Council Discussing Plan Change to Target Natural Hazards.

Since June 2007 Franklin District Council has been focusing on protecting the District from Natural Hazards. Events like earthquakes, flooding, land slides and erosion all occur naturally, and are known as natural hazards. Unfortunately human activity can also create a hazard where there wasn’t one before (for example: building on non-engineered fill increases the risk of land slides).


As part of protecting the District from natural hazards, Council has decided to change the Franklin District Plan to better manage or mitigate the effects of natural hazards. The first step towards this Plan Change is a Natural Hazards Discussion Document which Council is currently seeking feedback on.


“We believe the changes suggested in the Discussion Document will help keep Franklin safe from natural disasters,” says Franklin District Council’s District Planning Manager, David Pentz.


The Discussion Document has been prepared with input from key Council staff. The purpose of the document is to set out how Council currently approaches (through the District Plan) natural hazard management, identify key issues, and propose changes to address these issues. The document covers the following key areas:


Proposed rewording of Part 7: Natural Hazards of the District Plan


Proposed changes to address:


Development in floodplains
Development on unstable land
The deposition of cleanfill
Management of Earthworks
Use of Setbacks from Water
Use of esplanade reserves to manage natural hazards
Small site management of earthworks and sediment control


You can access a copy of the Discussion Document on Council’s website, www.franklin.govt.nz, or from any Council office. Feedback is welcome but must be back to Council by 14th December 2007.


“Along with ongoing input from Council staff, your feedback will be used to develop a Draft District Plan Change, which will be notified in early 2008. However, please note that the Discussion Document is not statutory – the feedback received is informal at this stage of the process,” says David.