A private plan change proposed by Rosvall Sawmill Limited to rezone their site from Rural Production Zone to Strategic Rural Industries Zone.
The rezoning is intended to support the long-term operation of Rosvall Sawmill by providing greater flexibility to renew or expand plant and buildings without needing resource consents.
Background to the rezoning
On 9 July 2024, we received a request for a private plan change seeking the rezoning of Rosvall Sawmill from Rural Production Zone to Strategic Rural Industries Zone.
On 21 November 2024, we decided to accept the request.
Accepting a private plan change request means that the Council agrees to process the request and proceed with public notification, submissions and hearings.
It does not imply that the Council supports or endorses the proposed plan change; rather, it initiates a formal process to evaluate the request based on community input and thorough assessment.
What changes are being proposed?
The proposed changes include:
- rezoning land from Rural Production Zone to Strategic Rural Industrial Zone
- enabling construction, external alteration or relocation of any building or major structure without a resource consent (subject to restrictions relating to visual impact, height and setbacks from the boundary)
- enabling the construction of a principal residential unit for the exclusive use of a site caretaker
- introducing a noise control boundary that limits the noise emissions from the sawmill to a maximum level at the boundary and requires any new development within the noise control boundary to be designed and constructed to ensure a maximum internal noise level
- enabling more traffic to and from the site to that which is currently allowed.
What does this mean for my property?
The proposed plan change will not affect existing buildings or properties surrounding the sawmill site unless you plan to make changes to them.
A 'noise control boundary' is proposed to manage the impact of sawmill noise on residential developments.
Any new residential developments within this boundary must meet specific acoustic performance standards.
Additionally, the sawmill must ensure their noise emissions do not exceed the maximum permitted level at the noise control boundary.
Other changes are also proposed to land use and development rules for the sawmill site.
Who can make submissions?
The plan change has been notified to directly affected parties.
This means that all owners and occupiers of properties within 500m of the Rosvall Sawmill site boundary have been formally notified and have the opportunity to make a submission.
Only directly affected parties may make a submission from 10 February to 4:00pm on 7 March 2025.
What is the District Plan?
The Whangārei District Plan sets out how land in the District can be used, developed and subdivided.
It includes objectives, policies and methods to achieve the sustainable management of resources within the Whangārei District.
What is a private plan change?
A private plan change is a process under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) that allows individuals or organisations to request changes to the District Plan.
This process enables applicants to initiate changes without waiting for a Council-led plan review.