Lakes A Zone

• What is the Lakes A Zone?
• Importance of the Lakes A Zone
• Lakes A Zone planning approach
• Lakes A Zone map showing policy areas
• Monitoring the Lakes A Zone
• Lakes A Zone indicators
  
  

What is the Lakes A Zone?
The Lakes A Zone is a diamond shaped area of the Rotorua district containing lakes considered to be of national importance. It covers most of the eastern lakes from Lake Okataina to Lake Okaro. Because of its significance it is zoned differently to the rest of the Rotorua district. Objectives, policies and rules for this zone are contained within Part 20 of the Operative Rotorua District Plan, called the Lakes A Zone.

Monitoring and reporting on the Lakes A Zone provide specific focus and detailed information for this area. Indicators are presented as a subset of district-wide indicators. Specific monitoring requirements for Lakes A Zone are set out in Section 7.0 of the Lakes A Zone.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               Back to top

Importance of the Lakes A Zone
The Environment Court ruled that the area now know as the Lakes A Zone was not appropriately provided for by the 1993 proposed district plan (now the operative plan since 1995). The court regarded the area being of national significance because it of its natural character and landscapes. Matters of national importance are listed under section 6 of the Resource Management Act 1993 (RMA), which makes up part of the purpose and principles of the act.

Following direction from the Environment Court, variation 12 (Part 20 of the District Plan) was prepared. It was written to address and manage sustainable development in an area that has high national significance. It became operative in December 2005 and is called the Lakes A Zone.

  Back to top

The Lakes A Zone planning approach
The Lakes A Zone was written to manage the unique and sensitive attributes of its lakes’ environment which has a high degree of intactness in regards to natural character and landscapes. This contributes to its status of being nationally significant.

Significant resource management issues listed in the Lakes A relate mostly to matters of national significance under section 6 of the RMA. The zone is divided into policy areas with policies designed to manage activities, while protecting landscapes and natural character. Examples are the settlement and bush settlement policy areas that allow for residential living. Policies and rules of the settlement and bush settlement policy areas limit where built residential structures are located rather than having built structures interrupting landscapes that are largely untouched. Rules in these policy areas discourage vegetation clearance and encourage planting, among other considerations.

The Lakes A Zone differs from Parts 1- 19 of the Rotorua District Plan in that it is mainly an effects based plan using both effects rules and activity rules sitting under a number of policy levels, as explained in the diagram below.

• 2 Primary policy levels 
      Sensitive 
      Less sensitive
• 8 Secondary policy areas for (management of landscape character) 
      1. Okataina Policy Area 
      2. Tikitapu Policy Area 
      3. Rotokakahi Policy Area 
      4. Rotomahana Policy Area 
      5. Okaro Policy Area 
      6. Western Corridor Policy Area 
      7. Tarawera Policy Area 
          7a. Tarawera Bush settlement policy area (additional landscape policies) 
          7b. Tarawera settlement policy area (additional landscape policies) 
    
•  8. Okareka Policy Area 
          8a. Okareka settlement policy area (additional landscape policies)
  
• Within the above policy areas are 5 rule management areas 
      -    Protection 
      -    Settlements 
      -    Bush settlements 
      -    Sensitive rural 
      -    Less sensitive rural
  

  Back to top 

Lake A Zone map showing policy areas

Back to top

Monitoring the Lakes A Zone
Monitoring the Lakes A Zone provides specific information on key issues within the area. The Lakes A Zone is a subset of the district and is included in district wide monitoring indicators. Specific indicators to Lakes A Zone are listed in Section 7.0 of the Lakes A Zone (part 20 of the Rotorua District Plan). These are listed below.

  Back to top

These monitoring requirements have been grouped into themes. Click on the links to view the available indicators.

  Back to top