State of the Environment Report : Section 5 : Land - Palmerston ...

LANDThe Palmerston North City Council has aclear responsibility under the ResourceManagement Act 1991 to control the effects ofactivities on land. Effective land-use planningis essential to the creation of a sustainable citythat is enjoyable to live in.The land section includes information on land-use and subdivisionin the City, the state of terrestrial biodiversity and natural hazards ofthreat to Palmerston North.

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INTRODUCTIONPalmerston North City occupies an area of 32,594 hectares. Itsland area extends northeast to Ashhurst and the ManawatuGorge, eastward up to the ridgeline of the Tararua Ranges, andalso extends south of the City. In the Palmerston North CityDistrict Plan the land area is zoned approximately 18% urbanand 82% rural.Palmerston North City Land ResourcesThe rural land contains two clearly distinct landforms. Onthe eastern side, steep hill country extends up to theridgeline of the Tararua Ranges. The remaining landscapeis lowland plains, formed by the Manawatu River that flowssouthwestward through the City. Rural land use includesfarming, plantation forestry, and areas of native vegetation.These main features are shown in the map “Palmerston NorthCity Land Resources“ (right).Turitea map to come!Some key points evident from the map are:The City contains a substantial rural hinterland, as wellas its urban areas.Substantial areas of native vegetation (biodiversity)remain that are worthy of protection.The substantial areas of native vegetation that remainare concentrated on the hills. The remaining naturalareas on the lowland area are very few and scattered.Source: Turitea Reserve Management Plan (2004)INTRODUCTIONOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 75

INTRODUCTIONPAGE 76 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

LAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONThe FactsProgress So FarIssues to ConsiderThe total area being farmed has decreased from 26,464Council is currently preparing a Plan Change to includeThe high occupancy rates within the Inner Businessha in 1996 to 26,252 ha in 2002. The amount of landfuture urban growth paths into the District Plan. TheZone indicates the amenity and vibrancy of the Centralplanted in forestry has decreased since the 1996 high oftwo urban growth areas proposed are at Te Matai RoadBusiness District (CBD) is strong. Pending movements2070 ha to 1734 ha in 2003, indicating that harvesting/ Napier Road and Gillespies Line.and developments within the Inner Business Zonehas occurred at a rate greater than planting.The Industrial Land Use Study (2001) identified ameans there is likely to be additional sites available forIn 2004 there was 148.9 ha of vacant Industrial Zoneshortage of quality vacant industrial zoned land in thethe establishment of retailing activities in the CBD in theland, 7631m 2 of vacant space 1 in the Inner BusinessCity and recommended that the Council rezone 94.6near future.Zone and 3440m 2 of vacant space in the Outer Businesshectares of land east of the Palmerston North AirportCouncil received an influx of subdivision consents priorZone.from Rural to Industrial. The rezoning of this land wasto the adoption of the new Development ContributionsIn 2004 the City had approximately 112 hectares ofcompleted in May 2004.Policy in July 2004. The actual uptake of these lots island currently zoned residential available for greenfieldThe Council continues to process changes to the Districtexpected to be staged over the next 3-5 years.development.Plan in a proactive manner in order to pre-empt newFurther information on the age and location of all1,346 residential lots were granted subdivision consentbetween 2000 and 2004. 32% (437 lots) of theresidential lots were infill, while 68% (909 lots) weregreenfield.Average greenfield section site sizes have decreasedfrom 878m 2 in 2003 to 815m 2 in 2004. Average backsection infill site sizes have increased 459m 2 in 2003 to473m 2 in 2004.In 2004, a total of 397 new dwellings were built. Thisis the highest level of residential building activity in theCity for 14 years.A total of 228 non-residential building consents weregranted for new buildings during the period of 2000 to2004. Of these, 60 were granted in 2001, the highestnumber within the 5-year period.land-use pressures and legislative requirements, e.g.North East Industrial Zone, Urban Growth Strategy andBusiness Zone review.In July 2003 the Council adopted the Palmerston NorthRetail Study. The Retail Study provides the City withan analytical foundation to strategically plan for futureretailing needs.Plan Change 28 to the District Plan (Fringe BusinessZone) was publicly notified in July 2005 and providesadditional areas for large format retailing.forests in the City would allow Council to identify anyfuture pressures on infrastructure from harvesting.1Includes vacant land and floor space.LAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 77

Palmerston North has a total area of 32,594 hectares whichcovers a diverse range of landforms and activities, includingboth rural and urban areas. There is a significant area of ruralland within the City’s boundaries, which ranges in use from hillcountry pastoral farming and forestry to intensive horticulture.The remaining land is mainly used for urban purposes.The Palmerston North City Council has responsibility underSection 31 of the RMA 1991 to control the effects of the use,development (including subdivision) and protection of land.Soils in Palmerston NorthLand-use classification systems are used to categorise thedifferent soil classes in the City and provide a background asto why different land-uses occur in different parts of the City.There are eight Land Use Capability (LUC) soil classes, withClass I soils being the most productive and Class VIII soilsbeing the least productive.Proportion of Soil Classes found in the Rural Area ofPalmerston NorthLand Use in Palmerston NorthVIILAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSVIIVVIIIIIIIIISource: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitSoils in the lowest LUC class are located on the southern andeastern side of the City in the Tararua Ranges, while our mostproductive soils are located between Palmerston North andAshhurst. Many of Council’s policies take into account soilquality information. The District Plan identifies rural-residentialdevelopment as appropriate in areas of lower soil quality.The District Plan divides the City into zones for land-useplanning purposes which provides a general indication ofthe kinds of activities that occur in different areas of the City,and the different potential pressures on the environmentfrom these activities. Each zone has been defined to reflectthe character and amenity of different areas of the City, andthe environmental effects acceptable in each area. The table“Palmerston North City District Plan - Zone Areas” (next page)shows the area and proportion of land in each zone.PAGE 78 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

Palmerston North City District Plan - Zone AreasActivity TypeLand AreaZoning (Accurate as at January 2005) (hectares)RESIDENTIAL 2,292.096 (7.1%)Residential Zone 2,292.096BUSINESS 126.375 (0.4%)Inner Business 43.835Outer Business 59.643Local Business 22.897INDUSTRIAL 526.262 (1.6%)Industrial 431.537North East Industrial 94.725RECREATION 1,142.996 (3.5%)Recreation Zone 336.744Racecourse Zone 57.920Conservation and Amenity Zone 269.036Water Recreation Zone 464.350Showgrounds Zone 14.946RURAL 26,231.882 (81.2%)Rural Zone 15,422.258Rural-Residential Zone 10,809.624INSTITUTIONAL 202.645 (0.6%)Institutional Zone 202.645OTHER 1,806.803 (5.5%)Airport Zone 150.411Caccia Birch Zone 1.953Flood Protection Zone 1,604.228Future Development Zone 4.729Race Training Zone 45.482Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitThe most significant change to the zoning within the Cityover the last 5 years has been the addition of the North EastIndustrial Zone where 94.6 hectares of rural land was rezonedfor Industrial purposes. The change in zoning was completedin 2004. For more information on the specific location anddistribution of the zones in the City refer to the Planning Mapsof the Palmerston North District Plan.Total Land in Rural Land Useand Area FarmedRural Land Use in Palmerston NorthYear No of Average % of total Total ruralFarms farm size rural land land area(ha) in grazing, (ha)arablefodder andfallow land1995 337 79 88% 26,6231996 308 88 88% 26,4642002 420 63 85% 26,252Source: Statistics New Zealand - Agriculture Production Census 2002The total area being farmed within the City boundaries hassteadily decreased from 26,623 ha in 1995 to 26,252 ha in2002 when 85% of all rural land was used for grazing, arablefodder and follow land. The remaining 15% of rural land inthe City is in forestry, horticulture, native bush or other. Thenumber of farms within the City has increased from 337 in1995 to 420 in 2002 following a decrease between 1995 and1996. This increase is reflected in the average size of farmswithin the City dropping from 79 ha in 1995 to 63 hectaresin 2002. The likely cause of the increase in the number offarms is the rural-residential subdivision occurring within theCity. A review of the rural-residential subdivision provisionsLAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 79

LAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONScontained within the District Plan is to be undertaken priorto, or as part of, the forthcoming review of the District Plan.Further information on changes in rural land use patterns willbe captured as part of this review.Area Planted in Pinus Radiata in Palmerston North from1992-2003YearArea (ha) planted in Pinus Radiata1992 11981993 13421994 15981995 14921996 20731997 19471998 19111999 16592000 18682001 18682002 18752003 1734Source: Ministry of Agriculture and ForestryThe amount of land in the City planted in pinus radiataincreased steadily between 1992 and 1996 when it peakedat 2073 hectares. The area planted dropped to 1659 hectaresin 1999 and was measured at 1734 hectares in 2003. Thisindicates that harvesting and planting activities have occurredat a relatively steady rate since the early 1990s.Information on the age and location of forests located withinthe City is restricted to the forests owned by Council. Furtherinformation on the age and location of all forests would allowCouncil to identify any future pressures on infrastructure fromharvesting.Council is also considering applying for Forest StewardshipCouncil (FSC) certification for the Gordon Kear Forest.FSC certified forests are required to be managed in anenvironmentally, economically and socially responsible way inorder to enable entry into wider markets.Vacant LandThe amount of vacant land in the City that is not used for itsspecified purpose is a signal of land-use trends. The uptakeof vacant land can signify where potential land-use pressuresmay occur in the future. There may be a number of reasonswhy land is vacant. It may be a general reflection of thecurrent economic climate or it may be due to an owner’spersonal circumstances or more site specific limitations, suchas access. Information is available on vacant industrial andbusiness zoned land and residential greenfield landbank.PAGE 80 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

Vacant Industrial LandThe City has 526.5 hectares of Industrial zoned land. Thetotal area of land zoned Industrial changed in 2003 when theAlbert Street Industrial Zone (approximately 4 hectares in size)was rezoned to Residential and Flood Protection. In 2004,94.6 hectares was added to the total with the rezoning of theNorth East Industrial Zone. Between 2000 and 2004, the rateof uptake of greenfield industrial land has averaged 2.4432hectares per year.Vacant Industrial Land in Palmerston North 2000-20042000 2001 2002 2003 2004Rate of uptake of industrial land (ha) 2.615 2.4062 1.6101 2.7012 2.7972Vacant Industrial Land (ha) available 63.9062 61.5 59.889 57.1887 54.39 + 94.6 = 148.9 2Percentage of vacant industrial land 14.7% 14.1% 13.7% 13.2% 28.3%Average lot size (m 2 ) of vacant industrial land 6537.5 6015.5 4025.3 5402.4 9324.Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future Unit2The rezoning of the North East Industrial Zone in May 2004 added a further 94.6 hectares of land to the vacant industrial land total.LAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 81

Distribution of Vacant Industrial Zone LandIn 2000, the Council conducted a significant review of theprovision of industrial land in the Palmerston North areafollowing concerns identified about the quality of theremaining vacant industrial zoned land. The PalmerstonNorth Industrial Land Use Study (June, 2001) identified ashortage of quality vacant industrial zoned land in the City andrecommended that the Council rezone 94.6 hectares of landeast of the Palmerston North Airport from Rural and Airport toNorth East Industrial. The rezoning of this land was completedin May 2004, and this rezoning has significantly increased theamount of vacant industrial land available in the City from 54hectares to 148.92 hectares. The uptake of land within the North East Industrial Zone isoccurring at a greater than anticipated rate. Council intends toLAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSundertake a further review of Industrial land in 2005/2006 inpartnership with the Manawatu District Council to ensure thereis sufficient choice of location for industry within both districtsfor the next 20 years.PAGE 82 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

Vacant Space in the Inner andOuter Business ZonesThe Palmerston North City District Plan currently includes threedifferent Business zones:The Inner Business ZoneThe Outer Business ZoneThe Local Business ZoneInner Business ZoneThe Inner Business Zone is centred around The Square andis referred to within the District Plan as representing thecommercial heart of Palmerston North. The Inner BusinessZone extends out towards the Ring Road, which forms thegeneral boundary between the Inner and Outer BusinessZones. There is a range of activities operating within theInner Business Zone, providing many retail and entertainmentIn March 2005, there was approximately 7,631m 2 of vacantspace in the Inner Business Zone. This area is significantly lessthan the 13,385m 2 of vacant space in the Inner Business Zonerecorded for Palmerston North in 2000. Overall, the blockswith the highest occupancy levels include:Broadway Avenue, Main Street (East), The Square (East).Princess Street (South), Ferguson Street, FitzherbertAvenue.Queen Street; King Street; Rangitikei Street, Grey Street.The amount of vacant space 3 within the Inner and OuterBusiness Zones is discussed below. The Local Business Zoneis distinct from the Inner and Outer Business Zones as it isdistributed throughout the City and is intended to provide arange of convenient services to neighbouring residential areas,e.g. Hokowhitu Village.3Includes vacant land and vacant floor space.opportunities as well as services to the public.The Council recognises the importance of continuing to supportthe Inner Business Zone as it makes a significant contributionto the region’s economy and the vibrancy of the CentralBusiness District (CBD). An example of this is the upgrading ofThe Square and ring road as part of the City Heart project.Information on the amount of vacant space available in theInner Business Zone has been collected since 1991, providinginformation on the state of Palmerston North’s retail sector.The 2005 Inner Business Zone Vacant Space Survey has createda snap shot of the CBD, revealing an area with a significantlyhigher occupancy rate than previous years (refer to table below).Vacant Space in the Inner Business ZoneYear Total Vacant Space (m 2 )2000 13,3852005 7,631Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitThe high occupancy rates within the Inner Business Zoneindicates the amenity and vibrancy of the CBD is strong.Pending movements and developments within the InnerBusiness Zone means there is likely to be additional sitesavailable for the establishment of retailing activities in the CBDin the near future. Pending movements and developmentsinclude:The relocation of The Warehouse from Cuba Street toMain Street (A Private Plan Change has been madeoperative and a building constructed);The relocation Big Save Furniture from the cornerof Church and Princess Streets to Tremaine Avenue(resource consent has been granted);The expansion of the Plaza (resource consent has beengranted for an additional 11,429m 2 of floor area).LAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 83

Outer Business ZoneThe Outer Business Zone consists of a diverse range activities.The Palmerston NorthRetail StudyMany of the stores found in the Outer Business Zone arevehicular destination orientated as opposed to pedestrian. Thishas resulted in a trend for large format retail businesses withinthe Outer Business Zone. As the trend continues, it is importantto ensure that the vitality of the Inner Business Zone is notundermined and that any adverse effects on the borderingresidential areas are avoided, remedied or mitigated.In July 2003 the Council adopted the Palmerston North RetailStudy. The Retail Study provides the City with an analyticalfoundation to strategically plan for future retailing needs. TheRetail Study included a number of recommended alterations tothe Inner and Outer Business Zones of the District Plan including:Rezoning some contiguous areas outside of the OuterBusiness Zone for commercial / retail use in a way thatLAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSIn December 2003, PNCC carried out an on-foot survey ofthe Outer Business Zone 4 , which found there were 21 vacantpremises and 4 vacant undeveloped sites remaining in thiszone. Using previous surveys it was calculated that theamount of vacant undeveloped land in the Outer BusinessZone had decreased by 2499m2 over a period of four years.Vacant / Undeveloped Space in the Outer Business ZoneYear Total Vacant/Undeveloped Retail Space (m 2 )1999 59392003 3440Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future Unit4Areas west of the Inner Business Zone were not surveyed.will enable only large format retailing, not small-scalespecialist retailing (which is being implemented asStage I of the Business Zone Review)Reducing the extent of the Inner Business Zone andto give greater prominence to its importance andvulnerability (Stage II of the Business Zone Review);Extending the Outer Business Zone area into those partspreviously zoned Inner Business (as per previous bulletpoint) but placing the full onus of site self-sufficiencyin terms of parking and other matters on the activitieswithin the Outer Business Zone (Stage II of the BusinessZone Review).Plan Change 28 to the District Plan proposes to include afourth Business Zone into the District Plan, the Fringe BusinessZone. Plan Change 28 was publicly notified under the RMA1991 in July 2005. The addition of the Fringe BusinessZone, to provide additional areas for large format retailing,represents the first stage of the implementation of therecommendations of the Retail Study.PAGE 84 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

Residential GreenfieldLandbankThe City has an existing landbank of residential zoned land inwhich greenfield building development occurs. This landbankis monitored and updated regularly to help plan for futureresidential development in the City.Existing Landbank SituationIn 2004 the City had approximately 112 hectares ofresidentially zoned land available for Greenfield development.This is assumed to be able to accommodate approximately1,400 new residential lots and could cater for a population of3,640 5 . These figures do not include proposed subdivisions 6 ,which will provide up to 740 lots and could provide for apopulation of 1900 persons.Landbank Availability 2003 - 2004Council approved a private plan change in December 2003 torezone and extend Pacific Drive in the Summerhill / Aokauterearea to Residential. This development is estimated to provide390 lots and provide for a population of 1014 persons. Thisarea of land was added to the greenfield landbank in 2004.5Assumptions are used as a baseline methodology for these figures and thisinformation is available upon request.6Proposed subdivisions are subdivisions that have been lodged but have yet tobe approved.Total Greenfield Landbank Total Proposed Subdivisions Total2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004Lots 1,539 1,400 387 740 1,926 2,140Hectares 167 112 40 100 207 212Population 4,001 3,640 1,006 1,900 5,007 5,540Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitLAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 85

