Land Surveying NZ Articles & News

Subdivision Should it be part of your retirement plan?

Some of the savviest farmers have subdivision at the heart of their future plans – and not just for retirement. Having your farm in as many titles as possible has always been a great idea. Be it part of a retirement plan, resilience...

Waikato Regional Council Proposes Increase

Waikato Regional Council proposes increase to minimum area for subdivisions If you have been watching Council proposals for updating rural subdivision rules in the Waikato District you will well know that change is afoot. Be aware that this may...

Lifestyle Blocks are there enough around?

Most real estate has been unaffected by the recession following COVID-19. In fact, the lifestyle block market has seen a huge surge in both the number of sales and the median sale price. With the current inability to travel overseas, many people...

So, you would like to subdivide....

I have written recently about the increased demand for lifestyle blocks in the wake of COVID 19. Many people are calling us for an idea of how they can take advantage of the current demand. You may have seen a neighbour subdivide the farm or...

Subdividing Win Win

As the threat of a repeated lockdown continually hovers over us, many are heading for the hills and will indeed be, for the foreseeable future. Literally they are, because that is where the lifestyle blocks are generally to be had. Apart from...

Covid-19 creates opportunities to subdivide lifestyle blocks (August 2020)

Lifestyle blocks are seeing a resurgence in demand since the arrival of the coronavirus to our shores. People seem to be taking working from home to a whole new level as they escape the dense city living for the virus-free open air of the...

Time runs out for subdividing in Waikato District (June 2020)

Time runs out for subdividing in Waikato District Perhaps the delays caused by COVID-19 have given some Waikato farmers one last chance to subdivide their farm before the rules change, but you will have to act quickly since the subdivision...

Time to Subdivide NZ Herald (April 2020)

Thanks Mary Holm – NZ Herald freelance financial journalist Your recent advice to your reader, in response to their ‘Time to Subdivide’ letter in the NZ Herald - April 11, 2020 - is noted. Yes, subdividing off the...

Can I subdivide my section during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Lockdown? (Apr 2020)

While most of us are at home, unified as a nation to stop the Covid-19 Coronavirus spreading, you might be considering whether you can subdivide your section to free up some capital and help with income for the uncertain time...

How can I subdivide my farm during the COVID-19 Coronavirus Lockdown? (Apr 2020)

With the country currently in lockdown, our farmers are still working hard to keep the food supply going which we are all thankful for. It is this rural primary production that will help pull us through, as always. We are looking at how we...

Can I subdivide my land? (Mar 2020)

Can I subdivide my farm? This question is getting harder to answer by the day. You have all heard of the Resource Management Act (RMA) - every political party wants to either repeal it or amend it. Well, that won’t be...

Rural Subdivision Matamata Piako (Feb 2020)

Rural Subdivision retained for now in Matamata-Piako The only certain thing is there will be change. It has been about seven years since the subdivision rules were rewritten in the Matamata-Piako District. The final rules were settled after a...

Common problems when planning subdivisions in NZ (Nov 19)

How do I subdivide my land? Subdivision planning on rural land is becoming a much more complex process as the years pass by. It is not just about protecting the productivity of our land. There is an expectation, at least from some, that...

Hauraki District confirms Subdivision and Housing Rules (Sept 19)

Hauraki District Council has recently completed their public hearing process and notified its decisions on the District Plan. The proposed changes come in two forms – reduced sizes for residential sites in several of their towns and allowance...

Subdivision Brings Environmental Gains (July 2019)

Whilst there is a lot of angst building in the community about subdividing good productive land on the borders of our biggest city, all rural land is not so productive. There are significant pockets of land either already occupied in a residential way or...

Subdivision Limited to 40ha Blocks in Waikato (June 2019)

As expected, Waikato Regional Council have made a submission to the Waikato District Plan requesting that lifestyle blocks can only be subdivided from titles that exceed 40 hectares in size. This, in addition to the title needing to predate 6 Dec...

Subdivision Still Possible In Rural Waikato (May 2019)

Since advertising their Proposed District Plan in the middle of last year, Waikato District Council are still working through the many submissions received. So, it is business as usual for subdivisions in the old part of Waikato. With...

Waikato District Plan draws hundreds of submissions (January 2019)

Following the recent public notification of their Proposed District Plan, Waikato District Council received hundreds of submissions from the general public, government agencies and other organisations. The Plan change was necessary to integrate the...

Hauraki District Plan Change (December 2018)

Hauraki moves for affordable housing Hauraki District Council has recently notified a change to its District Plan to support the need for a supply of affordable housing in New Zealand The proposed changes come in two forms – reduced sizes for...

