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Urban Intensification Variation - Hearing

 

Hearing of submissions and further submissions made on the Variation to the Queenstown Lakes Proposed District Plan: Urban Intensification Variation.

Decision

The decision public notification date is 20 February 2026. The 30 working day period for appeals has now closed.  Click here to access our Appeals page: https://www.qldc.govt.nz/your-council/district-plan/proposed-district-plan/appeals/

Please go to this page for more information on the decision and changes to the Proposed District Plan.

At the 5 February 2026 meeting of Full Council, Elected Members formally adopted the recommendations of the Independent Hearing Panel. 

To view the agenda documents for this meeting, please go to our website: www.qldc.govt.nz/your-council-meetings/5-february-2026-full-council-meeting/.

Council Decision

  • In accordance with the decision, the Proposed District Plan (e-Plan) has been amended. All provisions in e-Plan that are subject to the Urban Intensification Variation are shown with a blue box around them. In some instances the blue box will be around a whole provision, but the UIV will have only changed part of the provision. See the Guidance on Council Decision section below for more information on the status of the UIV provisions.

    Council Agenda Summary - 5 February 2026 - See Agenda Item 4

Guidance on Council Decision

  • Any person who made a submission on the Urban Intensification Variation may appeal the decision to the Environment Court within 30 working days of the service of the notice of decisions (i.e. from 20 February 2026). 

    During the 30-working day appeal period, the operative PDP provisions and the UIV decisions version provisions will both apply and will be subject to weighting.

    Following the 30-working day appeal period, any UIV provisions that are subject to appeals will continue to be weighted until appeals on the provision are resolved. An appeals alert will be added to e-Plan to show which provisions are under appeal. Following the 30 working-day appeal period, all UIV provisions that are not appealed will be ‘treated as operative’ meaning they will have full legal effect and the previous equivalent provision will no longer apply (see s86F of the RMA). 

    Please feel free to contact the Duty Policy Planner pdpenquiries@qldc.govt.nz if you have questions about the status of provisions.

Amendments to UIV Decisions Version Provisions - e-Plan

  • Minor errors in the decisions version provisions have been amended using the process in clause 16 of the First Schedule of the RMA. These amendments are summarised in the table below. These changes are shown in the provisions in e-Plan: 

    Rule:  
    Amend UIV decisions version matter of discretion (b) in Rule 8.5.10 to insert the word ‘existing’ when referring to Arrowtown’s character.  

    The current wording of the matter of discretion in the UIV decisions version has the word ‘existing’ crossed out which indicates that any non-compliances with Rule 8.5.10 Building Length in Arrowtown, alongside limb a, discretion would be restricted to ‘consistency with Arrowtown character’. This is inconsistent with the other matters of discretion in Chapter 8 – MDRZ which refer to ‘Arrowtown’s existing character’.  

      

    Paragraphs 8.40(a) and (b) and 8.43(e) of the UIV Independent Hearing Panel’s Recommendation Report states that all other references in the LDSRZ (now SRZ) and MDRZ to the Arrowtown Design Guidelines 2016 should be removed and replaced with reference to “Arrowtown’s existing character”. 
    Amendment to Rule 8A.5.7 to re insert recession plane requirements for MDRAZ and remove ‘excluding Arrowtown’.  

    UIV decisions version of Rule 8A.5.7 which outlines the recession planes for all sites in MDRAZ has been shown as crossed out (i.e. deleted) apart from the exceptions outlined in 8A.5.7.6 and 8A.5.7.6. This suggests that there are no recession plane requirements for the MDRAZ, which is a new zone that has been introduced via the UIV.  

     

    For the MDRAZ, the Independent Hearing Panel explains at paragraph 14.3 of their Recommendation Report that the recommended provisions are based on Council’s s42A and Reply position for the MDRZ.  

    Further, at paragraph 14.32 (page 133) of the Recommendation Report, the Panel clearly states that it accepts Council’s proposed Rule 8A.5.7 relating to recession planes outlined in Council’s Reply version of the provisions.  

     

    It is also recommended that reference to ‘excluding Arrowtown’ is removed given that there is no MDRAZ in Arrowtown. 
    Update Cross reference in Rule 27.7.38.1.  

    Amend a cross-reference mismatch between the UIV decisions version provisions and the PDP. In the intervening time since notification of the UIV in August 2023, the provisions and numbering in Chapter 27 of the PDP have been amended.  

     

    The updated cross reference will now refer to Rule 27.7.35 which specifies minimum allotment sizes and dimensions.  

     

    Additionally, the Independent Hearing Panel recommended that consequential minor amendments be made to address renumbering, cross-referencing, plan-wide consistency and other drafting matters that arise between tracked and clean versions of the provisions. The Panel directed Council staff to prepare a clean decisions version incorporating these administrative refinements for clarity and consistency across the Proposed District Plan. These consequential amendments have been incorporated into the e-Plan.

Hearing - General Information

  • The Hearing Panel:

    Commissioners: David Allen (Chair), Ian Munro and Councillor Lyal Cocks

    David Allen (Chair)

    Expertise

    Environment and resource management, local government and infrastructure development.

    Experience

    Decision-making

    • Chair of the hearings panel for Porirua City Council's Plan Change 18: Plimmerton Farm, which followed a Streamlined Planning Process to rezone 384ha for urban development (housing and commercial). The decision can be found at PC18 Final Report and Recommendations (storage.googleapis.com).

    • Chair of the hearings panel for Lower Hutt City Council's Plan Change 43 to enable greater urban intensification across the general residential zone, new suburban mixed use activity zones and new medium density residential activity areas.

