New Plymouth District Council were the first to draft a new District Plan directly into a property-based digitally-driven e-plan.

Every District Council is required to review its District Plan about every ten years.

As part of its District Plan Review, early in 2017 New Plymouth District Council engaged Boffa Miskell planners to assist with policy evaluation, preparation, data assessment and project management services to the New Plymouth District Plan Policy team.

Boffa Miskell planners efficiently and effectively evaluated and prepared plan content and Section 32 Evaluation Reports for numerous topics including earthworks, subdivision, outstanding natural landscapes and features, waterbodies, notable trees, hazardous substances, network utilities, noise and lighting, public access, signs and contaminated land.

In February 2018, New Plymouth District Council released a fully interactive Draft Digital District Plan for public consultation. It was the first of its kind in New Zealand, as New Plymouth District Council was the first council to draft a new district plan written directly into a property-based digitally-driven e-plan.

Client

New Plymouth District Council

Location

Taranaki

Project team

Hamish Wesney
Claire Kelly
Jaimee Cannon

Project date

2017 - 2018

Awards

Nancy Northcroft Supreme Planning Practice Award | NZPI Annual Awards
Best Practice Award | District and Regional Planning | NZPI Annual Awards
Better Policy and Regulation Award | McGredy Winder SOLGM Local Government Excellence Awards
Technical Documentation Award | RMLA Awards

The plan content was updated to address a number of resource management issues facing the New Plymouth District, including the following high-level issues:

  • The ineffectiveness and reactiveness of the ’effects-based’ framework used in the Operative District Plan,
  • Shifting to a more strategic, activity-based District Plan framework, that focuses on known activity types and how they are to be managed,
  • Alignment with best-practice and changing technologies,
  • Giving effect to higher-order national and regional policy documents,
  • Strategic objectives and policies that provide guidance about key issues and the future direction of the District.

The draft district plan was fully digital: only available online and accessed via a GIS interface. There is no hard copy or PDFs of the maps or text. The ePlan is very visual with aerial photography and easy-to-understand illustrated maps, diagrams and information about maximum standards. The 3D diagrams were prepared by Boffa Miskell urban designers.

The process involved a high degree of stakeholder engagement, aimed at ensuring that the ePlan would be user-friendly whilst addressing the district’s resource management needs.

The most recent iteration of the Proposed District Plan can be found here.

Our role: Planning, statutory planning and policy advice, plan preparation, consultation, urban design, preparation of 3D diagrams

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