FAQs - proposed Plan Changes 1 and 2

Plan Change 1 proposes minor amendments to the District Plan to:

• make it easier to understand, clearer, more consistent, and to correct errors
• respond to matters raised by the Hearings Panel in their decision reports on the Proposed District Plan
• to update documents referred to in the District Plan.

Specifically Plan Change 1 proposes to do the following:

• remove outdated references to multi-unit housing in the definitions of Hazard-Sensitive Activities and Townhouses, and in Appendix 10 – Natural Hazard Risk Assessment
• in the Infrastructure chapter, amend rule titles referring to transmission lines – for consistency with rules elsewhere in the chapter
• amend the standard for hydraulic neutrality devices in the Three Waters chapter to refer to ‘roof area’ instead of ‘area’
• make changes to parts of the Subdivision chapter to:
  • use consistent terminology when referring to subdivision of land
  • add Silverwood to the list of Future Urban Zones in objective SUB-O4
  • clarify that a rule includes a building platform located partially, as well as entirely, within a hazard area of the Natural Hazards Overlay or Coastal Hazard Overlay
  • remove an unnecessary reference to power supply in a subdivision standard
• include reference to pest plant in a rule in the Coastal Environment chapter
• make changes to parts of the Signs chapter to refer to specified Overlay
• amend standards in the Signs chapter to refer to light spill instead of the Light chapter
• amend standards in the Commercial and Mixed Use Zones for active street frontages, and for fencing and landscaping relating to the screening of on-site parking areas
• amend a Future Urban Zone chapter rule title to refer to buildings and structures instead of building and activity, for consistency with rules elsewhere in the chapter
• make updates to material incorporated by reference in the District Plan
  • update from version 3 to version 5 the document ‘Managing Stormwater Runoff: The use of approved solutions for hydraulic neutrality’ (Wellington Water, 2024) in the definition of ‘Rainwater tank’ and in the Three Waters chapter
  • replace the ‘Porirua City Council Bylaw 1991, Part 24 Silt and Sediment Control, and Part 26 Stormwater’ with ‘Stormwater (Pollution Prevention) Bylaw 2021’ in the Advice notes of the Earthworks chapter.

Plan Change 2 proposes amendments to the District Plan to:

• make it easier to understand, clearer, more consistent and to correct errors
• address gaps in requirements and improve policy direction
• respond to matters raised by the Hearings Panel in decision reports

• remove a heritage listing and remove the approved locations for temporary signs appendix.

Specifically, Plan Change 2 proposes to do the following:

• clarify the ‘maintain’ outcome for Special Amenity Landscapes is a natural environment strategic objective
• amend a Natural Features and Landscapes chapter rule to include a landscape assessment requirement
• amend a Subdivision chapter objective to more clearly state three water servicing requirements for non-urban allotments and electricity and telecommunications requirements for all new allotments
• make changes to parts of the Subdivision chapter to clarify in a rule the resource consent requirement where certain standards are not met; simplify the wording and structure of a rule; add a new discretionary activity rule; and in the Special Amenity Landscapes subdivision rule, include consideration of a landscape policy, and remove repeated content
• amend a Coastal Environment chapter subdivision policy to improve direction and clarity
• amend a policy in the Infrastructure chapter to identify the actions required to recognise the benefits of new technology in infrastructure
• make changes to parts of the Transport chapter to:
  • require pedestrian and cycling accesses of appropriate widths and formation within sites
  • include consideration of design of on-site facilities for vehicle accesses
  • require all-weather surfaces for vehicles accesses, car parking, manoeuvring and loading spaces
  • amend requirements for sealing of vehicle accesses
  • update firefighting access requirements
  • be more specific about the measurement of spacing between vehicle crossings
• make changes to the Definitions chapter to amend ‘impervious surface’ and ‘permeable paving’ definitions; and add definitions for ‘formed’; ‘all-weather surface’; ‘formed width’; and ‘unobstructed width’
• amend an Earthworks chapter standard to allow additional minor earthworks without the need for resource consent and to clarify how earthworks are measured
• remove the schedule for Approved Signage Sites on Council land – relating to temporary signs, and make associated changes to provisions in the Signs chapter
• clarify an information requirement in a rule in the Signs chapter
• in the High Density Residential Zone (HRZ) chapter, include an exemption for Papakāinga in the standard for the number of residential units per site
• update a rule and add a standard in the Medium Density Zone (MRZ) chapter in relation to activities in the National Grid Yard
• update standards in HRZ and MRZ chapters and a rule in the General Industrial Zone chapter for fences and standalone walls
• make changes to parts of the Northern Growth Development Area chapter to replace and update terminology and phrasing
• remove the heritage listing for the Former US Marines Hall and associated map entry.

You can view the proposed changes to the District Plan and supporting information online at: CONFIRM CORRECT LINK WITH CAROLINE AS THIS INCLUDES PC3-6

The ePlan (Council’s digital District Plan) has been updated to show the proposed changes in Plan Changes 1 and 2.

District Plan Changes 1 and 2 (PC1 and PC2) have been prepared to tidy up and make some technical improvements to the District Plan.

PC1 covers minor issues and PC2 moderate scale issues.

Council officers presented a report to the Ordinary Council meeting | Te Kaunihere o Porirua in December 2025 to ask for approval to proceed with these District Plan changes to public notification (and call for submissions), subject to completing a few more steps.