    • Chair of hearings panels for tree and tree group plan changes in Upper Hutt City and for a consent for a brothel in the residential zone of Lower Hutt City.

    • Presenter of the Ministry for the Environment's 'Making Good Decisions' programme required for all resource management decision-makers.

    • Previously legal counsel assisting the Ruakura Development Plan Change Board of Inquiry (on a private plan change for an integrated inland port development of 389ha in Hamilton City), the Tukituki

    Catchment Proposal Board of Inquiry (a water quality and quantity based plan change, designation and consents related to farm intensification and irrigation) and the New Zealand King Salmon Board of Inquiry (including appearing in the Supreme Court appeals) relating to a private plan change and consents for salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds.

    Previously legal counsel assisting numerous Boards of Inquiry and Decision-Making Committees on applications for marine consents under the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012.

    Planning & Consenting

    • Advising Christchurch City Council as part of the Buddle Findlay team on its Intensification Streamlined Planning Process.

    • Advising both Genesis Energy and Contact Energy on numerous policy statement and plan change processes around the country.

    • Advised the Crown on its All of Government submission (on behalf of 22 government departments and agencies) on the proposed Christchurch Replacement District Plan, including the designation and roading chapters and on the key infrastructure projects.

    • Advised the Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust on its Environment Court appeal on the Proposed Hastings District Plan in relation to sites of cultural significance and outstanding landscapes.

    • Advising Let's Get Wellington Moving and its partners, Wellington City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and Waka Kotahi on the designating and consenting, local government and associated matters for its $7.4b investment programme.

    • Advised Greater Wellington Regional Council (flood protection and public transport), Hutt City Council (urban renewal of its CBD following the increased flood protection) and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport

    Agency (a new Melling interchange and bridge over the Hutt River) and KiwiRail (relocated rail assets) on the successful Environment Court direct referral process for the $700m plus RiverLink project. This significant climate adaptation project for the city and region. The RiverLink project won the NZPI Best Practice Award for integrated planning and investigations at the 2023 NZPI awards.

    • Advising Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency on the $1.5b Ōtaki to North of Levin project and the $300m plus Mt Messenger (SH3) bypass project.

    • Advised Contact Energy on its $700m plus Geofuture project for geothermal electricity generation in the Wairakei field which was successfully consented in 2022, having previously advised Contact on numerous thermal, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric power schemes.

    • Advising Genesis Energy on the present reconsenting of its Tekapo A and B hydroelectric power stations.

    • Advising Horowhenua District Council, Wellington Water Limited, Central Hawkes Bay District Council, Tararua District Council, Whakatane District Council and Tauranga City Council on numerous wastewater and water projects including many Environment Court hearings.

    • Advising Horowhenua District Council on numerous subdivision and land development matters and disputes, bylaws and various codes of practice.

    • Advised CentrePort on the COVID Fasttrack consenting process by KiwiRail for the new Kaiwharawhara Ferry Terminal in Wellington Harbour with construction commencing this year.

    • Advised Lower Hutt City Council on its 4.4km and $30m Eastern Bays shared use path and seawall (Tupua Horo Nuku) with construction commencing in 2022.

    Affiliations & Memberships

    • Member of the Resource Management Law Association (RMLA)

    • Associate member of the New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI)

    Qualifications

    • LLB, BSc, MEnvi.Stud. (Victoria University of Wellington)

    • Admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in New Zealand 1999

    • Accredited RMA Hearings Chairperson

    Ian Munro

    Ian is a senior urban planner and urban designer who has had the opportunity to work across New Zealand including in all of the major centers and many of the provincial centers.

    He has made or contributed to over 500 decisions on consent and plan change applications since 2007 for Auckland Council, Thames Coromandel District Council, Waikato District Council, Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council, Christchurch City Council and Queenstown Lakes District Council.

    Specifically in Queenstown Lakes District, Ian has been a decision maker since 2007 including Resource Consents, Private Plan Changes, the Council's PDP, and more recently the Ladies Mile SPP procedure and the COVID-19 Recovery Act (Fast Track consents).

    He is familiar with the National Policy Statement on Urban Development and what it means for Councils, including by way of being a Commissioner on Christchurch City Council's PC14 process.

    Deputy Mayor Lyal Cocks

    Lyal has lived in Wanaka for 26 years and was a QLDC Councillor for nine years from 2007 to 2016.  During that time, he was an RMA commissioner and sat on many Resource Consent and Plan Change hearings, such as Northlake and Hanleys Farm. 

    After six years off Council, Lyal stood successfully for Council again in 2023 and has re-qualified as an RMA commissioner.  He has extensive knowledge of the district and the challenges we face to continue being a great place to live and visit, and a significant contributor to New Zealand's economy.

  • Check out the video below for information on how to participate in a hearing!

     

  • Please note this document will be amended regularly as we progress to the hearing.

Council Reply

Hearing Minutes

Hearing Recordings

Information Requested by the Independant Hearing Panel

Council Rebuttal

Presented at Hearing

Case Law

Legal Submissions

Minutes & Memoranda

Joint Witness Statements

Site Visit Requests

Submitter Pre-Lodged Evidence & Legal Submissions

Section 42A Report & Council Expert Evidence

Want to talk about it?

If you have any queries on any of the information provided, how to make a submission or need help finding a particular document, please contact one of our dedicated duty policy planners on 03 441 0499 (Queenstown) or 03 443 0024 (Wānaka) or email us at pdpenquiries@qldc.govt.nz