Subdivision Growth - Impactof New DevelopmentContributionsFuture Landbank Provision -Urban Growth StrategyTo ensure an adequate greenfield landbank going into theResidential Lots Granted from2000 to 2004A total of 1,346 residential lots were granted subdivisionCouncil has experienced high numbers of residential greenfieldsubdivisions to December 2004. One of the key influences ofthis was the introduction of new Development Contributions inJuly 2004 to fund infrastructure required for growth.future, Council is currently preparing to include future urbangrowth paths into the District Plan. The two urban growthareas are proposed at Te Matai Road / Napier Road (easterngrowth front) and the Gillespies Line area (western growthfront).consent for the period of 2000 to 2004 (refer to table below).Residential subdivision can be either infill 7 or greenfield 8 .During this period, 32% (437 lots) of the residential lotsgranted were infill, while 68% (909 lots) were greenfield. Thecontinued increase in the number of residential lots createdLAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSCouncil received an influx of subdivisions immediately priorto the new system being introduced. Twelve proposedgreenfield subdivisions accounted for an excess of 600 newlots being created. This has resulted, especially in KelvinGrove, in a large amount of greenfield land being subdividedand available in single titled lots. However, the actual uptakeof these lots available (i.e. having households built on them)is expected to be staged over the next 3-5 years.A draft plan change was made available for public commentin July 2005, and it is expected the Gillespies Line area will berezoned to Residential for greenfield growth by early 2006,pending a successful boundary adjustment for the area withthe Manawatu District Council.reflects a positive change in economic climate in the Cityand is also consistent with the increase in residential buildingconsents.Residential Lots Granted Subdivision Consent 2000 to 2004Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitPAGE 86 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

7Infill includes Back Section Infill and Vacant Land Infill. Back Section Infill isKelvin Grove, Aokautere and Milson are key greenfield growthHokowhitu, Papaioea, Roslyn and West End have had thewhere subdivision provides for a new residential dwelling to be built on a recentlyareas and account for over 89% of all new subdivisions inlargest proportion of infill subdivision accounting for 47.6% ofsubdivided lot i.e. one lot into two. Vacant Land Infill includes vacant parcelsgreenfield areas for the last 5 years. Of the total greenfieldall infill development.of land within established City areas which have been recently subdivided intoactivity, Kelvin Grove, Aokautere and Milson accounted forindividual lots.58.5%, 17% and 14% respectively, leaving Ashhurst, Highbury8Greenfield areas are defined as those areas are on the outskirts of the cityand Awapuni taking up 10.5% of the remaining total. Thewhere land is zoned residential, undeveloped and has capacity to provide foractual number of new greenfield lots created in Aokautere,future residential development.Ashhurst, Kelvin Grove and Milson is shown in the graphbelow “Greenfield Activity Areas 2000 - 2004”. In 2004,From 2000 to 2004, there has been an increasing trend in theKelvin Grove had the most significant growth with 330 newnumber of residential lots granted, peaking in 2004, where 139lots granted subdivision consent compared to a total of 202and 484 lots were granted in infill and greenfield respectively.lots granted in the period of 2000 to 2003. Aokautere had 64The graph below shows that greenfield development has beennew lots granted during 2004, representing over 33% of totala preferred development choice since 2001.granted lots in this area for the past 5 years.Residential Lots Granted Subdivision Consent 2000 - 2004 Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitGreenfield Activity Areas 2000 - 2004 Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitInfill Activity Areas 2000 - 2004Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitLAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 87

Lots Created from 2000 to 2004Over the last 5 years a total of 471 lots were actually createdin the City, peaking in 2002, when 155 new lots werecreated. The number of residential lots actually created isbased on the lots that have moved through the RMA 1991section 224 certificate stage and received separate title(e.g. not all subdivision consents are carried through toissuing of titles). The number of new lots created increaseddramatically between 2001 and 2002.Number of New Lots in Separate Title in Palmerston North2000 - 2004New ResidentialBuilding ConsentsThe number of residential building consents issued in theCity can lead to increased pressure on infrastructure and, ifnot managed correctly, the environment. In 2004, a totalof 397 new dwellings were built. This is the highest levelof residential building activity in the City for 14 years. Thisgrowth level indicates the City is experiencing medium tohigh growth based upon Statistics New Zealand projectedhouseholds for Palmerston North City 9 . As the graph belowrepresents, the City has increased its growth rate in householdnumbers steadily since 2001.Number of Residential Building Consents for NewDwellings Granted in Palmerston North 1990 - 2004 Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitLAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONS Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitThe City has continued to expand in the residential buildingsector. This is supported by sub national population estimatesby Census NZ, which in June 2004, estimated the PalmerstonNorth City population at 78,100, an increase of 1.2% on theprevious year.The statistics below are collected as part of an annualmonitoring process and are produced yearly in a report titled“Urban and Citywide Residential Dwelling Growth MonitoringReport”, prepared by the city Future Unit. This informationis used to help Council plan and provide for future urbangrowth. The graph (right) represents the number of newdwellings built for residential use regardless of the zone.9Statistics New Zealand 2001 Base Household Projections for 2001-2006 project320 for medium growth to 440 for high growth households.PAGE 88 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

Residential Dwelling Grantedin 2004 by TypeThe type of residential development that is occurring withinPalmerston North City, being either, “greenfield”, “infill” or“rural development” can result in different pressures on theenvironment. The graph below illustrates the uptake acrossthe three main types of residential development for 2004.Greenfield activity accounted for 61% of all growth, Infillaccounted for 27% and Rural/Rural Residential accounted for12% of all growth.The graph below illustrates the relative preference types forresidential development over the last five years. This graphshows that greenfield development has been the preferreddevelopment choice in recent years increasing to 61% oftotal new dwellings in 2004. Infill development preferencehas dropped slightly on previous years but still capturesa significant proportion at 27%. Rural / rural residentialdevelopment has also dropped slightly on previous yearsrepresenting 12% of total consents granted for 2004.Residential Dwelling Growth Comparison by Type2000 - 2004Residential Dwelling Growth Comparison by Type 2004Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future Unit Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitLAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 89

Distribution of ResidentialDevelopmentHousehold Growth in Palmerston NorthHigh growth areas in the City are where building developmentis high. These areas may be subject to increased LAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSenvironmental pressure. Kelvin Grove and Aokautere werethe main areas of new household growth during the periodof 2000 to 2004. Areas of low household growth includeAwapuni North and South, Linton, Cloverlea, Takaro, Highbury,Massey University and Palmerston North Hospital. PAGE 90 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

Residential Site SizesAverage residential site size acts as a potential pressureon the environment as it affects the density of residentialdevelopment. Generally it can be assumed that the smallerthe section size the more dense development will be.In 2002 the way Council monitored infill development wasreassessed. There are two types of infill that need to bedifferentiated and monitored to more accurately reflect theimpact infill is having on the City in terms of people’s sitesize preferences. The two types of infill development are backsection infill and vacant land infill.Back Section Infill and Vacant Land Infill Site Sizes 2002 - 2004Back Section Infill Site Size (m 2 ) Vacant Land Infill Site Size (m 2 )2002 2003 2004 2002 2003 2004Average 484 459 473 707 860 967Median 470 454 464 604 760 861Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitThe table below shows that average greenfield section site sizes have decreased from 878m2 in 2003 to 815m 2 in 2004. KelvinGrove and Milson site sizes have influenced the reduction in section size for 2004.The average section size for Kelvin Grove was 697m 2The average section size for Aokautere was 984m 2The average section size for Milson was 766m 2Back Section Infill includes a new residential dwelling beingbuilt on a recently subdivided lot i.e. one lot being subdividedinto two. Vacant Land Infill includes parcels of land in the Citythat are within established City areas but which have beenrecently subdivided into individual lots, which in many caseshave the potential for future back section infill. There aremany examples of vacant land infill development in the lastfew years; this includes Pastoral Lane, Balmoral Place, RosePlace, Celtic Court and the Brookside Close development.The table (right) shows that the average site size for backsection infill for 2004 was 473m 2 , slightly up on 2003. Theaverage site for vacant land infill during 2004 was 967m 2 ,significantly larger than the average site size in 2003, whichwas 860m 2 .Greenfield Site Sizes 2001-2004Period Comparison 2001 Site Size (m 2 ) 2002 Site Size (m 2 ) 2003 Site Size (m 2 ) 2004 Site Size (m 2 )Average 774 929 878 815Median 688 720 716 711Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitLAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 91

