We're proposing to make changes to our planning rulebook, the District Plan, to help manage the effects of industrial activity happening close to housing.

We’re seeking early feedback on our proposal so we can weigh up the potential environmental, economic, social and cultural impacts before notifying the plan change for submissions later this year.

Why we’re proposing a plan change

The effects of industrial activities on residential areas have been a concern to the Council and to some residents for a number of years.

There are several areas within our district where housing is right next door, or close to, land where industrial activities are happening. These activities could be car wreckage yards, factories or storage sites, as examples.

In July 2022, a notice of motion was approved by the Council, noting concern with the lack of controls and notification requirements in the District Plan when it comes to the storage and movement of shipping containers at depots near residential areas.

The notice of motion sought a report and/or advice on how and what changes could be considered to improve the District Plan by adding more controls and public notification requirements to address the potential negative effects.

Work on this has been delayed due to the Housing and Business Choice Plan Change (Plan Change 14), which sought to first manage the risk of greater housing development happening close to industry.

There are large clusters, as well as smaller pockets, of industrial land in residential areas throughout the district. The below maps show these areas.

The District Plan enables the development and management of industrial activities in specific locations in the Christchurch district. It uses zoning and rules to manage effects between activities that aren’t compatible with each other.

There are three types of industrial zones in the District Plan:

What it can do -

The District Plan enables and manages new development and land use activities. It sets objectives for the district and outcomes for different parts of the city, in this case for industrial and residential zones including the levels of noise anticipated.

District Plan policies set out how the objectives are to be achieved, and the rules that come from the policies set the required standards for activities.

What it cannot do -

The District Plan (including this plan change) cannot place new requirements or conditions on existing industrial activities, including those with resource consent. The Council can only monitor and enforce compliance of existing activities under the current rules and standards or against resource consent conditions.

The District Plan also cannot deal with:

• Workplace health and safety (this is Worksafe New Zealand’s responsibility)
• Discharges of contaminants to land, water or air (this is Environment Canterbury’s responsibility)
• Odour and dust (also Environment Canterbury’s responsibility)
• Discharges to the stormwater network (this is covered under the Council’s Stormwater and Land Drainage Bylaw)
• Discharges of trade waste to the wastewater network (this is covered under the Council’s Trade Waste Bylaw).

In response to concerns raised, the Council is considering whether to change what is currently permitted in industrial zones, specifically in areas adjoining residential zones.

The District Plan has enabled some industrial activities to set up and operate near residential zones, resulting in effects including:

• reduced levels of amenity due to the scale, appearance, dominance and shadowing of buildings and outdoor storage, including from stockpiles and shipping containers;
• disturbance from industrial operations (noise and vibration effects); and
• exposure to things like odour, smoke and dust.

The following is a summary of the proposed changes to the District Plan. You can download the full draft changes here.

Draft industrial rules

• Container yards and heavy industrial activities must locate at least 200m from residential zones or require consent as a restricted discretionary activity with new assessment matters (new rule).
• Definition of ‘heavy industrial activity’ updated to list more activities that are ‘heavy’ in nature, such as scrap-metal recycling yards, waste transfer activities and sawmills (amended rule).
• For industrial sites next to, or over the road from, residential zones, a maximum of 60 heavy vehicle trips per day and no operation of heavy vehicles or machinery outdoors between 10pm and 7am, otherwise it requires consent as a restricted discretionary activity with new assessment matters (new rule).
• Measurement of noise updated to include noise with ‘special character’ (such as bangs, clangs and thumps) where generated within industrial zones and received in residential zones (amended rule).
• Increased landscaping requirements for industrial sites next to, and over the road from, residential zones, on arterial roads and within industrial zones (amended rule).
• Where an industrial site is over the road from other industrial sites, the road setback is reduced to 0m for 50% of the frontage, in combination with increased landscaping (new rule).
• Outdoor storage height limit of 3m within 5m of a residential zone boundary, and 5m within 5 to 20m of a residential zone boundary, otherwise it requires consent as a restricted discretionary activity (new rule).
• Outdoor storage is required to be outside the building setback from a residential zone (3m for Industrial General and Heavy zones, 6m for Industrial Park zone) (new rule).
• Building height limit of 20m between 20m and 200m of a residential zone within Industrial General and Heavy zones (and retain 15m height limit within 20m of residential zone) (new rule)
• Non-complying activity status for residential, guest accommodation, education and healthcare activities within the Industrial General and Park zones (new rule).
• A rule requiring water supply for firefighting provides greater flexibility for acceptable alternative solutions (amended rule).
• Ancillary retail within industrial zones is not enabled to sell stored products (only products produced or processed on site) (amended rule).
• In the South West Hornby industrial area, clarification is provided by amending a building setback rule to refer to Marshs Road (amended rule).
• Fuel-burning rate of 1000kg/hr within ‘heavy industrial activity’ definition replaced with 40kW hour (amended rule).

The draft amended Objective 16.4.3 and supporting Policy 16.4.3.2 provide clarification of the outcomes sought, particularly where industrial zones adjoin residential zones. They seek to manage adverse effects on the environment including the amenity of adjoining zones and, over time, improve the amenity of industrial sites at the interface with residential zones as industrial sites are redeveloped or where land uses change. They also seek to increase tree canopy cover in industrial zones to enhance public health, wellbeing and amenity within and beyond the zone.

Policy 16.2.1.3 has a minor amendment to reflect that the Industrial General Zone does not, in all cases, buffer the Industrial Heavy zone from residential zones.

The following options have been considered for managing effects at the residential-industrial interface: