The Regional Plan contains policy and methods to manage the natural and physical resources of the Waikato region. The plan implements the Regional Policy Statement. To find out about rules that apply to particular activities refer to the activity guide within the Regional Plan.
On this page:
What area does the plan cover?
The plan applies across the whole of the Waikato region, although some objectives, policies and rules apply only in specific parts of the region.
The plan does not apply below Mean High Water Springs: refer to the Regional Coastal Plan.
Plan status
The Waikato Regional Plan became operative (in part) on Friday, 28 September 2007.
The outstanding parts of the Regional Plan that are not operative are those that remain subject to variations that have not fully completed the first schedule RMA process. Please see variations to find out more about the non-operative parts.
You can view or download the Regional Plan on this website.
Variations
Geothermal module
This section is not included in this version of the plan as it is currently subject to the Proposed Waikato Regional Plan: Proposed Variation No. 2. Please contact us for more information about the status of the geothermal module.
Lake Taupo catchment
Environment Waikato proposed a variation to protect water quality in Lake Taupo by managing land use and nutrient discharges.
This section is not included in this version of the plan as council's decisions on the variation are currently the subject of appeals to the Environment Court. To find out more about the variation please see Protecting Lake Taupo or contact us.
Water allocation
Environment Waikato has proposed a variation to the Proposed Waikato Regional Plan to manage the allocation and use of fresh water over all of the Waikato region.
The text of the proposed variation replaces that of withdrawn Chapters 3.3 and 3.4. The full variation document, and an explanatory document outlining the alternatives, benefits and costs are available online.
Hearings of submissions made on the Water Allocation Variation are scheduled to commence in December 2007.
Find out more about water allocation.
Minor variations and geothermal maps
Environment Waikato has proposed Variation No. 7 to the Proposed Waikato Regional Plan. The purpose of the proposed variation is to make minor changes to the proposed Waikato Regional Plan to improve the workability of the plan and to amend the Regional Plan maps showing significant geothermal features and geothermal water features.
Submissions to Proposed Variation No. 7 closed on 27 July 2007.
For further information on Variation No. 7 please see Variation No. 7 or contact us.
Policy and plan feedback forms
Help us improve our Waikato Regional Plan. If there are any errors or inconsistencies please let us know. As a user of our Policy and Plans we welcome your feedback.
Ordering the Waikato Regional Plan
Each section of the plan can be viewed on this website. You can also download each chapter in PDF format.
Printed copies of the plan and other associated documents can also be purchased. Some of the sections in the plan refer to Regional Plan maps. These maps show where waterbodies and geothermal systems in the region are classified for specific management purposes. These maps are currently not produced on the web. The maps are available to view at Environment Waikato offices and are provided on DVD with printed copies of the plan.
| Printed copy of the plan + maps on DVD (includes update service) |
$120 |
Order |
| Printed 1:50,000 full set of maps for the whole region |
$1600 |
Order |
| DVD of maps only (in PDF format and as GIS layer) |
$30 |
Order |
Hard copies of single maps of a particular location in the region are also available at the cost of reproduction, please contact us for further information.
Please note the prices for Regional Plan products may be subject to change.
Plan contents
The plan contains objectives, policies and implementation methods for:
- matters of significance to Maori
- water quality, flows and levels
- water takes
- efficient use of water
- discharges
- damming and diverting
- wetlands
- drilling
- non-point source discharges
- structures on the beds of rivers and lakes
- river and lake bed disturbance
- accelerated erosion
- discharges onto or into land
- contaminated sites
- air quality
- spraydrift
- cross boundary processes
- monitoring and review
- information requirements for resource consents.
This plan’s implementation methods include our resource consent process and environmental education programmes and the indicators by which the plan will be monitored.