Non-Residential BuildingDevelopment 2000 - 2004Non-ResidentialDevelopment by ZonePercentage of Non-Residential Building Consents Grantedby Zone 2000 - 2004Zone 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004A total of 228 non-residential building consents weregranted 10 for new buildings during the period of 2000 to 2004.In 2001, there were 60 non-residential building consentsgranted, the highest number within the 5 year period. Thiswas caused by the dramatic increase in Industrial activity, asdiscussed at right (Non-Residential Development by Zone).Number of Non-Residential Building Consents Granted2000 - 2004Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004The majority of non-residential building consentsgranted (refer to table at right) were in the Industrial,Residential and Rural Zones between 2000 and 2004.Between 2000 and 2002, there was a steady increase inthe number of non-residential building consents grantedin the Industrial Zone, peaking in 2002, contributingtoward 37% of total non-residential building consentsduring that year.The number non-residential building consents grantedin the Institutional Zone have dramatically increasedbetween 2002 and 2004, reflecting a significantAirport 0% 0% 4% 2% 0%Industrial 36% 30% 37% 36% 21%Inner Business 8% 15% 4% 2% 6%Institutional 4% 3% 0% 2% 15%Local Business 4% 0% 0% 0% 0%Outer Business 6% 11% 11% 7% 11%Recreation 4% 5% 4% 0% 11%Residential 15% 10% 15% 31% 13%Rural 23% 24% 22% 14% 21%Showground 0% 2% 0% 0% 0%Other 0% 0% 3% 6% 2%LAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSNumber 52 60 27 42 47Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future Unit10This number excludes minor alterations and additions.increase of educational facilities and accommodationrequired to cater for the increased number of students.In 2003, non-residential building consents granted inthe Residential Zone accounted for 31% of the total.The trend of granted consents in the Outer BusinessZone was steady for the 5-year period.Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future UnitPAGE 92 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

Location and Type ofNon-Residential DevelopmentThere has been a dramatic increase in non-residentialdevelopments in the Massey University unit area in2004. One of the main reasons for this increase isdue to the higher number of students studying atMassey University. Thus, developments such as hostelaccommodation, offices and other buildings have beenrequired to accommodate future growth.The key unit areas for non-residential developmentsfrom 2000 to 2004 were Palmerston North CentralThe number of storage activities in the Industrial Zoneincreased from 33% to 44% during 2002 to 2004,reflecting a strong demand of storage facilities requiredby industrial activities.Percentage of Non-residential Activities in PalmerstonNorth from 2000 to 2004 by Building Consents GrantedDevelopment “over the fence”Subdivision activity in the Manawatu District, just beyond theCity’s boundary, can place pressures on Palmerston North’surban environment and the services and facilities it provides.The monitoring area for subdivision activity in the ManawatuDistrict is bounded by Longburn-Rongotea Road, AranuiRoad/Newbury Line and Waughs/Stoney Creek Road and thePalmerston North City boundary.Subdivision Activity in Manawatu District Near Peripheryof Palmerston Northand Roslyn. Non-residential activities includeaccommodation, offices, warehouses, restaurants, retailshops, car parks and other commercial activities.The graph (right) shows that storage facilities andoffice development represents 25% and 13%,respectively, of all non-residential activities grantedin the period of 2000 to 2004. Accommodation,education and warehouse developments picked up7% each, leaving workshops at 6% and other nonresidentialactivities 11 at 35%.Almost one-quarter of office activities were locatedin the Palmerston North Central unit area, reflectingdevelopment locating in appropriate zones. Theremaining office development consents were distributedin area units including Massey University, Kelvin Grove,Roslyn and Papaioea.Source: Palmerston North City Council - City Future Unit11Other non-residential activities include animal facilities, army operations,bulk retail, car parks, churches, community facilities, farming services, funeralservices, infrastructure development, recreation, restaurant/hospitality,factory, manufacturing, medical centres, retail, service stations, showroom andtransportation development.Year No. of No. of Average sizesubdivisions lots created of lots2000 3 7 11.0ha2001 5 8 16.4ha2002 3 7 12.2ha2003 6 22 7.8ha2004 8 32 3.1haSource: Manawatu District CouncilThe average lot size in 2004 was the lowest in five years, withan average of 3.1ha. This is due to a large number of newlots created during the year, compared with previous years,highlighting a period of intensive subdivision. In comparison,the average number of lots created for the Manawatu Districtmonitoring area was 7 during the period from 2000 to 2002.Although the total number of lots created from 2000-2002LAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 93

was lower, bigger lots were subdivided; skewing the averagelot size to 13.35 hectares during that period. Ongoingmonitoring of subdivision pressure at the common boundaryof the City and the Manawatu District is useful as it assists toidentify potential future servicing and growth issues.What is the Council Doing?The District Plan has objectives and policies, whichrelate to managing the effects of land-use activities in aresponsible manner. The Council also undertakes urbangrowth studies on a quarterly basis which identify significantgrowth pressures and growth paths in the City. Otherrelevant documents which effect land-use management inPalmerston North include the Environmental Policy and theLong Term Council Community Plan.LAND USE AND SUBDIVISIONSThe Council continues to process changes to the District Planin a proactive manner in order to react to and pre-empt newland-use pressures and legislative requirements. Recentchanges to the District Plan, and changes currently beingprogressed, include:New Fringe Business ZoneUrban Growth Strategy and new Urban Growth ZonesServices ReviewNorth East Industrial Zone (already operative)PAGE 94 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

BIODIVERSITYThe FactsProgress So Farindustrial and residential land use planning initiatives forthe City.The City contains approximately 4,500 hectares ofrecognised “ecological areas 1 ”, or between 12-15% ofthe City area. 88% of the ecological areas is in publictenure; the remainder comprises many small sites inprivate ownership.An Interim Greening Strategy (2005) has beenendorsed by the Council, which has been developed inpartnership with the Council and Environment NetworkManawatu Inc.An ecological assessment has been undertaken by theThree ecological areas are protected through QEIITrust covenants in the City. This has increased fromtwo in Our City’s Environment 2000, and there are anadditional three ecological areas that are in the processof being registered.The Turitea Reserve of 3,564 hectares and otherCouncil to provide more information about ecologicalreserves and private land in the northern TararuaRanges dominate the ecological resource base. Withoutthem, the 300 hectare total of other ecological areasprocesses in Palmerston North.The Council has engaged Environment NetworkManawatu Inc. to prepare an Urban Planting Guide withIssues to Considerwould be less than 1% of the City’s area.269 hectares of land in the City are zoned “Conservationand Amenity” through the District Plan.Aquatic biodiversity in urban streams is substantiallyimpacted by human activities. The Kahuterawa andTuritea Streams have high quality riparian habitat andmoderately healthy invertebrate communities, but lesshealthy than expected. The Kahuterawa has a diverseand healthy population of fish.The District Plan identifies 15 areas of significantindigenous vegetation. There have been no resourceconsent applications for the removal or destruction ofthese areas.the purpose of enhancing biodiversity in private gardensthroughout Palmerston North.Under the 2004 Turitea Reserve Management Plan,3,564 hectares of Reserve are classified in ways thatseek to protect the indigenous biodiversity.A pest control programme (principally for opossums)has been conducted in 2004 over 3,564 hectares of theTuritea Reserve. Subsequent maintenance operationswill also protect and enhance the quality of theReserve’s flora and fauna.35,500 native plants have been planted since 2001 aspart of the Turitea Stream Green Corridors project withanother 8500 plants to be planted in 2005.Aquatic biodiversity in the Kahuterawa and TuriteaStreams is now a regular part of the Council’smonitoring programme.Biodiversity considerations have been incorporated intoAreas of native vegetation on the Manawatu Plainsare few and small. To be sustainable ecologically, theyneed both physical protection and also bush corridorslinking them to the large biodiversity reservoir in thehills, to allow native birds to reach them.Much of the plains was originally wetland and very littleof this vegetation survives. To preserve even a smallarea of remnants in a healthy state will require specificactions targeted to this objective.The Ecological Processes Report has identified a needfor further monitoring and research to provide moredetailed information on the ecological areas andprocesses in the City.1“Ecological Processes in Palmerston North City”, Boffa Miskell, May 2002.BIODIVERSITYOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 95

