Designations
A designation is a planning tool that allows approved public authorities to use land for important public works or infrastructure, either now or in the future.
Designations are typically used for things like:
- Roads and transport corridors
- Schools and education facilities
- Electricity, telecommunications and network utilities
- Emergency services and other public infrastructure
Once land is designated, the organisation responsible for the designation (called a requiring authority) can carry out works related to that purpose without needing to comply with the usual land use rules in the District Plan.
Who can have a designation?
Only approved requiring authorities can hold a designation. These include:
- Ministers of the Crown
- Local authorities
- Approved network utility operators
Private individuals or businesses cannot apply for designations.
How do designations affect landowners?
If land you own or occupy is subject to a designation:
- The underlying zone still applies for activities unrelated to the designation
- Only the requiring authority can carry out works for the designated purpose
- Other activities on the land may require the written consent of the requiring authority
This helps ensure land needed for important public infrastructure is protected from development that could prevent its future use.
Designations in the Proposed Gore District Plan
As part of the District Plan review, all requiring authorities with existing designations in the current Plan were asked to confirm whether they wanted those designations:
- Rolled over unchanged
- Rolled over with modifications, or
- Removed
Requiring authorities could also request new designations through a formal notice process.
A total of 11 requiring authorities have designations included in the Proposed District Plan. They are:
- Chorus NZ Ltd
- Gore District Council
- KiwiRail Holdings Ltd
- Meteorological Service of New Zealand
- Minister of Corrections
- Minister for Courts
- Minister of Education
- New Zealand Police
- New Zealand Transport Agency
- PowerNet
- Transpower New Zealand Ltd
What decisions have been made?
The independent Hearings Panel has:
- Made decisions on Gore District Council’s designations, and
- Provided recommendations to all other requiring authorities
Each requiring authority has then confirmed whether it accepts those recommendations. These decisions are notified alongside the Proposed District Plan decisions.
Where a designation has simply been rolled over from the current Plan with no changes, and no submissions were received, no formal decision was required.
Where can I see designations?
Designations are shown on the District Plan maps and described in the Proposed District Plan. You can:
- Search for a property using the Council’s online map viewer. Here’s the link
- Check whether a designation applies to your land
- See the purpose and any conditions attached to it
Need more information?
If you’re unsure how a designation affects your property or what you can do on designated land, the Council’s planning team can help explain what applies in your situation.
Important Note
This page provides a general overview only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the official provisions contained in the Proposed District Plan or the requirements of the Resource Management Act 1991. Please refer to the Proposed Gore District Plan for comprehensive and authoritative guidance.
Details about the review, hearing process and background information, including supporting documents, reports and maps, can be found by clicking this link to the Council’s Let’s Talk website.
