-O3 | Land use and subdivision in the Horticulture Processing Facilities zone is supported by appropriate infrastructure. |
| HPFZ-O4 | Land use and subdivision in the Horticulture Processing Facilities zone avoids reverse sensitivity issues within the zone and at the zone interface. |
Policies — Horticulture Zone
| Policy | Content |
|---|---|
| HZ-P1 | Identify Horticulture zone in Kerikeri/Waipapa using criteria: presence of highly productive land suitable for horticultural use; access to water source (irrigation scheme or dam); infrastructure available to support horticultural use. |
| HZ-P2 | Avoid land use that is incompatible with zone purpose/function, results in loss of productive capacity, compromises horticultural use, or lacks functional need to locate in Horticulture zone. |
| HZ-P3 | Enable horticulture and associated ancillary activities that support zone function, where adverse effects are contained on site and serviced by onsite infrastructure. |
| HZ-P4 | Ensure residential activities designed and located to avoid or mitigate reverse sensitivity effects on horticulture activities, including dust, noise, spray drift and potable water collection. |
| HZ-P5 | Manage subdivision to avoid fragmentation of highly productive land, ensure long-term viability, enable suitable building platform for future residential unit, and ensure provision of appropriate onsite infrastructure. |
| HZ-P6 | Encourage amalgamation or boundary adjustments of Horticulture zoned land to make horticultural activities more viable. |
| HZ-P7 | Manage land use and subdivision to address activity effects, considering: production potential increase, soil productivity reliance, rural environment consistency, building location/scale/design, reverse sensitivity, land sterilisation/fragmentation, setbacks/fencing/screening, effect mitigation, onsite infrastructure capacity, roading adequacy, historic heritage/cultural/natural feature impacts, and tangata whenua associations. |
Policies — Horticulture Processing Facilities Zone
| Policy | Content |
|---|---|
| HPFZ-P1 | Enable buildings, structures and activities associated with horticulture processing facilities where adverse effects are managed to protect surrounding character and amenity values. |
| HPFZ-P2 | Manage land use and associated stormwater runoff by utilising low impact design principles, determining impacts on Council's reticulated networks, and addressing impacts on existing flood hazards, overland flow paths and surrounding catchments. |
| HPFZ-P3 | Manage land use that compromises the purpose and function of the Horticulture Processing Facilities zone. |
| HPFZ-P4 | Manage land use to ensure zone is appropriately serviced by infrastructure through: requiring connections where reticulated services available; and requiring onsite infrastructure where reticulated services not available. |
| HPFZ-P5 | Provide for removal of screening shelterbelt planting if demonstrated: not required to screen activities; not required to mitigate noise or light spill; and removal will not create adverse effect on surrounding character and amenity values. |
| HPFZ-P6 | Manage land use and subdivision to address activity effects, considering: bulk and scale of buildings/structures/outdoor storage, parking/loading requirements, number of people/visitors/seasonal peaks, noise/light spill, hours/days of operation, character/amenity, roading/access/traffic type/volume, stormwater effects, water/wastewater/water supply management, low impact design, temporary/permanent adverse effects, facility purpose/function impact, trade waste management, and natural hazards. |
Building Standards — Horticulture Zone
| Standard | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum height | 12m above ground level | Artificial crop protection and support structures: 6m maximum |
| Height in relation to boundary | Recession planes: 55° at 2m (north); 45° at 2m (east/west); 35° at 2m (south) | Measured inwards from respective boundary |
| Setback (internal boundaries) | 10m from all site boundaries | Habitable buildings: 30m from unsealed road boundary; artificial crop protection/support structures: 3m minimum |
| Setback (road boundaries) | 10m from all site boundaries | See setback (internal boundaries) |
| Setback from MHWS | 30m from MHWS | Applies to all buildings and structures |
| Building or structure coverage | 12.5% maximum of site area | Crop protection covers and tunnel/glasshouses exempt |
| Impermeable surface coverage | 15% maximum of site | Discretionary if not met |
Building Standards — Horticulture Processing Facilities Zone
| Standard | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum height | 12m above ground level | Does not apply to solar/water heating (0.5m over height), chimneys (1.2m wide, 1m high), satellite/aerials (1m), architectural features (1m) |
| Height in relation to boundary | Recession planes: 55° at 2m (north); 45° at 2m (east/west); 35° at 2m (south) | Measured inwards from respective boundary |
| Setback (internal boundaries) | 10m from all internal boundaries | Does not apply to uncovered decks <0.5m, underground wastewater, water tanks <2.7m |
| Setback (road boundaries) | 6m from road boundary | Does not apply to uncovered decks <0.5m, underground wastewater, water tanks <2.7m |
| Setback from MHWS | 30m from MHWS | Applies to all buildings and structures |
| Outdoor storage | 10m setback from internal boundaries; 6m setback from road boundaries | Parking areas: 6m from internal boundaries |
| Impermeable surface coverage | 30% maximum of site | Discretionary if not met |
| Landscaping | 1.8m minimum height vegetation/bund strip for minimum 3m depth | Applied at boundaries adjoining roads or non-HPFZ zoned sites; must be maintained and replaced if damaged |
Permitted Activities — Horticulture Zone
| Activity | Rule | Conditions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| New buildings or structures, and extensions or alterations | HZ-R1 | Accommodate permitted activity AND comply with all building standards (HZ-S1–S6) | Permitted |
| Impermeable surface coverage | HZ-R2 | No more than 15% of site | Permitted |
| Residential activity | HZ-R3 | Not more than one residential unit per site | Permitted |
| Home business | HZ-R4 | Within residential unit or accessory building ≤40m²; no more than 2 F |