Ecological Processes inPalmerston North44% of ecological areas have a forest cover, but alsoa large number of treeland, scrub and shrublandecological areas, reflecting widespread regeneration inthe hill country and parts of the terrace land of the City.Ecological Processes Report (particularly a review of pest andweed management / monitoring programme development).Other recommendations of the Ecological Processes Report,e.g. in relation to landscape issues, will be undertaken as partAn issue identified in the Biodiversity Section of Our City’sof the Council’s resource management functions.Environment 2000 stated that the Council had limitedThe Ecological Processes report also made a number ofinformation to provide an overall picture of ecosystem healthobservations in relation to threats to the ecological areas inin the City. In 2002, in response to this issue, and as part ofPalmerston North. Briefly, these include:developing the Interim Greening Strategy, the Council engagedOpossums are present in almost all ecological areasBoffa Miskell to undertake an assessment of the ecological(this is further discussed under Pest Management laterprocesses in Palmerston North. The “Ecological Processes inin this Section).Palmerston North City” report identified the following factsLess than 20% of the City’s ecological areas are likely toabout ecological processes in Palmerston North:be substantially protected from grazing by fences.There are a total of 80 ecological areas, which coverA wide variety of plant pest species were observed.approximately 4,500 hectares, or somewhere betweenSeveral sites have significant direct human pressure12-15% of the total area of the City. These ecologicalfrom human visitors (e.g. tramping).areas are identified on the Palmerston North City LandOther threats to the ecological areas include:Resources Map located at the beginning of the “Land”fragmentation from subdivision, flooding, windsection.exposure, erosion and sedimentation.The total area is heavily dominated by large ecologicalareas in the northern Tararua Range, such as theThe Ecological Processes Report recommended specificheadwaters of the Kahuterawa and Turitea catchments.restoration strategies and identified landscape issues forWithout these areas the total area of ecological areasthe City. A need for further monitoring was also identifiedBIODIVERSITYwould be about 300 hectares, less than 1% of theCity’s area.There are considerably more ecological areas underprivate than public ownership, but most of the largestecological areas (approximately 88% of the total area ofecological areas) are in public ownership, i.e. the Council.to provide more information on the ecological areas andprocesses in the City to provide an accurate database forfurther action.The Interim Greening Strategy includes a recommendation forthe Council to enter into discussions with key parties regardingopportunities to progress recommendations under theNative Bush in Bledisloe ParkPAGE 96 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

Aquatic BiodiversityThis is the first time that aquatic biodiversity has been includedas a subject in the State of Environment Report. Includingaquatic biodiversity in the report reflects a long-standing lackof knowledge and information available about this issue.water quality did not appear as good as the habitatswould suggest. There was no obvious reason suggestedfor this discrepancy.There was no significant difference between theMangaone above the urban area or within the City.Fish communities in the Kahuterawa were diverse andhealthy. The previously recorded short-jaw Kokopu wasHow Does the District PlanContribute to Biodiversity inthe City?Conservation and Amenity ZoneThe new information available relating to aquatic biodiversityin Palmerston North City is based on a 2004 report “StreamBiodiversity and Water Quality of Palmerston North City”by the Institute of Natural Resources - Ecology at MasseyUniversity. Three streams, the Kahuterawa, Turitea andMangaone, were monitored as part of this study. Thesestreams are all medium size tributaries of the ManawatuRiver with riparian vegetation that ranges from native forest,through agricultural to urban.not collected, although this is not surprising as thesefish are very difficult to sample.There are limits to the conclusions that can be drawn from asingle report, however it serves as a baseline that will enablefuture trends to be identified. See the Water Quality sectionof this report for more details.The Conservation and Amenity Zone in the District Plan isused to protect areas that have been identified as having highenvironmental or amenity values, and which are generallyin Council ownership. This zone also includes the City’sWalkways system.As at 2005, the City has 277.33 hectares of land zoned asConservation and Amenity under the District Plan. This landarea constitutes 61 reserves, including walkway linkages, andThe Kahuterawa and Turitea Streams are classified Class FWater (being water for fishery purposes) in the Manawatumakes up 0.85% of the total land area (32,594 hectares) ofPalmerston North City.Catchment Water Quality Plan. These streams are classifiedbecause of their importance as brown trout spawning andrearing streams.The Massey study findings were that:The Kahuterawa and Turitea Streams have habitatcharacteristics that should support healthy biologicalcommunities.The invertebrate communities were indicative of betterwater quality than the Mangaone, (which is an urbanstream with little riparian forest habitat). However,Turitea Stream running through Bledisloe ParkNote that there are some reserves in the City containingnative bush areas that are zoned as Conservation and Amenityin some parts of the reserve but Recreation in other areasof the reserve. Examples of such reserves are the AshhurstDomain and Victoria Esplanade where large components ofthe bush areas in these reserves are zoned as Recreation.Therefore, while the focus of the Recreation Zone is to providefor active sport and recreation and community activities,the Recreation Zone also protects open spaces that displayimportant conservation values.BIODIVERSITYOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 97

Protected Indigenous Bush RemnantsNorth East Industrial ZoneBIODIVERSITYSection 17 of the District Plan identifies 15 areas of significantindigenous vegetation in Palmerston North City. These areasare listed in the below table. Any destruction or removalof these bush remnants requires a resource consent as aDiscretionary Activity (Unrestricted). No resource consentshave been granted for work in these indigenous bush areas.Areas of Significant Indigenous Vegetation Included in the District PlanDescriptionLocation, Legal DescriptionAkers Road Bush Lot 7 DP 77400Kahuterawa Stream BushKahuterawa Bridge/SH 57- Pt Sec 172 Town of FitzherbertTe Puna Road Bush Lot 1, DP 61430Bells Road BushBells Road, Part Lot C, D and E, Linton Camp SettlementMillricks Line BushSec 463, Town of FitzherbertThe Victoria Esplanade, Fitzherbert Avenue Lot 2 DP 77988Hokowhitu Domain, Albert Street Bush remnant, Lot 215 and 216 DP 791MacCrae’s Bush, Ashhurst Lot 7, DP 183Bledisloe Park, Tennent Drive Blanket cover, Part lot 1 DP 8981Kahuterawa Park, Kahuterawa Road Bush remnant, Lot 1 DP 30200Ashhurst Domain, Napier RoadBush remnant, Sec 1686, Town of Palmerston NorthAnzac Park, Cliff RoadBush remnant, SO 25638, Pt of Pt 206 Town of FitzherbertBuick Park, Buick Crescent Lot 34 DP 27175, Lot 2 DP 31523, Lot 28 DP 31520, Lot 25 DP 32556‘Mangaotane Stream’ Wetlands, Moonshine Valley Rd Lots 3, 4 and 5 DP 78145‘Keebles Bush’, Tennant Drive Lot 1 DP 48786 Blk XV Kairanga SD — protected private land Gaz 94-2167The Council has incorporated biodiversity considerations in itsplanning for industrial land in the City. In 2004, the Councilincluded a new industrial zone in the District Plan: the NorthEast Industrial Zone. This zone covers 95 hectares of land bythe Palmerston North Airport. The North East Industrial Zoneprovisions require industrial developments in this zone toprovide extensive buffer setback areas around the perimeterof the zone as well as where industrial activities adjoinexisting residential dwellings within the zone.The North East Industrial Design Guide was developed toguide the Council and developers in achieving a high qualityindustrial park that incorporates biodiversity considerationsas part of its design. The Design Guide suggests the use oflocally native species to add natural character and encouragelocal biodiversity. A Planting Species List is also availableas part of the Design Guide which outlines a list of suitablespecies for the North East Industrial Zone buffer areas andgeneral planting throughout the zone. The Planting SpeciesList includes a wide range of species that will contribute toenhancing local biodiversity values in the area.PAGE 98 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

