Terms associated with or used in the City Plan

Community Footprint
A "Community Footprint" is part of a Living Zone (shown on the Planning Maps) where some of the usual rules of a Living (residential) Zone are relaxed to allow for activities such as medical rooms.  They are usually located adjacent to shopping centres.

Community Standard
A "Community Standard" is a category of rule in the City Plan.  If a development does not meet a community standard, it becomes a "discretionary activity" and requires a resource consent.

Critical Standard
A “Critical Standard” is a category of rule in the City Plan. If a development does not meet a critical standard, it becomes a non-complying activity or a prohibited activity. A resource consent is required for a non-complying activity.

Designations
Designations, for example, the airport, railways or roading designations allow a "requiring authority", such as a Government Minister or a utility company, to use a property for a particular activity or range of activities.  Those activities do not need to comply with the rules of the Zone in which the property is located.  However, there may be conditions that limit those activities.

Development Standard
A “Development Standard” is a category of rule in the City Plan. If a development does not meet a development standard, it becomes a discretionary activity or a controlled activity and requires a resource consent. However, the Council's discretion is limited to only that aspect of the development that is subject to the rule (ie, if it is a building setback, then only the matters relevant to the setback will be considered).

Objective
An objective is an outcome that the City Plan is trying to achieve through its policies, rules, and other methods. Objectives are set out in Volume 2 of the City Plan. A District Plan is required to contain objectives, policies, and rules under Section 75 of the RMA.

Policy
A policy is a means of achieving the Objectives in the Plan and specifies the action the Council will take through the City Plan.

Resource Management Act (RMA)
The RMA (1991) is the statute (law) which requires the preparation of District Plans (eg, the City Plan). The key aspects relevant of the RMA to the City Plan are:

• Part II – the Purpose and Principles of the Act, which the Council is subject to when it prepares the Plan or Variations to it;
• Section 31 – the functions of territorial authorities;
• Section 32 – the duty to consider alternatives, benefits, costs, etc;
• Section 75 – the contents of district plans
• Section 76 – categories of resource consents
• The Second Schedule – which specifies the process whereby plans and Variations are prepared.

Rule
A rule is the method whereby the Objectives and Policies of the City Plan are implemented. Rules are normally expressed as a quantifiable standard.   There are three levels of standards in the City Plan: development standards, community standards, and critical standards.  Development proposals which do not comply with a rule(s) require a resource consent. Rules can be regarded as the “teeth” of objectives and policies.

SAM (Special Amenity Area)
A special amenity area (SAM) is a part of a Living Zone and it has some characteristics which set it apart from the surrounding residential environment (ie, attractive street trees, a river setting, architectural features or site layout of a specific period in the City's history).  Additional or slightly different rules apply in the area which recognise and protect those special characteristics.

Variation
A Variation is an amendment to a Proposed Plan. Unlike a resource consent, a Variation may change the objectives, policies or rules in the City Plan. The Council is required to publicly notify a Variation, and the public have rights of submission and ultimately appeal to the Environment Court within specified timeframes.

Plan Change
A Plan Change is an amendment to a Operative Plan. A plan change may change the objectives, policies or rules in the City Plan. The Council is required to publicly notify a Plan Change, and the public have rights of submission and ultimately appeal to the Environment Court within specified timeframes.