Rural-Residential Land Use Strategy Discussion Document - May

Table 3: Projected Residential Preferences 2010 – 2031, using 10 year average preferences
Avereage Lots
per Year
Total Lots
2010-2031
Residential 59% 219 4,823
Residential Infill 29% 108 2,731
Rural Residential 12% 45 981
Total 100% 372 8,175 7
Source: Residential Growth Review Issues and Options Information Update 2008, pg 2.
Data monitoring
Monitoring of consent data and community feedback collated from open days, landowner and
stakeholder meetings and written responses to the recent Residential Review Discussion Document show
opportunities for rural-residential living 8 continue to be desired.
This means that the Rural Residential Land Use Strategy may need to define a clear strategic direction
and promote a more managed approach to the supply and release of rural land for rural residential
development to ensure that while choice is maintained, rural-residential development does not jeopardise
the uptake of sections and infrastructure investment in planned new growth areas, or the uptake of
intensification in existing established urban suburbs.
Current District Plan Rules
The policy framework and rules for rural residential development
Rural subdivision and rural-residential development is addressed within the District Plan – in the Rural
Zone (Chapter 9) and the Subdivision (Chapter 7) sections. These sections of the District Plan state a
number of objectives and policies and describe the anticipated outcomes for rural areas and policies for
rural subdivision and rural-residential development.
In the Rural Zone, considerable weight is given to the protection of elite soils, or versatile soils, which are
valuable for the production of food.
The Subdivision Section of the District Plan recognises and provides for market choice and includes rules
which govern the type of rural residential development that can occur at different locations within the
City boundary. These rules or ‘performance conditions’ ensure that development responds to the specific
development issues and site conditions at each of these locations. Key planning considerations are lot
sizes and efficient on-site servicing (water, stormwater, on-site effluent disposal).
In Palmerston North, the minimum lot size for rural subdivision and dwellings in the Rural Zone is
four hectares, 3500m 2 in the Aokautere Rural-Residential Area and 1.5ha in the Moonshine Valley Area.
Within the Rural Zone, there is also a Rural Residential Area Overlay, which identifies where further
subdivision is allowed for one hectare lots, subject to meeting specific criteria.
There are also rules to manage the effects of rural activities including adverse effects on neighbouring
sites and the operation of roads.
7
This total is not simply 20 times the lots per year. This is because this is a linear 20 year average, whereas the
average projected growth rate varies non-linearly over time.
8
Residential demand preferences are evaluated in ‘Urban and Citywide Residential Dwelling Growth
Monitoring Reports’.
11