Urban Growth Path for Cloverlea:Kahikitea Bush RemnantBiodiversity values are also an important consideration for theCouncil in the planning of urban growth areas in the City. Aspart of the Council’s Urban Growth Strategy, the City FutureUnit has prepared a Draft Urban Growth Plan Change to rezonetwo future urban growth areas in Palmerston North: GillespiesLine/Cloverlea Road and Te Matai Road/Napier Road. TheGillespies Line/Cloverlea Road growth path (which is currentlysubject to a Boundary Adjustment process to bring the landarea from Manawatu District into Palmerston North Cityjurisdiction) includes an important Kahikitea bush remnant of9 hectares in size. The Draft Plan Change proposes to rezonethe bush remnant to Conservation and Amenity Zone andit is likely that once the Plan Change process is completed,this remnant will be included in the Schedule of IndigenousVegetation in section 17 of the District Plan.QEII Trust CovenantsThe Queen Elizabeth II National Trust, which was establishedby an Act of Parliament in 1977, protects privately owned landwithout affecting ownership rights. There are three QueenElizabeth II (QEII) covenanted sites in the Palmerston Northarea covering a total area of 28.3 hectares (Greens RoadBush - 5ha, Larsen’s Bush - 4ha and North Range Road Bush -19.3ha). This number has increased from the two covenantedsites covering nine hectares, as recorded in the 2000 State ofEnvironment Report. A further three ecological areas in theCity are in the process of being registered as QEII covenantswithin the next year, which reflects the proactive approachthat the QEII Trust is taking with protecting ecological areas inthe City.North Range Road BushTuritea ReserveManagement PlanThe Turitea Reserve makes a significant contribution tobiodiversity in Palmerston North City. At 3,564 hectares insize, it is the largest reserve administered by the Council. TheReserve is also a strategic asset for the City as it suppliesaround 60% of the City’s water. It also provides recreationalopportunities, including tramping in Hardings Park and huntingin the Turitea catchment under a permit system, landscapeand amenity values, energy through a small hydro-powerplant associated with the water supply structures, and culturaland historical resources including experimental platinummines in Hardings Park and historic water supply structures.The Reserve also contains approximately 130 hectares ofradiata pine plantation forests, where harvesting may begin insome areas within the next four years.In terms of biodiversity, it contains the largest area ofnative vegetation locally and is indispensable to preservingecologically sustainable populations of native birds. TheReserve acts as the reservoir and safe refuge from which birdscan migrate, providing that suitable corridors exist for them.To recognise the importance that the Turitea Reserve providesto the City, in 2001, the Council undertook a public consultationprocess to classify the Reserve under the Reserves Act 1977 andthen developed a Management Plan to define how the Reservewill be managed. To reflect the different purposes of managementwithin the Turitea Reserve, the Turitea Reserve Management PlanBIODIVERSITYOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 99

has divided the Reserve into three management areas which havediffering objectives and policies: Water Supply Catchment, WaterStructures Area, and Hardings Park.Turitea Reserve Management AreasThe following land areas are classified for the followingpurposes:2600 hectares in the Turitea Reserve are classifiedjointly for “Water Supply” and “Protection of IndigenousFlora and Fauna”105 hectares that are classified for “Water Supply”;where a secondary objective is to “maintain value as asoil, water and forest conservation area”869 hectares is classified “Scenic Reserve”; whichincludes objectives to “manage for intrinsic worth andfor the benefit, enjoyment and use of the public”,to “preserve indigenous flora and fauna, biologicalassociations and the natural environment as far aspossible” and to “exterminate exotic flora and fauna asfar as possible”.What is the Council Doing?Green CorridorsThe Turitea Stream Green Corridor is the first project in theCity for the Green Corridors Group, which was started in2001. This project involves the establishment of a GreenCorridor to link the Tararua Ranges with the Manawatu River.Eco-sourced native plants have been planted along Councilownedesplanade reserves, which follow the Turitea Stream.Further Green Corridor planting has been undertaken onreserves outside of the Turitea Valley, including Mangaotane,Adderstone and Pari Reserves. 35,500 native plants have beenplanted since 2001 as part of the Green Corridors project withanother 8500 plants to be planted in 2005.The benefits of such a reservoir of biodiversity are increasedby building links to other green areas in the City, which areprincipally other City reserves. The largest such reserves arethe Victoria Esplanade and the Ashhurst Domain, which bothcontain sizeable remnants of native forest. Good examples ofhow linkages can be created are the planting work that hasbeen done on drainage reserves, and the work of the GreenAs well as organising the planting and undertakingmaintenance of the Green Corridor areas, the Green CorridorsGroup works with landowners to encourage further GreenCorridor planting, including running educational workshopson issues such as how to eco-source seedlings and propagateplants.BIODIVERSITYTuriteaReserveSource: Turitea Reserve Management Plan (2004)Corridors group towards enhancing the riparian vegetation ofthe Turitea Stream.The community based group was set up by the PalmerstonNorth City Council in 1999 in response to the Council’sEnvironmental Policy (1998) and comprises community andRegional and City Council representatives.PAGE 100 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

The Green Corridors Group is also a member of EnvironmentNetwork Manawatu Inc. which is an umbrella group forInterim Greening Strategy (2005)Council to enter into discussions with key partiesregarding opportunities to progress recommendationsenvironmental groups in the Manawatu Area.Urban Planting GuideAs part of its environmental education role, the Council hasengaged Environment Network Manawatu Inc. to preparean Urban Planting Guide for Palmerston North. The UrbanPlanting Guide, which is due to be published at the time ofwriting this report, will provide guidance to the public on thetypes of plants that can be used to attract wildlife to theirgardens. The Guide categorises the City into a number ofzones based on soil type and characteristics, and a list of theplants suitable for each soil zone is listed against their featuresand the type of wildlife they attract.The Guide suggests the use of eco-sourced plants, which isthe practice of growing only those seeds that have come fromnative plants growing naturally in a region. These plants haveadapted to the climate and geography over a very long timeand are regionally different to same species-name plants fromother regions of New Zealand. The Urban Planting Guide willbe a useful reference for the general public of PalmerstonNorth to find out more about how they can contribute toenhancing the City’s biodiversity.The Palmerston North City Council has prepared a GreeningStrategy, in partnership with Environment Network ManawatuInc., which seeks to provide direction, co-ordination andsupport for the wide range of current activities that contributeto the greening of the City. The Strategy was developed overapproximately two years and involved the completion ofan ecological assessment (refer to section on the EcologicalProcesses Report), open days and workshops with privatelandowners of ecological areas, community groups andindividuals interested in “greening” the City.The Strategy identifies a 20-year vision for the City and seeksto achieve the following four goals:Restoration and EnhancementCorridor DevelopmentExperiencing the Natural EnvironmentAmenity and BeautificationEach goal has a number of objectives and a wide range ofactions are identified to achieve each goal. The agency that isresponsible for implementation of the actions, i.e. the Counciland/or Environment Network Manawatu Inc., is identifiednext to each action. Examples of the actions which theCouncil is responsible for include:Completion of the Turitea Stream Green CorridorInvestigation of the establishment of an incentivesstrategy for owners of ecological areasunder the Ecological Processes Report, andImplementation of the Turitea Reserve Management Plan.The Interim Greening Strategy is a non-regulatory partnershipapproach to addressing biodiversity issues in the City.Pest managementHistorically the greatest threats to biodiversity have beenthe activities of people, such as clearing native habitat anddraining wetlands. However, such activities are no longerwidespread and are now subject to various controls. Themajor threat to biodiversity in the future is likely to be thechanges resulting from introduced pests. For example, inthe Ruahine Range browsing animals such as deer andopossums have caused canopy collapse and a major changein the species composition of the forest, and threatened localextinction of species such as rata.Regional councils have specific responsibilities for regionalpest management under the Biosecurity Act 1993. In thisregion, Horizons Regional Council has produced the RegionalPlant Pest Management Strategy and the Regional AnimalPest Management Strategy respectively. Both strategies arerelevant to preserving biodiversity values.Both regional councils and local authorities also havebiodiversity responsibilities under the RMA 1991.BIODIVERSITYOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 101

