The Regional Plan contains policy and methods to manage the natural and physical resources of the Waikato region. The plan implements the Regional Policy Statement. To find out about rules that apply to particular activities refer to the activity guide within the Regional Plan.
On this page:
What area does the plan cover?
The plan applies across the whole of the Waikato region, although some objectives, policies and rules apply only in specific parts of the region.
The plan does not apply below Mean High Water Springs: refer to the Regional Coastal Plan.
Plan status
The Waikato Regional Plan became operative (in part) on Friday, 28 September 2007.
The outstanding parts of the Regional Plan that are not operative are those that remain subject to variations that have not fully completed the first schedule RMA process. Please see variations to find out more about the non-operative parts.
You can view or download the Regional Plan on this website.
Variations
Geothermal module
Variation No. 2 – Geothermal Module was notified in August 2003. Decisions on submissions were notified in June 2004. Environment Waikato received a number of appeals to the decisions. All the appeals to the Variation have now been resolved.
Variation No.2 – Geothermal Module will become operative on Friday, 7 November 2008.
You can download a copy of the variation below:
Variation No.2 – Geothermal Module - with no maps (see pdfs below for the geothermal maps)
(272 kb, 38 seconds to download, 56k modem)
Variation No.2 - Geothermal Module - maps of geothermal systems
(1219 kb, 174 seconds to download, 56k modem)
Variation No. 2 Geothermal Module - maps of significant geothermal features and geothermal water features
(2588 kb, 369 seconds to download, 56k modem)
EW is currently working to incorporate the amendments in the Operative Variation into the Regional Plan.
Lake Taupo catchment
Environment Waikato proposed a variation to protect water quality in Lake Taupo by managing land use and nutrient discharges.
This section is not included in this version of the plan as council's decisions on the variation are currently the subject of appeals to the Environment Court. To find out more about the variation please see Protecting Lake Taupo or contact us.
Water allocation
Environment Waikato has proposed a variation to the Proposed Waikato Regional Plan to manage the allocation and use of fresh water over all of the Waikato region.
The text of the proposed variation replaces that of withdrawn Chapters 3.3 and 3.4. The full variation document, and an explanatory document outlining the alternatives, benefits and costs are available online.
The Variation was notified for submissions in late 2006. A Hearing Committee heard submissions over a number of weeks in Hamilton between December 2007 and March 2008. Council adopted the recommendations of the Hearing Committee in October 2008 as its decisions.
Thirty seven (37) notices appealing the decisions were lodged with the Environment Court. The appeals are on all aspects of the decisions. Environment Waikato is in discussions with appellants as individuals, industry groups or on an issue basis, to clarify issues and to explore means of resolving the appeals.
Find out more about water allocation.
Minor variations and geothermal maps
Environment Waikato has proposed Variation No. 7 to the Proposed Waikato Regional Plan. The purpose of the proposed variation is to make minor changes to the proposed Waikato Regional Plan to improve the workability of the plan and to amend the Regional Plan maps showing significant geothermal features and geothermal water features.
Submissions to the Variation closed in July 2007. During the submission period, 21 submissions and/or further submissions were received. A hearing of submissions was held on 7 April 2009.
At its meeting of Monday, 29 June 2009, Council adopted the recommendations of the Waikato Regional: Proposed Variation No. 7 – Minor Variations and Geothermal Maps Hearings Committee (acting under delegated authority from the Waikato Regional Council to hear/consider submissions on the Variation) as the Council Decisions on the Variation.
The Waikato Regional Plan is amended in accordance with these decisions at the date of notification, being Wednesday, 15 July 2009.
You can download the decisions here:
Proposed Variation No. 7 Minor Variation and Geothermal Maps - Committee Recommendations on Submissions
(262 kb, 30 seconds to download, 56k modem)
Variation No. 7 - Minor Variation and Geothermal Maps - Hearing Committee s32 Analysis and Strikethrough Incorporating Recommendations
(287 kb, 30 seconds to download, 56k modem)
Contact us for further information.
Policy and plan feedback forms
Help us improve our Waikato Regional Plan. If there are any errors or inconsistencies please let us know. As a user of our Policy and Plans we welcome your feedback.
Ordering the Waikato Regional Plan
Each section of the plan can be viewed on this website. You can also download each chapter in PDF format.
Printed copies of the plan and other associated documents can also be purchased. Some of the sections in the plan refer to Regional Plan maps. These maps show where waterbodies and geothermal systems in the region are classified for specific management purposes. These maps are currently not produced on the web. The maps are available to view at Environment Waikato offices and are provided on DVD with printed copies of the plan.
| Printed copy of the plan + maps on DVD (includes update service) |
$120 |
Order |
| Printed 1:50,000 full set of maps for the whole region |
$1600 |
Order |
| DVD of maps only (in PDF format and as GIS layer) |
$30 |
Order |
Hard copies of single maps of a particular location in the region are also available at the cost of reproduction, please contact us for further information.
Please note the prices for Regional Plan products may be subject to change.
Plan contents
The plan contains objectives, policies and implementation methods for:
- matters of significance to Maori
- water quality, flows and levels
- water takes
- efficient use of water
- discharges
- damming and diverting
- wetlands
- drilling
- non-point source discharges
- structures on the beds of rivers and lakes
- river and lake bed disturbance
- accelerated erosion
- discharges onto or into land
- contaminated sites
- air quality
- spraydrift
- cross boundary processes
- monitoring and review
- information requirements for resource consents.
This plan’s implementation methods include our resource consent process and environmental education programmes and the indicators by which the plan will be monitored.