Rural Production — Far North
Building Standards
| Rule | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum height | 12m above ground level | Artificial crop protection and support structures max 6m |
| Height in relation to boundary | 55° at 2m (north); 45° at 2m (east/west); 35° at 2m (south) | Recession planes measured inward from boundary |
| Setback (general) | 10m from all site boundaries | Accessory buildings on sites <5,000m² may be 3m; artificial structures 3m; habitable buildings 30m from unsealed road |
| Setback from MHWS | 26m minimum | For buildings and structures |
| Building or structure coverage | No specific limit stated | Operative plan references "Scale of Activities" rule |
| Impermeable surface coverage | 15% maximum | Proposed plan standard |
Permitted Activities
| Activity | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New buildings or structures (primary production) | Permitted | Must comply with all building standards |
| Additions/alterations to existing buildings | Permitted | Must comply with standards and accommodate permitted activity |
| Residential activity (single unit) | Permitted | On sites less than 40ha; up to 6 units on 40ha+ sites |
| Visitor accommodation | Permitted | Within residential unit or accessory building, max 2 guest bedrooms |
| Plantation forestry | Permitted | Provided not on versatile soils |
| Primary production activities | Permitted | Farming, horticulture, forestry as normal land use |
| Cemeteries / Urupā | Permitted | — |
| Domestic scale renewable energy on buildings | Permitted | Does not exceed zone height limit by more than 3m |
| In-stream hydro or ocean energy investigation/generation | Permitted | Max 25m² structure footprint; max 3m height; max 50m² total structures; zones: Rural Production, General Coastal, Conservation, Rural Living, Coastal Living |
| Temporary monitoring masts | Permitted | Max 80m height; max 3 masts per site; setback = mast height from other site boundaries; zones: General Coastal, Coastal Living, Rural Production, Rural Living, Conservation; removed within 5 years |
| Free standing renewable energy devices | Permitted | Min 50% energy for on-site use; max zone height + 3m; structures ≤50m² (≤3,000m² lot) or ≤100m² (>3,000m² lot); setback = 3× height; not in Outstanding Features or Heritage areas |
| Community scale renewable electricity generation | Permitted | Zones: Rural Production or General Coastal (or Coastal Living/Rural Living/Waimate North with Management Plan); capacity ≤1.5MW; ≥50% energy to local network (within 10km); structures ≤300m² total; setback = 3× height from boundaries; setback = 3× height or 20m from roads/lines (whichever greater) |
| Indigenous vegetation clearance (≥10 years old, non-remnant) | Permitted | Max 2ha per site per 10-year period; not within 20m of lake, wetland, or flowing river |
| Indigenous vegetation clearance (remnant forest) | Permitted | Max 500m² per site per 10-year period; not within 20m of lake, wetland, or flowing river |
| Excavation and/or filling (excluding mining/quarrying) | Permitted | Max 5,000m³ per 12 months per site; max continuous cut/fill face average 1.5m (3m max total height) |
| Road and private way construction | Permitted | Storage of materials permitted (exempt from Dangerous Goods Regulations) |
| Temporary military training | Permitted | — |
| Milk storage (emergency) | Permitted | Up to 2 days' emergency production plus normal facilities |
| Hazardous substances - consumer products | Permitted | Domestic private use only |
| Hazardous substances - retail outlets | Permitted | Small packages for domestic use (hardware, supermarkets, pharmacies) |
| Fuel in motor vehicles/engines | Permitted | — |
| Oil/gas pipelines, regulators, compressors | Permitted | — |
| Radioactive materials (exempt activity level) | Permitted | <100 terabequerel activity; including smoke detection |
| Electricity transformers/capacitors/switches | Permitted | Up to 600 litres |
| Diesel/petrol storage | Permitted | Max 5,000l diesel and/or max 2,000l petrol per single facility; 30m separation from buildings/water margins; Rural Production, General Coastal, Minerals Zones only |
| Agrichemicals (use only, not storage) | Permitted | Compliance with regional policies and accepted codes of practice |
| Normal rural practices | Permitted | Drain clearing, farm track maintenance, fence maintenance, land cultivation, roading material extraction (on same unit) |
Controlled Activities
| Activity | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol/diesel/oil/LPG storage and sale (service stations) | Controlled | Specific rules apply (12.8.6.2.1) |
Restricted Discretionary Activities
| Activity | Status | Discretion Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Minor residential unit | Restricted Discretionary | Max 1 per site; ≥1ha site area per unit; shares access with principal unit; max 15m separation; max 65m² GFA (+ optional 18m² garage/carport) |
| Papakāinga Housing | Restricted Discretionary | Max 10 residential units per site; legal mechanism for communal ownership; character/appearance; siting relative to adjoining sites; privacy; traffic capacity; servicing; reverse sensitivity; rural character maintenance; natural hazards |
| Intensive indoor primary production | Restricted Discretionary | Buildings ≥300m setback from sensitive activities on separate ownership; odour/noise/dust effects; transport impacts; scale/appearance; siting; privacy; animal types; effluent management; vermin; landscaping; natural hazards |
| Rural industry | Restricted Discretionary | Max 500m² GFA per site; max 1 per site; appearance; siting; privacy; traffic; servicing; compatibility with primary production; rural character; lighting/noise; hours/operations/employment; natural hazards |
| Expansion of existing mineral extraction | Restricted Discretionary | Must provide Mineral Extraction Activity Management Plan; hours unchanged; extraction volume increase ≤10%; expansion ≥30m from boundary; access unchanged; dust/odour/lighting/visual/traffic/noise management; landscaping; rehabilitation program; heritage/natural environment effects |
| Additions/alterations to existing community facility | Restricted Discretionary | Combined GFA ≤300m² or max 10% increase (whichever greater); appearance; siting; privacy; traffic capacity; servicing; reverse sensitivity; rural character; lighting/noise; frequency/hours/capacity; natural hazards |
| Emergency service facility | Restricted Discretionary | Combined GFA ≤150m²; appearance; siting; privacy; traffic capacity; servicing; lighting/noise; frequency/hours/capacity; natural hazards |
| Excavation/filling (exceeding 5,000m³ but ≤20,000m³) | Restricted Discretionary | Max 20,000m³ per 12 months per site; area/volume effects; height/slope of faces; seasonality/duration; erosion/natural hazard risk; visual/amenity impact; cultural/spiritual values; significant vegetation/fauna habitat effects; vehicle impacts; access safety; mitigation measures |
| Indigenous vegetation clearance exceeding permitted thresholds | Restricted Discretionary | Varies by location; assessed against significance criteria; vegetation/habitat protection extent; ecological values; visual/amenity impact; Māori cultural relationship; coastal character effects |
| Mineral prospecting and exploration (beyond handtools) | Restricted Discretionary | — |
| Hazardous substances (exceeding permitted indices) | Restricted Discretionary | Risk to human health/environment; probability of risk; sensitivity of surrounding environment; separation distances to sensitive land uses; number of people at risk; adjacent property risk; cumulative effects; drainage/infrastructure; transportation safety; mitigation capability; emergency planning; alternative locations; major road access; emergency response adequacy |
Discretionary Activities
| Activity | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Residential activity (>6 units or |