In particular, the City Council is responsible for themanagement of natural and physical resources in the City,and is the owner of significant public reserves. Therefore,there is strong mutual interest in effective pest control.Reflecting this, the City Council and Horizons Regional Councilare together undertaking a major initiative of pest control inthe Turitea Reserve.In the Turitea Reserve, deer are present and recreationalhunters control their numbers to some extent. There arealso a few pigs and goats in this reserve. However theprincipal animal pest in the Turitea Reserve at present is theopossum. In 2004-05 opossums in the entire 3,564 hectaresof the Turitea Reserve were controlled by the City Counciland Regional Council initiative. Pre-monitoring of opossumnumbers showed high levels of the pest - an average of 17%Residual Trap Catch 2 in the Turitea Reserve.Monitoring by the City Enterprises Unit of the Councilis currently being undertaken to measure the effect oflower opossum numbers on the health of the forest. Thismonitoring consists of a network of monitoring plots wherefoliage browsing and damage will be assessed, and nativebird count lines where regular sampling will establish a trendin their numbers. Reports on these indicators, if available, willbe presented in the next State of Environment Report by theCouncil.Plant pest control in the City is also being addressed. HorizonsRegional Council control Old Man’s Beard under the RegionalPlant Pest Management Strategy, and other plant pests in theReserve are regularly monitored and controlled as required.Regional levelNational levelThe issue of biodiversity has recently been prominent at bothnational and international levels. New Zealand was one ofthe first 30 countries to ratify the Convention on BiologicalDiversity that originated at the 1992 “Earth Summit” in Rio.Subsequently the government has reviewed legislation as partof its commitments under the Convention and has producedthe New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy. In particular, the RMA1991 has been amended to specifically include biodiversityas a function of district and regional councils. This changesets the scene for regional and local councils to undertakeappropriate actions to preserve biodiversity.BIODIVERSITYAt levels over 5% Residual Trap Catch opossums threatenthe sustainability of the forest through foliage damageand impact the breeding success of native birds. The mainReserve area has had a knockdown to 5% Residual TrapCatch, with a maximum of 6-7% in some parts of HardingsPark. Maintenance operations with bait stations will keepconcentrations down to about this level.2“Residual Trap Catch” is a repeatable scientific way of measuring opossumdensity. Residual Trap Catch is expressed as a percentage of the number of trapsthat catch an animal.Horizons Regional Council has various programmes thatsupport biodiversity objectives and has commenced butnot completed an overall biodiversity policy. Ecobase is anextensive ecological database that incorporates informationfrom a wide range of sources, and makes it accessible in away not previously possible.Horizons have also produced pest management strategiesfor plants and animals respectively, that specifically addressthreats to biodiversity. The co-operative approach to pestcontrol in the Turitea Reserve is a fine example of effectiveimplementation of the pest strategies.PAGE 102 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

NATURAL HAZARDSThe FactsProgress So FarIssues to ConsiderPalmerston North is susceptible to a number of naturalhazards, the main ones being flooding, earthquakes andland instability.The upgraded Lower Manawatu River Control Schemeeffectively protected the City from a 50+ year flood in2004.The Council is an active member, along with HorizonsRegional Council and other local authorities andemergency services, of the Civil Defence & EmergencyManagement Group for the Manawatu-WanganuiRegion. The Group plans and manages the response toCivil Defence emergencies.The District Plan controls land-use and subdivisionactivities in floodable areas and potentially unstableareas to reduce potential risk.The District Plan contains maps showing the extent ofthe groundshaking and liquefaction risks for plan-userinformation.The impact of emergencies such as the 2004 flood onvital regional lifelines.The Resource Management (Energy and Climate)Amendment Act 2004 requires Council to considerthe effects of climate change and possible regulatorymechanisms as part of future Plan Changes to theDistrict Plan and the pending District Plan Review.Horizons Regional Council intends to undertakeextensive work to further identify flood levels to helplandowners determine risks to their properties. Theresults of this work will need to be closely monitoredand may have implications for Council.NATURAL HAZARDSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 103

A natural hazard is defined in the RMA 1991 as “anyatmospheric or earth or water related occurrence (includingearthquake, tsunami, erosion, volcanic and geothermalactivity, landslip, subsidence, sedimentation, wind, drought,fire or flooding) the action of which adversely affects or mayadversely affect human life, property, or other aspects of theenvironment”.The geographic location of Palmerston North City makes itsusceptible to a number of natural hazards. A significant portionof Palmerston North City is located within the Manawatu Riverflood plain, presenting a major flooding hazard in both theurban and rural communities. Seismic hazards also present amajor risk as Palmerston North is located close to the Tararua/ Ruahine fault system. On a more localised scale, earthmovements and land instability are also a hazard for the City,especially in the developing Aokautere area. This report focuseson only these three hazards. However, other natural hazardsare evident, including rural fire, drought, wind and volcanicactivity (principally in the form of tephra and ash fall).Natural Hazards ManagementNatural hazards management occurs in different stages thatare commonly referred to as Reduction, Readiness, Responseand Recovery. A brief outline of these stages and PalmerstonNorth City Council’s involvement is shown in the followingtable.ReductionReducing the impact of the hazard (mitigation) or preventingthe hazard before it beginsReadinessEnsuring that individuals and organisations are prepared forthe hazardResponseResponding to the hazardRecoveryRecovering from the disasterPalmerston North City Council’s involvementLand-use and building controls for flooding and landinstability in the Proposed District Plan. Informationis provided on seismic hazards in the Proposed District PlanCivil Defence & Emergency Management Group PlanCivil Defence & Emergency Management Group PlanDisaster Recovery Co-ordination PlanNATURAL HAZARDSPAGE 104 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

Civil Defence andEmergency ManagementCivil Defence and Emergency Management Servicescontrol the aftermath of a natural hazard, as required bythe Civil Defence and Emergency Management Act 2002.Responsibility covers not just the immediate response, butfour stages: Reduction (of the risk), Readiness, Response andRecovery.The Palmerston North City Council is a member of the CivilDefence & Emergency Management Group Plan (CDEMG Plan)for the Manawatu-Wanganui Region. The CDEMG comprisesHorizons Regional Council, local authorities and emergencyservices. The CDEMG Plan was approved in April 2003 and iscurrently being reviewed.The goals of the CDEMG Plan are:To provide effective and efficient emergencymanagement through partnership and improvedcoordination.To reduce or mitigate the risks from natural andtechnological hazards.To minimise the adverse effects of natural andtechnological hazards upon life, the social and economicfabric of communities, infrastructure, property and thenatural environment.To ensure there is an effective region wide emergencymanagement capability to respond to, and recover from,natural and technological disasters.Some of the actions and functions undertaken by thePalmerston North City Council to achieve the goals of theCDEMG Plan for the Manawatu-Wanganui Region are:Maintaining a Civil Defence and Emergency Servicesteam within Council using staff with wide experience inEmergency Education, Response and Management.Maintaining a dedicated Emergency Operations Centre(when required) using Council staff, representativesof the emergency services, support services andvolunteers.Equipping and training an Emergency Response Teamfor use in the Region and nationally if required. TheNew Zealand Response Team - 4 comprises volunteersfrom the area with specialist training in rescueprocedures.Regular training of council staff and volunteers inemergency response procedures.Delivery of educational programmes within schools andthe wider community to assist citizens with their ownpreparations for emergency situations.Maintaining the Civil Defence section of the Council Website as a source of information during an emergency.Maintaining the Civil Defence radio communicationsnetwork within the Council area including repeaterstations, vehicle mounted radios and individuallyportable radio sets.24 Hour operation of the Regional Call Centre during anemergency event.Support to other territorial local authorities as required.The flood events through the Manawatu-Wanganui region inFebruary 2004 provided a test for the new procedures of theCDEMG Plan. Close co-ordination across the region meantresources could be deployed rapidly in response to the one-in-50+ year flooding event. The main role taken by the City wasto support the rural areas most affected by the flood.NATURAL HAZARDSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 105

Earthquake Hazards inPalmerston NorthNew Zealand is located on the rim of the Pacific TectonicPlate, one of the more geologically active regions in theworld. Consequently seismic events, and the potential hazardthat they pose to human life and property, are importantconsiderations for all New Zealand communities.of ground shaking is likely to vary also with each seismicevent. Palmerston North City Council’s District Plan containsinformation maps that highlight the various groundshakingzones identified within the City.Liquefaction commonly occurs when groundshaking is of asufficient intensity and duration to cause certain soils, likethose found in river valleys, on floodplains and in swamps,to compact. This increases pore water pressure, decreasesthe integrity of the soils and transforms the soils into aWhat is the Council Doing?Structures and buildings are required to comply withprovisions of the Building Act 2004. The District Plancontains no additional controls. However, information onthe earthquake zones in the City is readily available in theDistrict Plan, including maps showing the liquefaction andgroundshaking zones. Further information can be obtainedfrom Horizons’ Hazard Analysis Manual.NATURAL HAZARDSSeismic hazards do not change substantially over fiveyears. The Council continues to base its planning on workcommissioned by Horizons Regional Council from the Instituteof Geological and Nuclear Sciences (IGNS), and published inthe “Hazard Analysis Manual, Volume 2- Seismic Analysis”(1996). The IGNS work has shown that there are currently noknown active faults or fold structures in the Palmerston NorthCity Council area. However, many faults or fold structuresexist close to the City’s boundaries, for example the MountStewart and Pohangina Anticlines (amongst others); and theWellington Fault system.The effects of a major earthquake originating from any ofthese nearby fault systems are potentially severe. The twomajor hazards are groundshaking, and liquefaction. The levelof groundshaking that would be experienced throughoutthe city is dependent on ground conditions, including soilsand geological structures. Given the natural variation thatexists within ground conditions across the City, the intensityliquid state. This can have a significant impact on structuralfoundations. Again this phenomenon is related to groundconditions, which vary throughout the City.The Palmerston North City Council, as part of its Natural andCultural Heritage Incentive Strategy, provides assistance toowners of earthquake prone buildings with identified heritagevalue when they undertake structural enhancement work.This assists the achievement of two environmental objectives,increasing the level of public safety and protecting heritagevalues in the City. The Earthquake Prone and Heritage BuildingStrategy as adopted in April 1999 identifies 77 earthquakeprone buildings in the central areas of Palmerston North. 14of these are listed as being of heritage significance in theDistrict Plan. The strategy currently offers practical solutions andfinancial assistance, in the form of engineering and technicaladvice, to owners of earthquake prone heritage buildings.PAGE 106 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

