Additional provisions you need to be aware of when reading the District Plan.

1. Coastal hazards

If you are looking to develop a property in areas where coastal hazard provisions apply, or change how a property is used, you need to refer to the coastal hazard provisions in the Christchurch City Plan and the Banks Peninsula District Plan

Provisions that still apply are:

Christchurch City Plan

Operative provisions to be retained for coastal hazards only:


Volume 2: The statement of objectives, policies and issues

Section 2: Natural environment

Policy 2.5.2 – Limitations on development

To avoid any increased risk of adverse effects on property, wellbeing and safety scale and density of development, which:

(a) is within an area subject to moderate to high risk of damage from natural hazards
(b) would result in an increased risk of damage from natural hazards elsewhere
(c) would adversely affect the functioning of existing flood protection works.

Policy 2.5.4 – Sea level rise

To avoid higher density forms of built development, and adverse effects from inundation, in areas that are projected to be subject to increased flood levels as a result of accelerated sea level rise.

Policy 2.5.9 – Works

To undertake works to avoid or mitigate the adverse effects regulation of activities, and the provision of information.

Policy 2.6.3 – Coastal development

To avoid or mitigate the adverse effects of erosion and flooding in the coastal environment.

Section 6: Urban growth

Policy 6.3A.6 - Hazards

To ensure that development is avoided, or limited in scale or density in areas subject to natural and other hazards, particularly flooding, erosion, or potential sea level rise, unless these hazards can be adequately remedied or mitigated.

Section 10: Subdivision and development

Policy 10.1.1 – Inundation, flooding and sea level rise

To avoid any increased risk of adverse effects on property and the wellbeing and safety of the hazards by avoiding subdivision, or subjecting it to appropriate mitigation measures, where:

(a) the subdivision is within an area subject to moderate to high risk from inundation, flooding in ponding areas or the Cashmere Stream floodplain, or
(b) the subdivision would result in an increased risk of inundation or flooding elsewhere.


Volume 3 - The statement of rules

Part 1: Definitions

  • Access, access lot, access strip, access way, accessory building, adjoining, allotment, balcony, boundary, building, building line restriction, City Plan, Council, erection of a building, existing, filling, garage, ground level, habitable building, impervious surfaces, legally defined parcel of land, net area, paved impermeable surface, relocatable building, residential activity, residential unit, risk, setback, site, site boundary, subdivision, vehicle access.

Part 2: Living zones

Rule 2.0 - Guide to using these rules

  • Rule 2.1.1 Residential activities
  • Rule 2.2 Development standards – Living 1 non notification rule
  • Rule 2.2.12 - Coastal hazards (Living 1 Zone Only) - residential
  • Rule 2.4.1 Residential site density for “Living 1 Zone (excluding SBCMA 1 and SAm areas 8, 8a and 8b”, “Living 1 Zone (SBCMA 1) and exceptions (a) and (b)” and “Living 1 (Excluding SAms 8, 8a and 8b)”
  • Rule 2.4.11 hard surfacing limitations
  • Assessment matter, 15.2.19 Coastal Hazards - Living 1 zone only
  • Reason for rule, 16.1.19 - Coastal Hazards Living 1 zone only

Part 5: Conservation zones

  • Rule 2.0 - Guide to using these rules
  • Rule 2.3.1 Community Standard, Site coverage (d)
  • 4.0 Reason for rules, 4.4, Site coverage 2nd paragraph

Part 9: General rules

  • 5.2 Rules: Filling, excavation and building adjacent to waterways and the coastline 5.2.4(a) development standard - Filling, excavation and buildings adjacent to coastline (part only - 20 m setback from MHWS) and (b) Council’s discretion...

Part 14: Subdivision

  • Rule 7.1 (a) and (b) - Controlled activities - Natural and other hazards (a) and (b), with (b) applying to erosion and flooding and inundation only)
  • Rule 7.2.1 Coastal flooding and erosion
  • 33.0 Subdivision of land - Reason for rules 33.6 Natural and other hazards 3rd paragraph

Planning maps

  • 49A - Living 1 zone boundary, C1A zone boundary, South Brighton Coastal Management Area 1 (SBCMA 1), South Brighton Coastal Management Area 2 (SBCMA 2). 
  • 49B - Hazard line 1

Banks Peninsula District Plan

Operative provisions to be retained for coastal hazards only:

Chapter 31: Subdivision

  • Objective 2: To ensure that natural hazards, soil erosion, and slope instability are not exacerbated by activities.
  • Policy 2A: Any site created shall not increase risks from natural hazards, soil erosion and slope instability unless such adverse effects can be avoided, remedied or mitigated.
  • Rule 1 Controlled activities (b)
  • Rule 1.1 Matters of Control (limited to “shape, size and orientation of sites - the location of sites and boundaries in relation to natural hazards”).
  • Rule 3 Discretionary Activities – Rural Zone: (3.1-3.4, with 3.4 limited to “shape, size and orientation of sites - the location of sites and boundaries in relation to natural hazards”).
  • Rule 4 Discretionary Activities – Rural-Residential Zone (4.1-4.2, with 4.2 limited to “shape, size and orientation of sites - the location of sites and boundaries in relation to natural hazards”).
  • Rule 5 Discretionary Activities – Papakainga Zone (5.1-5.2)
  • Rule 6 Discretionary Activities – Residential Zone (6.1-6.3, with 6.3 limited to “Access – the location and construction of any vehicle access ways, access lots or access strips in relation to natural hazards”.
  • Rule 7 Discretionary Activities – Residential Conservation Zone within Lyttelton (7.1 and 7.2)
  • Rule 8 Discretionary Activities – Residential Conservation Zone within Akaroa (8.1-8.2)
  • Rule 9.3 – Non complying activities

Chapter 38: Natural hazards

  • Policy 1C: Risk reduction measures shall be promoted where existing activities are located in areas of high existing or potential risk.

Part VII: Definitions

  • Accessory building, allotment, building, dwelling, net site area, relocatable building, residential units, site, structure, subdivision, utility allotment.

2. Plantation forestry

The rules applying to plantation forestry activities are now largely those included in the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry) Regulations 2017(external link).

Plantation forestry must comply with those regulations.

Where there is conflict or duplication between a rule in the Christchurch District Plan and those regulations, the regulations prevail. The Council is in the process of addressing areas of conflict or duplication in the plan to make it clear which provisions in the plan relating to plantation forestry continue to apply.