Change 6 (NPS-UD)

Change 6 (NPS-UD) is now operative 

Change 6 became operative on 17 April 2025 and has been incorporated into the Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement. 

Appeals resolved

The four appeals lodged with the Environment Court against Council’s decisions were resolved through mediation on 17 September 2024.  The Environment Court issued a consent order on 9 December 2024.   The following documents are available:

• Environment Court Consent Order dated 9 December 2024 with track changes version showing amendments to Council’s decision version
• Proposed Change 6 (NPS-UD) pre-operative clear copy Version 10.0 dated 27 March 2025

Separate appeals were lodged on RPS Proposed Change 6 (NPS-UD) by Bell Road Partnership Limited, KiwiRail Holdings Limited, Urban TaskForce and Bluehaven Investments Limited.

• Notice of appeal – Bell Road Partnership Limited
• Notice of appeal – KiwiRail Holdings Limited
• Notice of appeal – Urban TaskForce
• Notice of appeal – Bluehaven Investments Limited

Section 274 Notices of Appeal

Section 274 Notices have been received from Urban TaskForce, Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore Trust and Fonterra Limited.

Parties to Bell Road Partnership Limited Appeal

• Sec 274 Notices from Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore Trust
• Sec 274 Notices from Tauranga City Council
• Sec 274 Notices from Western Bay of Plenty District Council
• Sec 274 Notices from Urban TaskForce for Tauranga Incorporated

Parties to KiwiRail Holdings Limited Appeal

• Sec 274 Notices from Tauranga City Council
• Sec 274 Notices from Western Bay of Plenty District Council
• Sec 274 Notices from Urban TaskForce for Tauranga Incorporated
• Sec 274 Notices from Fonterra Limited

Parties to Urban TaskForce for Tauranga Incorporated Appeal

• Sec 274 Notices from Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore Trust
• Sec 274 Notices from Tauranga City Council
• Sec 274 Notices from Western Bay of Plenty District Council

Parties to Bluehaven Investments Limited Appeal

• Sec 274 Notices from Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore Trust
• Sec 274 Notices from Tauranga City Council
• Sec 274 Notices from Western Bay of Plenty District Council
• Sec 274 Notices from Urban TaskForce for Tauranga Incorporated

Decision documents

• Public notice
  This is a copy of the public notice, printed in the NZ Herald and BOP Times on 12 February 2024
• Proposed Change 6 (NPS-UD) – Decisions on Provisions Version 8.0b Track Changes
  This is a track changes version showing changes Council has adopted resulting from the Hearing Panel recommendations after hearing from submitters.
• Proposed Change 6 (NPS-UD) – Decisions on Provisions Version 8.0c Clear Copy
  This is a clear version of the updated provisions to the Regional Policy Statement
• Staff Section 32AA Analysis Report
  This report provides an analysis of changes resulting from the submissions, hearings and deliberations included into the adopted version of Proposed Change 6
• Councils Decisions on Submissions and Further Submissions Report
  This report provides a summary of Councils decisions on all submission points categorised by Proposed Change 6 provisions.
• Bay of Plenty Regional Council Meeting Minutes including adoption of the Hearing Panel Recommendation, 14 December 2023
  These meeting minutes include the resolution for Bay of Plenty Regional Council to adopt the Proposed Change 6 Hearing Panel Recommendation
• Proposed Change 6 (NPS-UD) Hearing Panel Recommendations Report
  This report outlines the Hearing Panel Recommendations on Proposed Change 6.

Staff Recommendations

• Staff Overview Report
  This provides an overview of key amendments requested by submitters.
• Staff Recommendations on Provisions with Submissions and Further Submissions Report
  This provides recommendations to the Hearing Panel on the decisions requested in submissions along with reasons for those recommendations.
• Proposed Change 6 (NPS-UD) – Staff Recommendations Redline Amendment Version 5.0
  This version shows changes to Proposed Change 6 recommended by staff.
• Proposed Change 6 (NPS-UD) - Section 32AA Evaluation of Changes
  This report provides an analysis of changes recommended to Proposed Change 6.
• Staff Recommendations on Submissions and Further Submissions Table Form
  This report is a table version of staff recommendations on Provisions with Submissions and Further Submissions.

Hearing and Post Documents

• Hearing Schedule
• Change 6 Direction #1
• Council Planner Post Hearing Statement
• Attachment 1
• Attachment 2
• Minutes
• Chair Request to Planner for Deliberations and Planner Response

What is Change 6 (NPS-UD)?

The National Policy Statement-Urban Development (2020) (NPS-UD) introduced requirements for regional councils to amend their Regional Policy Statement to be more responsive to urban development proposals and provide support to intensification of urban areas. Their purpose is to enable additional development capacity, regardless of whether it is planned in existing planning documents, and to contribute to well-functioning urban environments. The NPS-UD also requires local authorities to take into account the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) in planning decisions relating to urban environments.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is implementing these requirements through Change 6 (NPS-UD) to the Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement.

What is an ‘urban environment’?

‘Urban environments’ are defined by the NPS-UD. These are urban areas that have or are intended to be part of a housing and labour market of at least 10,000 people.

In the Bay of Plenty, urban environments are greater Tauranga (including Te Puke and Ōmokoroa), Rotorua city and Whakatāne township.

What is the scope of Change 6?

Under the NPS-UD we are required to:

• Take into account Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles
• Provide criteria for assessing private plan changes for unanticipated or out of sequence urban development proposals for urban environments
• Enable intensification of urban environments

What Change 6 doesn’t do:

It is not a spatial plan and doesn’t identify where (or not) urban development will be located. This is the role of a Future Development Strategy and district or city plans.

It doesn’t zone or provide infrastructure for urban development. This is the role of district/city councils through district plan zoning, and infrastructure planning and funding documents.

National Policy Statement on Urban Development (2020)

More information on the NPS-UD can be found on the Ministry for the Environment's website: National policy statement on urban development.

Key changes in Change 6 (NPS-UD)

New - Responsive planning policy – urban environments
Deleted - Urban limits in the western Bay of Plenty subregion
New - Increased density urban development – urban environments
Amended - Te Tiriti of Waitangi principles
Further submissions
Tabled and Supplementary Documents
Summary of Decisions Requested
Submissions
Proposed Change 6 (NPS-UD) notification