Flood hazards in Palmerston NorthPalmerston North City’s rural and urban areas are highlysusceptible to the threat of flooding due to the City’s locationon the floodplain of the Manawatu River.Horizons Regional Council monitors flood hazards throughoutthe region and has historical monitoring data that dates backto the late 19th Century. In the case of Palmerston Norththere have been several significant well-documented floodMajor flooding events -Palmerston North Cityevents along the Manawatu River and its more significanttributaries.Although the table below gives an indication of return periodswhich help us determine the size of the flood it is difficult totruly rank the floods due to the many other circumstances thatcontribute to flooding and influence the effects of flooding.Adequate flood protection schemes are now in place to reducethe effects of flooding on the City.Note: Return period is a statistical measure of how often an event of a certainsize is likely to happen. The larger the flood, the greater the number of yearsbefore it is likely to occur again (return period). However, the more frequent theflood, the greater the uncertainty in the calculation of the return period.The areas under threat from flooding in Palmerston North aregenerally located along the Manawatu River and alongsideits smaller tributaries. This pattern has been reinforced bythe development of drainage and flood protection schemes,particularly within Palmerston North, that have focused onprotecting the urban areas of the City from flooding andponding events.Date Watercourse Return Period Description1880 Manawatu River 200 years Flooding event1897 Manawatu River 55 years Flooding event due to a significant cyclone and associatedhigh rainfall.1902 Manawatu River 150 years Flooding event1907 Manawatu River 55 years Flooding event1953 Manawatu River 40 years Flooding event, due to a significant cyclone1976 Mangaone Stream/Kawau Stream 40 years Stormwater ponding caused by heavy rainfall and aninability of run-off water to discharge through stopbanks intoneighbouring streams and rivers.1988 Mangaone Stream/Kawau Stream 10 years Flooding event due to a prolonged period of rainfall.1992 Manawatu River 20 years Flooding event in the Manawatu River. The effects weremostly in the rural area.2004 Manawatu River 50+ years Severe flooding affected the Region’s rural areas – the CityMangaone Stream 20+ years was relatively unaffected.Source: Horizons Regional Council.Floodable areas are identified in the following map (overpage). It is important to note that these floodable areas relyupon the integrity of the stopbanking system. If a breach orfailure to this stopbank system occurred a substantial area ofthe City would be threatened by flooding. The current floodprotection scheme on the Manawatu River aims to protect theCity from a design flood event (being a 500 year return periodflood event through the urban area and between 60-100year return flood event elsewhere along the lower ManawatuRiver). The flood on February 2004 was substantial, and noproblems were experienced. It is likely that such a floodwould have threatened the integrity of the City’s stopbankshad the 1994 upgrading not occurred.NATURAL HAZARDSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 107

Flood Hazard Areas in Palmerston NorthFlood Protection WorksFlood hazard protection works require continual managementas physical changes occur to river systems (the flood source)and as changes occur in land-uses and the intensity ofdevelopment directly adjacent to such rivers. The last majorupgrade to the City’s stopbanks was in 1994, which includeda significant diversion of the Manawatu River. These worksgreatly reduced the risk to the Palmerston North urban area.NATURAL HAZARDS PAGE 108 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT

The City Council’s Role InFlood ProtectionMajor flood control works such as stopbanks are primarilythe responsibility of Horizons Regional Council but theprovision of an effective stormwater system to reduce theeffects of flooding is a City Council responsibility. Risk areasare continually assessed and works carried out as deemednecessary. Current projects include increases of capacityto the drainage system at Pioneer Highway, protecting theAmberley Avenue area, and the Kawau Stream.The District Plan controls land-use activities and subdivision inthe floodable areas of the City. Controlling subdivision in floodproneareas is an effective method of deterring developmentin such areas. In Palmerston North, subdivision in the City’sdefined “Flood Protection Zone” is a non-complying activityand therefore requires resource consent. In the four yearsfrom 2000 to 2004 17 subdivision consents were approved infloodable areas in Palmerston North (as identified in previousmap). This figure needs to be considered in the context thatin granting such consents Council must have been satisfiedthat adverse effects from flooding were being appropriatelyprovided for. Further monitoring over time will ensure thatthe development pressures associated with the subdivisionof land in the Flood Protection Zone are not unduly increasingflood hazard risks.In addition to the Flood Protection Zone, the District Plan alsoincludes specific development controls for areas where thereare occasional “ponding” issues. This includes the AmberleyAvenue area, the Awatea Stream ponding area and the JensenStreet ponding area. Council also holds more up to date floodmapping information from Horizons Regional Council on itsGIS system for Land Information Memorandums, PropertyInformation Memorandums and resource consent purposes.Horizons Regional CouncilFollowing the February 2004 storm event, Horizons RegionalCouncil has recognised the need for further information onflood risk areas and intends to undertake extensive work tofurther identify flood levels to help landowners determinerisks to their properties. The results of this work will need tobe closely monitored and may have implications for Council.Horizons Regional Council also have a number of schemereviews planned for the 2005 / 2006 financial year includinga review of the City section of the Lower Manawatu Scheme.In order to provide support readiness and response planningat the District and City level, Horizons Regional Council is alsocurrently working to provide territorial authorities memberswithin the Manawatu-Wanganui region with further floodinformation. A project is underway to develop more userfriendly flood maps to enable users to more readily definefloodable areas and allow users to identify affected assetssuch as roads and bridges.NATURAL HAZARDSOUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT LAND PAGE 109

NATURAL HAZARDSClimate ChangeThe Resource Management (Energy and Climate) AmendmentAct 2004 added the following ‘other matters’ to section 7 ofthe RMA 1991:The efficiency of the end use of energy [Section 7(ba)]The effects of climate change [Section 7 (i)]The benefits to be derived from the end use anddevelopment of renewable energy [Section 7(j)]The District Plan Update: Proposed Plan Changes 25A-25Mnotified in April 2005 included an amendment to the GeneralIntroduction section of the District Plan which recognises thenew climate change provisions of the RMA 1991. Councilhas also progressed a number of non-regulatory initiativesrelated to climate change including joining the EECA EnergyWise Council partnership and developing a process to harnessthe methane gas from the Awapuni Landfill to powerthe Wastewater Treatment Plant at Totara Road. It is alsoacknowledged that regulatory methods for achieving the newclimate change provisions of the RMA 1991 will need to beconsidered as part of future Plan Changes to the District Plan.Land Instability HazardsMajor population growth has occurred in the Summervilleand Aokautere areas over the last 10 years. This locality issusceptible to land instability in some places, and the Councilhas looked at options for responsibly managing this potentialhazard.Hills at AokautereIn 1989 the Council commissioned the Urban Land UseCapability Study (ULUC) for the Aokautere area. Land wasclassified into five classes depending on their potential forurban development. These classes have been used in theDistrict Plan to identify developable and undevelopable landin the Aokautere Area. If development is proposed in anundevelopable area a resource consent is required - throughwhich Council would assess the effects of a proposal on thestability of the land.In addition, in 1997, Council commissioned a more in-depthreport titled “The Development of land which is, or is likely tobe subject to erosion or slippage”. This report covers all landin the City and was prepared by Tonkin and Taylor. The reportprovides Council staff processing building consents, land useconsent and subdivision consents and applicants preparingsuch applications, with guidance when undertaking buildingand/or land development. These guidelines specificallyrelate to land that is subject to slippage or erosion. If landis determined to be subject to slippage or inundation certainengineering and geotechnical assessment and design isrequired. Based on that information Council determineswhether what is proposed is appropriate.PAGE 110 LAND OUR CITY’S ENVIRNOMENT