Rural Subdivision (October 2018)

Having your farm in several titles allows you the flexibility to develop or restructure. As Councils around the region tighten their subdivision rules, the value of holding multiple titles comes to the fore. What might have been considered a...

Plan Ahead (September 2018)

Plan ahead or lose subdivision opportunities Rules relating to subdivision are always changing – sometimes in a major way. So, if you are managing a block of rural land you should keep abreast of the rules. Too often we have people...

New Waikato Subdivision Rules (August 2018)

New subdivision rules for Waikato. Waikato District Council last month advertised their proposed District Plan. The Plan, integrating the Franklin and Waikato sections, will introduce a consistent approach to development and growth for the first...

Minden Running Out (July 2018)

Government decision could halt subdivision in Western Bay. Development in the Minden Lifestyle Zone could come to a grinding halt following an apparent Government decision to delay progress on the proposed Tauranga Northern Link. The traffic issues...

Waikato Consultation (June 2018)

Waikato delays new subdivision rules - Thousands of properties affected by significant features Waikato District Council has now delayed the notification of their new District Plan so that thousands of landowners can be ‘consulted’ in...

Get Up To Date (March 2018)

Get up to date with the rules With a new year you may have plans to develop your property, add to it or relocate completely. So, if you’re planning a subdivision or boundary adjustment on the farm this year you must check the rules early...

Minden WBOP (February 2018)

Subdivision rules change lifestyle focus in Western Bay Following a major rewrite of the rural subdivision rules in the Western Bay District (WBOP), the Minden Lifestyle Zone has become the focus for rural residential subdivision in the Bay. The...

Waikato Draft Rules Online (January 2018)

New Waikato subdivision rules promoted Waikato District Council has recently posted a draft of their proposed new District Plan online. To us it brings no surprises but we strongly believe that as always, following public submissions including...

Enviro Lots (December 2017)

Rural subdivision focused on environmental protection With an increased focus on protecting the environment for future generations, most councils are providing subdivision benefits to those who agree to permanently reserve areas of significant...

Waikato Stakeholders (November 2017)

Subdivision strategy set in Waikato Waikato District Council recently held an Open Day for stakeholders as an introduction to their thinking on their Proposed District Plan. It is now quite advanced with notification due soon, although it still...

Waikato Change (October 2017)

New subdivision rules due soon - Probably last chance to use your existing rights in Waikato and Franklin If you have ever considered subdividing a small block off your farm then now is the time to move, especially for those in the Waikato...

Boundary Adjustment (September 2017)

Landlord or farming focus? It’s not uncommon that when you buy the neighbouring block you will end up with an additional house. More and more farmers are finding this to be a liability rather than an asset. Managing such a property...

Value In Existing Titles (July 2017)

Value in multiple titles Having your farm in several titles allows you the flexibility to develop or restructure. As Councils around the region tighten their subdivision rules, the value of holding multiple titles comes to the fore. What...

Timely Advice On Subdivision (June 2017)

Timely advice on subdivision Recently I wrote about the dangers of listening to your neighbours advice when planning a subdivision – the world is moving too fast to rely on hearsay. Currently, this is particularly relevant in two districts...

Don't Talk To Neighbour (April 2017)

Don't listen to your neighbour about subdivision. With so much change these days information is dating real fast. This has always happened but the speed seems to be picking up - and rural subdivision is getting harder. Don't be under...

Waikato Review (March 2017)

New Subdivision rules for Waikato and Franklin For some time now, since the super city was established, two parts of the Waikato District have been operating under separate district plans. Confusing to say the least. Having been through a...

Minden WBOP (February 2017)

Lifestyle lots hard to find in Western Bay Following a change in direction several years ago by Western Bay District Council there are now very few true lifestyle blocks being produced in the Bay. On the back of increased building soaking up...

Plan Ahead (January 2017)

Plan now before you loose them Managing a family landholding for the benefit of future generations can be a challenge, but taking opportunities along the way can create significant flexibility. Over the years Council rules have allowed subdivision...

The Opportunity Of Titles (December 2016)

Opportunity in having additional titles Having your farm in several titles allows you to keep the mortgage under control whilst you expand and restructure. You may not have realised that in owning more than one adjoining block of land with a...

Enviro Lots (October 2016)

Subdivision provides environmental benefits Farmers have always been good at protecting land and now they are getting some recognition in terms of subdivision concessions, recognising that protection of ecological and cultural features provides a...

Should Have Looked (September 2016)

Look out for subdivision rule changes – Waikato landowners beware ! “I should have looked at the proposed subdivision rules when they were notified by Council. If only I had realised the significance of the changes”. I...

