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Plan Change 7 now fully operative

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The Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan and Plan Change 7 are now fully operative from 10 March 2025, improving freshwater protection, nutrient management, and forestry rules and ensuring clearer guidelines for resource use.

The Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan is one of our key planning documents. Now that it is fully operative, the public, industry and our staff can be clear about how resource management decisions will be made in Waitaha/Canterbury and about the rules designed to protect the region’s freshwater.

Council formally made Plan Change 7 and consequently, the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan fully operative at its 26 February meeting. It has been amended according to the judge’s direction.

Enhancements under Plan Change 7

Plan Change 7:

  • provides greater protection for habitats of freshwater species
  • considers Ngāi Tahu values in more activities
  • enables the use of managed aquifer recharge (a technique to improve river flows) across the region
  • provides a revised nutrient management framework for commercial vegetable growing.

Freshwater and nutrient management

Plan Change 7 also introduced new frameworks for freshwater and nutrient management in the Orari Temuka Opihi Pareora (OTOP) and Waimakariri zones, following extensive community engagement.

Commercial forestry

The final part of Plan Change 7, resolved in December 2024 relates to commercial forestry.

The agreed solution ensures the rules that apply to new planting or replanting of plantation forestry within sensitive areas and flow-sensitive catchments are clearer. As are those that govern vegetation clearance and earthworks in high soil erosion risk areas. They are also consistent with the National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry (NES-CF).

Further information about Plan Change 7

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