Kāpiti Coast District Council Kāpiti Coast District Council
Search
  • Home
  • Rohe | District
  • Kaunihera | Council
  • Ratonga | Services
  • Ngā Kaupapa | What's On
  • Whakapā mai | Contact
  • Rohe | District
    • Aquatics
    • Beaches
    • Doing business in Kāpiti
    • Maps
    • Our community
    • Our Kāpiti
    • Visiting Kāpiti
    • Arts and culture
    • Civil Defence | Emergency Management
    • Libraries
    • Open spaces
    • Our environment
    • Mana Whenua
    • Aquatics
    • Arts and culture
    • Beaches
    • Civil Defence | Emergency Management
    • Doing business in Kāpiti
    • Libraries
    • Maps
    • Open spaces
    • Our community
    • Our environment
    • Our Kāpiti
    • Mana Whenua
    • Visiting Kāpiti
  • Kaunihera | Council
    • The role of Council
    • Our elected members
    • Our vision and direction
    • Documents
    • Projects
    • Partners
    • Our awards for environmental care
    • Central government reforms
    • Executive management
    • Meetings
    • Delivering for Kāpiti
    • Planning
    • Job vacancies
    • Local elections
    • Official Information Requests
    • The role of Council
    • Executive management
    • Our elected members
    • Meetings
    • Our vision and direction
    • Delivering for Kāpiti
    • Documents
    • Planning
    • Projects
    • Job vacancies
    • Partners
    • Local elections
    • Our awards for environmental care
    • Official Information Requests
    • Central government reforms
  • Ratonga | Services
    • A–Z council services and facilities
    • A–Z council services and facilities
  • Ngā Kaupapa | What's on
    • News
    • Everything Kāpiti e-newsletter
    • Calendar of meetings and forums
    • Kāpiti Schools Sports Programme
    • News archive
    • Have your say
    • Things to do in Kāpiti
    • Follow us
    • News
    • News archive
    • Everything Kāpiti e-newsletter
    • Have your say
    • Calendar of meetings and forums
    • Things to do in Kāpiti
    • Kāpiti Schools Sports Programme
    • Follow us
  • Whakapā mai | Contact
    • Contact us
    • Follow us
    • About this website
    • Official Information Requests
    • Council facilities opening hours
    • Antenno
    • Social Media terms of use
    • Online service request / Complaints
    • Contact us
    • Council facilities opening hours
    • Follow us
    • Antenno
    • About this website
    • Social Media terms of use
    • Official Information Requests
    • Online service request / Complaints
Search
Close
Hit enter to search or ESC to close
HomeNgā Kaupapa | What's OnNews archivePrevious years2015Tree protections eased, trimming rules made simpler
Ngā Kaupapa | What's On
  • Newskeyboard_arrow_down
  • News archivekeyboard_arrow_up
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • Previous years
      • 2019
      • 2018
      • 2017
      • 2016
      • 2015
      • 2014
      • 2013
      • 2012
      • 2011
      • 2010
      • 2009
  • Everything Kāpiti e-newsletterkeyboard_arrow_down
  • Have your saykeyboard_arrow_down
  • Calendar of meetings and forums
  • Things to do in Kāpitikeyboard_arrow_down
  • Kāpiti Schools Sports Programme
  • Follow us

Tree protections eased, trimming rules made simpler

Published prior to 2016

Council has confirmed that only the most significant indigenous trees will be protected in urban areas of Kāpiti from 4 September 2015, and that property owners will have much more freedom to trim protected trees without the need for a resource consent.

Even when a resource consent is required, the cost of it will be zero, councillors decided.

The new rules represent a fundamental change in approach. Under the Urban Tree Variation to the Proposed District Plan (PDP), only 1,300 trees will be protected on about 400 properties, compared to over 10,600 protected under the PDP and about 14,000 in the Operative District Plan.

Protections on trees in ecological sites which are within urban areas remain in place, covering a further 9,000 (approx) trees. 

The changes, which align with new Resource Management Act requirements to discontinue “blanket” rules protecting particular species of trees, are being publicly notified next week and will have immediate legal effect. The “blanket” rules will lapse on 4 September. 

The variation will be open for public submissions for 40 working days – twice the legal minimum – and the subsequent hearing of these submissions will be incorporated into the hearings on the Proposed District Plan (PDP) from next April. 

Mayor Ross Church said the protected trees would be listed by property address and all affected property owners would be contacted to make them aware of the changes. 

“People need to be aware that the ‘urban’ trees now being protected by this variation will be large, old, established indigenous trees, remnants of the original forests in Kāpiti. 

“These are genuinely ‘significant’ trees. We have reached this much more liberal approach after considerable feedback from people during our recent engagement on tree protection and trimming rules.

“This decision strikes the right balance. It ensures our most important indigenous trees remain protected but gives people much greater freedom in trimming these protected trees without the need for resource consent. Ensuring the trimming is done to arboricultural best practice ensures the health of the trees is preserved.

“The decision to remove any cost for resource consents is also recognition of the ‘public’ good’ of retaining our most significant old, established trees.” 

In addition, staff will explore the possibility of having a package of non-regulatory measures including council providing people with advice on best practice management of trees and financial assistance with maintaining protected urban trees.

Council will also work in partnership with iwi on recognition of culturally-significant trees that require protection under the PDP.

Hot topics

  • Grants, funding and awards
  • Maps
  • Public forum at Council
  • Recycling and rubbish
  • Sources and consumption rates
  • Recreational water quality

Quick links

  • Alcohol licences
  • Civil defence
  • Sports ground status
  • District Plan
  • Responses to Official Information Requests

Services & information

  • A–Z of services and facilities
  • Job vacancies
  • Information for businesses
  • Property information
  • Maps
  • Kāpiti Coast destination website

Get in touch  facebook  Instagram  Youtube

shielded

Kāpiti Coast District Council
175 Rimu Road
Private Bag 60601
Paraparaumu 5254

Phone: 04 296 4700
Toll free: 0800 486 486
Fax: 04 296 4830
[email protected]

page rip
© Copyright 2023 Kāpiti Coast District Council
SitemapAbout this websiteAccessibilityLegal Notices
NZ Government logo