Insights from the 2025 Proposed Lower Hutt District Plan Submissions Process

We’ve recently made several submissions on the 2025 Proposed District Plan (PDP) and provided advice to around a dozen landowners. It’s been encouraging to see that many of our suggestions—both from the draft stage and more recent engagement—have been picked up by the Council in the notified version of the Plan.

Some submissions are refreshingly simple: full support for the PDP as notified, with no changes sought. Easy wins.

Here are a few observations from the process so far:

1. National Planning Standards are working. When the standards were first introduced, I questioned the demand for such a product—I assumed most people don’t read more than one district plan, apart from planning consultants and infrastructure providers. But having the same look and feel across the Wellington metro councils is actually really helpful in practice.
2. The Operative District Plan is showing its age. I was initially sceptical about the need for a new PDP, especially with the government’s intention to replace the RMA. But in practice, the existing plan already feels out of step with current expectations.
3. Understanding varies. Most landowners aren’t across the detail of the PDP, but those who are engaged tend to be very engaged—and rightly so.
4. It’s a balancing act. Some submissions are merely placeholders—to preserve the right to be heard and appeal later. Others are going full gas with expert evidence and legal review. It’s about weighing the upfront cost against getting enough into the process early.
5. PC56 was ahead of its time (or right on time). Compared to recent plan changes like Christchurch’s PC14, PC56 feels leaner and more efficient. Some Lower Hutt sites barely changed under the PDP, suggesting they were already relatively up to date.
6. Natural hazards are the topic of the day. Most of the sites we’re doing due diligence on are affected by multiple overlapping natural hazard overlays. This is shaping up to be a major theme.
7. Subdivision standards are shifting. NZS 4404:2010 has been dropped in favour of the RSWS, aligning with Wellington City. Could this finally spell the end of Wellington Water’s redundant “dispensations” process?

The next step is the further submissions stage—we’ll share more once the full scope of submissions is clear.

There’s still time to make a written submission—the deadline is Friday 4 April. If you're a landowner or special interest group and want to understand how the PDP affects your property, contact us at derive.nz for a no-obligation chat.