The pattern of land use in the District that has developed over time reflects the physical characteristics of the land and other resources, people’s preferences from time to time, and planning decisions under former legislation. There are now easily identifiable areas of the District with distinctive environmental qualities. At the broadest level these can be defined in terms of landscape:

the remote undeveloped backdrop to the District (the Conservation Zone).

rural land, which is largely used for pastoral farming and exotic forestry.

the urban or built up area.

Within the built up area, historical patterns of development have led to areas with characteristics which are clearly residential, commercial, industrial or open space and recreational. Infrastructure, including roads, drains, water supply and other services, has been developed to reflect the needs of this existing pattern. Each distinct area, together with its infrastructure, represents a resource that is required to be sustainably managed under this Plan. Different sets of issues arise in the different areas and need to be addressed differently in the Plan.

The Plan recognises that areas have distinctive environmental characteristics, and what effects of activities are acceptable may differ between areas. The Plan applies a zoning approach to define the different environmental qualities sought for different areas and to control the actual and potential adverse effects of development within them.

The zones contain all of the land area of the District above mean high water springs. The Coastal Marine Area, although not called a zone, is dealt with in this Plan as a similar geographical unit. The issues affecting the Coastal Marine Area and the dry land area of the District are often related. This Plan takes an integrated approach to these, particularly by means of the Coastal Environment Overlay.

Further information is available by viewing the ePlan

https://nelson.isoplan.co.nz/operative