Attached to the Council report was a set of draft changes to the District Plan for each plan change. Also attached was a summary of the issues and responses.

You can find all of this information here as well as the approval from the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform to notify these district plan changes here.

Proposal to incorporate material by reference into the Porirua District Plan 2025
As part of the work to progress Plan Change 1, the Council called for comments on its proposal to update material incorporated by reference into the District Plan (with a closing date of 28 August 2026). The details of this are below and on the Have Your Say consultation portal. Porirua City wants to refer to information from another document in the District Plan. You can find information about this in the public notice here

The notice identifies two documents that can be viewed online:

• Managing Stormwater Runoff: The use of approved solutions for hydraulic neutrality’ version 5 (Wellington Water, 2024)
• Stormwater (Pollution Prevention) Bylaw 2021

Please see the public notice for where to view hard copies or purchase this material.

The closing date for comments was 5pm on 28 August 2026.

On 2 July 2026, the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform approved Porirua City’s application to notify district plan changes 1 & 2 in full. The decision letters are linked below.

• Exemption Decision – Porirua City Council Draft Plan Change 1
• Exemption Decision – Porirua City Council Draft Plan Change 2

Council officers presented a report to the Ordinary Council meeting | Te Kaunihere o Porirua – 11 December 2025 to request approval to proceed with Plan Change 1 and Plan Change 2 to public notification, subject to completing a few more steps.

The report of 11 December 2025 and supporting attachments to the report are provided below. The attachments include summaries of the issues and responses covered by plan changes and those parts of the Porirua District Plan 2025 affected by the plan changes and the detailed changes proposed.

You can find them here.

1. Report 11.8 - Approval to Notify Plan Change 1 and 2 to the Porirua District Plan 2025
2. Attachment 1 - Appendix 1 - Plan Change 1 - Summary of issues
3. Attachment 2 - Appendix 2 - Plan Change 2 - Summary of Issues
4. Attachment 3 - Appendix 3 - Part 1 - PC1 Revised Definitions Chapter
5. Attachment 4 - Appendix 3 - Part 2 - PC1 Revised Infrastructure Chapter
6. Attachment 5 - Appendix 3 - Part 3 - PC1 Revised Three Waters Chapter
7. Attachment 6 - Appendix 3 - Part 4 - PC1 Revised Subdivision Chapter
8. Attachment 7 - Appendix 3 - Part 5 - PC1 Revised Coastal Environment Chapter
9. Attachment 8 - Appendix 3 - Part 6 - PC1 Revised Earthworks Chapter
10. Attachment 9 - Appendix 3 - Part 7 - PC1 Revised Signs Chapter
11. Attachment 10 - Appendix 3 - Part 8 - PC1 Revised NCZ - Neighbourhood Centre Zone Chapter
12. Attachment 11 - Appendix 3 - Part 9 - PC1 Revised LCZ - Local Centre Zone Chapter
13. Attachment 12 - Appendix 3 - Part 10 - PC Revised LFRZ - Large Format Retail Zone Chapter
14. Attachment 13 - Appendix 3 - Part 11 - PC1 Revised MUZ - Mixed Use Zone Chapter
15. Attachment 14 - Appendix 3 - Part 12 - PC1 Revised MCZ - Metropolitan Centre Zone
16. Attachment 15 - Appendix 3 - Part 13 - PC1 Revised Future Urban Zone Chapter
17. Attachment 16 - Appendix 3 - Part 14 - PC1 Revised APP10 - Natural Hazard Risk
18. Attachment 17 - Appendix 4 - Part 1 - PC2 Revised Definitions Chapter
19. Attachment 18 - Appendix 4 - Part 2 - PC2 Revised Strategic Direction Natural Environment

20. Attachment 19 - Appendix 4 - Part 3 - PC2 Revised Infrastructure Chapter - Part 1

21. Attachment 19 - Appendix 4 - Part 3 - PC2 Revised Infrastructure Chapter - Part 2

22. Attachment 20 - Appendix 4 - Part 4 - PC2 Revised Transport Chapter

23. Attachment 21 - Appendix 4 - Part 5 - PC2 Revised Natural Features and Landscapes Chapter

24. Attachment 22 - Appendix 4 - Part 6 - PC2 Revised Subdivision Chapter

25. Attachment 23 - Appendix 4 - Part 7 - PC2 Revised Coastal Environment Chapter

26. Attachment 24 - Appendix 4 - Part 8 - PC2 Revised Earthworks Chapter

27. Attachment 25 - Appendix 4 - Part 9 - PC2 Revised Signs Chapter

28. Attachment 26 - Appendix 4 - Part 10 - PC2 Revised High Density Residential Zone Chapter

29. Attachment 27 - Appendix 4 - Part 11 - PC2 Revised Medium Density Residential Zone Chapter

30. Attachment 28 - Appendix 4 - Part 12 - PC2 Revised General Industrial Zone Chapter

31. Attachment 29 - Appendix 4 - Part 13 - PC2 Revised Northern Growth Development Area Chapter

32. Attachment 30 - Appendix 4 - Part 14 - PC2 Revised SCHED3

33. Attachment 31 - Appendix 4 - Part 15 - PC2 Revised SCHED13

34. Attachment 32 - Appendix 4 - Part 16 - PC2 Revised Planning Map Extract