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A new National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land (HPL) comes into effect on October 17 and Auckland Council has a three year window to get its house in order.
Under the new policy, Council is required to identify, map and manage the areas of Auckland that will be categorised as HPL, and protect it against urbanisation and rural lifestyle development.
It is estimated that Auckland has already lost about one-quarter (31,500ha) of its elite and prime agricultural land – 13% to urban, 5% to future urban and 7% to countryside living.
Until the maps are incorporated into the Unitary Plan, any rural zoned land that is LUC 1-3 (elite and prime soils) will be considered HPL and provisions will apply to that land accordingly.
A Council spokesperson says the new maps will need to go through a plan change process with public engagement, hearings and appeals.
The effect of the new policy will mean that Council may be in a position to reject private plan change requests at the start of the process if they seek to rezone rurally zoned property. Any currently lodged and accepted private plan change application that does not have a final decision by October 17 must give effect to the new policy.
While the policy aims to ensure land is available for growing vegetables, fruit and other primary production, now and into the future, councils will still be able to rezone highly productive land for urban housing if less productive land is not available, or if certain tests can be met.
Nationally, since 2002, a total of 35,000 hectares of highly productive land has been carved up for urban development or rural residential development.
