Important words and phrases

The following words have particular meanings in this process, as outlined below.

Intensification planning instrument (IPI)

Intensification Planning Instrument is the legal term for Plan Change 2. You may see this term used throughout the Council’s plan change documents.

Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS)

The Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) are government standards that provide for the construction up to three residential units per site as a “permitted activity”, subject to specified density standards (outlined in the table below). A permitted activity is an activity that you can undertake as of right, without a resource consent from the Council (although there are other reasons that you may need a resource consent). The MDRS must be applied to all relevant residential zones, which in Kāpiti means the General Residential Zone.

Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS)
Number of residential units per site	Maximum	3
Building height	Maximum	11m + 1m for pitched roof
Height in relation to boundary	Maximum	4m + 60° recession plane
Setbacks	Minimum	Front yard: 1.5m Side yard: 1m Rear yard: 1m (excluding on corner sites)
Building coverage	Maximum	50% of the net site area
Outdoor living space (one per unit)	Minimum	Ground floor: 20m², 3m dimension Above ground floor: 8m², 1.8m dimension
Outlook space (per unit)	Minimum	Principal living room: 4m depth, 4m width All other habitable rooms: 1m depth, 1m width
Windows to street	Minimum	20% glazing of the street-facing facade
Landscaped area	Minimum	20% of the developed site with grass or plants

Council was also required to meet other requirements as part of incorporating the MDRS into our District Plan:

Developments that breach the MDRS are classed as a “restricted discretionary activity”, which means resource consent is required.
Council is precluded from publicly notifying resource consent applications for developments that breach the MDRS and, in certain circumstances, is also precluded from notifying neighbours or other people who may be affected by the development.
Subdivision of residential units is classed as a “controlled activity”, which means a resource consent is required. Council must generally grant resource consent for a controlled activity, although Council can impose conditions, and can decline the consent where there is a significant risk from natural hazards, or where legal and physical access has not been provided.

For more information on the MDRS, see the Ministry for the Environment’s guidance, Understanding the RMA (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021: Information on submitting.

National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 (NPS-UD)

The National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 (NPS-UD) has objectives and policies for urban development that Tier 1 councils, including Kāpiti Coast District Council, must give effect to in their district plans. The NPS-UD requires councils to ensure their plans allow for increased levels of development in their urban environments, particularly in locations that have good access to metropolitan, town and local centres, or have good access to public transport.

You can find the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 on the Ministry for the Environment’s website.

Qualifying matters

If a qualifying matter is present in any area, the District Plan can provide for less development in that area than would otherwise be required by the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) or by policy 3 of the NPS-UD. The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) lists the series of matters that can be considered as qualifying matters.

For Plan Change 2, Council identified the following as qualifying matters:

the National Grid
the high-pressure gas pipeline
flood hazard category areas
fault avoidance areas
scheduled historic buildings, structures, sites or areas
scheduled notable trees
scheduled places and areas of significance to Māori
scheduled ecological sites
scheduled key indigenous trees
scheduled outstanding natural features and landscapes
development in the General Industrial Zone (business land suitable for low-density uses)
development in the Mixed-Use Precinct of the Airport Zone (business land suitable for low-density uses)
development in the Airport Buffer and Airport Core Precincts of the Airport Zone
development in the Open Space Zones
esplanade reserve/strip requirements
the Coastal Qualifying Matter Precinct
Kārewarewa Urupā (which is a proposed place and area of significance to Māori)
Takiwā Precincts at Ōtaki and Waikanae.

Most of these matters are already addressed through existing District Plan rules, which will continue to apply to new development. However, Plan Change 2 proposes adding three new qualifying matters to the District Plan. These include:

The Coastal Qualifying Matter Precinct. This precinct is an interim measure intended to maintain the status quo level of development currently provided for by the District Plan in areas that have been identified as potentially susceptible to coastal erosion hazard, until the management of coastal hazards is addressed through a future coastal environment plan change.
Kārewarewa Urupā. Kārewarewa Urupā is in the General Residential Zone at Waikanae Beach, and Plan Change 2 recognises the area as a wāhi tapu site in Schedule 9 of the District Plan. This means development in the area is subject to rules in the Sites and Areas of Significance to Māori chapter of the District Plan. For more information about Kārewarewa Urupā, see Section 32 Evaluation Report: Appendix R – The Kārewarewa Urupā Report (Waitangi Tribunal, 2020) [PDF 4.47 MB].
Takiwā Precinct. These precincts provide for the status quo building heights currently provided for by the District Plan to be maintained across a range of places and areas of significance to tangata whenua around the Ōtaki Main Street town centre, and around Waikanae marae, including the area around Ruakōhatu Urupā.