Leverage 30 years of expertise in navigating the complexities of council plan changes. Our dedicated team at Birch Land Development Consultants, with offices in Auckland, Pukekohe, Hamilton, Tairua, and Tauranga, stands ready to advocate on behalf of local residents, property developers, urban planners, and councils.
The Resource Management Act mandates local councils to periodically review their district and regional plans. However, plan changes can be initiated at any time, potentially impacting land zoning, land use, and subdivision within your community. Understanding these changes is critical for ensuring your interests and your vision for the community are represented.
Depending on the complexity of a plan change the process tends to be very long, involve considerable consultation with communities, and be very costly to Council (i.e., very costly to ratepayers).
Our involvement with council-initiated plan changes tends to be twofold. Firstly, we are regularly engaged by those parties directly affected by plan changes to act on their behalf through the process of consultation, preparation of submissions, attendance at hearings, and frequently post-decision mediation meetings.
Secondly, many Plan changes have a wide effect on the community. In these cases, we will often make submissions on our accord, on the basis that we have a community responsibility to be a party to the proceedings so that our professional knowledge and expertise on land use and subdivisions is taken into consideration during the plan change. That is, we try to represent the community as a whole, many of whom may be adversely affected by plan changes without being aware of the proceedings or the process.
Our involvement is comprehensive:
We effectively represent directly affected parties, ensuring your voice and concerns are heard throughout consultations, submission preparations, and potentially, mediation.
For plan changes with broader impacts, we step forward to make submissions on the community's behalf. It's our firm belief that professional input can significantly influence outcomes favourably.
Whether you're concerned about proposed council plan changes or need expert interpretation of how these could affect you, Birch Land Development Consultants are your knowledgeable allies.
Start protecting your interests today. Contact Birch Land Development Consultants for guidance and representation that serve both you and your community.
For enquiries:
A council-initiated plan change is a modification to a district or regional plan carried out by the local council. These changes can affect zoning, land use, and subdivision rules, and they often involve lengthy consultation and review processes.
These changes can influence what activities are allowed on your property, how land can be subdivided, and how neighbourhoods develop. Many residents may be affected without realising it, which is why expert guidance and representation are important.
Birch represents directly affected parties by preparing submissions, managing consultations, and appearing at council hearings and mediation sessions. We ensure your concerns and goals are properly heard and considered.
Yes. When plan changes have broad community implications, Birch often submits on its own initiative. We believe professional input from land development specialists helps ensure more balanced and informed outcomes.
Council-initiated plan changes involve extensive community consultation, technical assessments, legal requirements, and hearings. These steps make the process time-consuming and expensive for councils—and ultimately ratepayers.
Birch actively monitors multiple local councils to identify trends and upcoming changes. You can contact our team for personalised advice, updates, or clarification on how a specific plan change might affect you or your property.