Plan Change 11 update

Late last year, Regional Council released the draft Plan Change 11 for feedback. The draft plan reviewed the geothermal objectives, policies and rules in both the Regional Natural Resources Plan and the Rotorua Geothermal Regional Plan, and proposed combining these into a single geothermal chapter in the Regional Natural Resources Plan.

Following the release of the draft, central government announced its decision to reform the resource management act, which may have implications for the management of the geothermal resource.

After careful consideration, Regional Council’s Strategy and Policy Committee agreed at their meeting on 13 May to progress with notification of PC11 for the Rotorua Geothermal System provisions only given the progress that has been made to date.

As well as Plan Change 11, we also released a draft Tauranga Geothermal System Management Plan for feedback last year. Regional Council will be continuing with the development of the Tauranga System Management Plan. This is because it is not a plan change, and therefore is not impacted by the reforms. Once complete, the system management plan will provide operational guidance for the integrated and sustainable management of this system.More information will become available as Regional Council works through this process.

What's happening?

We are reviewing the geothermal provisions in both Regional Natural Resources Plan and the Rotorua Geothermal Regional Plan and will then combine these through Plan Change 11 (PC11) into a single geothermal chapter in the Regional Natural Resources Plan.

We are in the early stages of the plan change process and want to know what you think is important, where changes are required and whether we are heading in the right direction.

Why are we proposing some changes?

Regional Plans are regularly reviewed to ensure the objectives, policies and rules are fit for purpose and address the current management challenges we face when it comes to natural resources across the region. Both the existing Geothermal chapter of the RNRP and the RGRP are well overdue for review.

What's changing?

Some bigger changes include:

• The integration of the Rotorua Geothermal Regional Plan into the Regional Natural Resources Plan.
• Amendments to guiding policy for geothermal management groups to incorporate the existing Regional Policy Statement direction and provide clear guidance to plan users and decision-makers.
• A new rule for the protection of Significant Geothermal Features (SGF).
• A new policy on the use of bonds for some geothermal wells.
• Changes to implement Ngā Wai Ariki o Rotorua He Mahere Whakahaere Pūnaha - Rotorua Geothermal System Management Plan. Specifically, the inclusion of allocation limits, identification of values-based allocation priorities and establishment of sensitive management areas.
• The adoption of an integrated approach for low temperature geothermal systems and freshwater policies and rules.

The Tauranga Geothermal System Management Plan is also being updated at the same time – this can be viewed and feedback provided here

Click on the various spots on the map below to learn more about each geothermal system. Or view the online draft planning map (RNRP Geothermal Spatial Overlay) to support Draft Plan Change 11 – Geothermal here.

Your feedback

The feedback period on the Draft Plan Change 11 is now closed.

We have now sought feedback on the Draft Plan Change 11 Geothermal Chapter. Releasing this draft is a critical step in the process to enable tangata whenua, key stakeholders, and the wider community to provide initial feedback prior to the notification of a Proposed Plan through the more formal RMA Schedule 1 process (currently scheduled for mid-2025).

As this is just a draft and not a formal RMA Schedule 1 process, no public hearings will be held – but we are happy to meet with you to hear your feedback and discuss the draft plan change at any time.