Plan Change 63 - Historic Heritage

The council has been undergoing a rolling review of the District Plan for some years, through a series of Plan Changes. 

Plan Change 63 reviews the Historic Heritage section of the District Plan and associated Appendix A - Heritage Items.

Heritage sites may hold significance in various ways and can be scheduled in the District Plan to protect their heritage values.  There may be more than one heritage value for each site and can be any of the following:

  • archaeological
  • architectural
  • cultural
  • historic
  • scientific or technological. 

Scheduling in the heritage inventory provides easier access to incentives such as the council's Heritage Grant Fund, or rates remissions, when efforts are made to preserve or enhance heritage values at the site. 

The historic heritage chapter and accompanying heritage inventory is one aspect of how the council supports and protects heritage in the district, with varying levels of controls to protect heritage sites. The aim of this plan change is to simplify the rules about activities near historic heritage sites and make the Plan easier to use and interpret. It is intended to manage heritage sites using best practice principles referenced by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

When the previous review of heritage items was undertaken in 2013, there were a number of sites which had incomplete information, and it was identified that further sites would need to be assessed, categorised, and possibly added to the schedule. 

To begin the process of this review, a call for public nominations of further sites for consideration was open between June and August 2023. The nominations received will be assessed and any possible additions to Appendix A will form part of the plan change process.  

Exposure Draft

As part of the development of the Plan Change, we have drafted the proposed changes to the District Plan and incorporated them into an Exposure Draft.  This is what the new rules could look like, but we would like your feedback to see if we are on the right track. Feedback on the proposed changes and key issues will help shape the Plan before it begins formal notification and consultation processes.

Although there will be an opportunity for formal public consultation during the Plan Change process, it is important to note that heritage rules take effect at the time of public notification.

Exposure Draft(PDF, 556KB)

Any feedback or comments can be emailed by Friday, 31 May 2024.

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