Myths Around Subdivision (August 2016)

Myths around subdivision and land Information In this day and age with information abounding 'on line' as well as down at the local cafe and bar it's hard to know what to believe. I've recently been told a few interesting...

TCDC Appeals (July 2016)

Property rights eroded under new District Plan - Major changes to TCDC subdivision and building rules appealed to Environment Court What a difference a month can make. Last month I reported that the Thames Coromandel District Council had...

TCDC Decisions on Plan (June 2016)

TCDC releases new subdivision rules The Thames Coromandel District Council recently announced the decisions version of its new District Plan. This followed a period of five months receiving and processing submissions and another eight months of...

Minden WBOP (May 2016)

Limited rural subdivision now in Western Bay With increased demand for lifestyle building now, the blocks will be increasingly hard to find. Several years ago the Western Bay of Plenty District Council had a huge change in direction with...

Waikato Consultation (April 2016)

Waikato drafting new District Plan rules Waikato District Council is well into the pre-notification stage of its District Plan Review. As a result of the amalgamation of the Waikato District and the southern portion of the former Franklin...

Flexible Boundaries (March 2016)

Flexible farm boundaries needed When juggling the challenges thrown at us these days we could really do with flexible boundaries. Global issues affecting exchange rates, commodity prices, interest rates and even the weather make farming a...

Time Runs out for Rural Subdivision (February 2016)

Times changing for rural subdivision After decades of relatively flexible and simple subdivision rules, times are a- changing. Until relatively recently most districts have allowed lifestyle blocks to be created throughout without too much...

Hidden Potential Rural (January 2016)

Hidden potential in land holdings I have often talked about the value in obtaining and holding additional titles. Whether you have created them intentionally or they have simply come about from the way the farm has grown over the years, there...

Never Rely on Rule Changes (December 2015)

Never rely on subdivision rule changes - Waikato, Franklin and Thames-Coromandel take note If you are lucky enough you may benefit from a change to the subdivision rules but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. In general terms, when it comes to...

Minden WBOP (November 2015)

Minden area focus for WBOP rural subdivision - True lifestyle blocks hard to create After a significant slowdown following the GFC and major changes to the subdivision rules in the Western Bay of Plenty District, increased demand is again driving...

Boundary Adjustment (October 2015)

Boundary adjustments provide you with options Recently I’ve fielded several calls from people faced with challenging times as a result of the lower dairy payout. Obviously everyone wants to hold on to their land at all cost as, after all,...

TCDC (September 2015)

Time running out under current subdivision rules - New TCDC rules could be implemented in March The Thames-Coromandel District Plan Hearings Panel has just finished a marathon series of public hearings on the Proposed District Plan. Following...

Value of Rural Titles (August 2015)

Sort your titles now or you might regret it The value of additional titles on your farm should not be underestimated. The subdivision rules are always changing and I have recently been asked on more than one occasion “what will we be able...

Waikato Review (July 2015)

Waikato reviews subdivision rules again Waikato District has recently begun a review of their district plan rules after only resolving some of the major appeals recently, however there is a good reason. Since Waikato absorbed part of the...

Dairy Prices (June 2015)

Subdivision – Will it supply cash? With the dairy payout looking grim for the next couple of years we are getting increased enquiry from farmers wanting to inject some cash into the system. There are a number of ways we can help but every...

Waikato Franklin Lifestyle (May 2015)

Subdivision rules complex in Waikato The subdivision rules in Waikato are complex to say the least, but opportunities still exist. A number of recent changes have been further complicated by the amalgamation of part of the old Franklin District...

RMA Changes (April 2015)

RMA changes affect subdivisions The Resource Management Act Amendment 2013 came into play last month without much fanfare at all. I guess that’s because it is business as usual for most of us working in this environment. The...

Limitations on Titles (March 2015)

The most common limitation on a land title is ‘limited as to parcels’ The system of registration of title to land in New Zealand is known as the Torrens system or the land transfer system. A parcel of land under the land...

TCDC Proposed Plan (January 2015)

Subdivision rules to get tougher - The TCDC plan to reduce red tape will not apply to subdivision. The Thames Coromandel District Plan is currently under review and committee decisions are due out in the later part of this year, once all...

Why Subdivide (December 2014)

Why Subdivide ? Often, when presenting submissions to Council at the time of District Plan changes, I am asked “why do people want to subdivide?” There is obviously no single answer to this question, however it could be summarised by...

Waipa Decision (July 2014)

New subdivision rules about to bite in Waipa Two years ago Waipa District Council announced proposed new rural subdivision rules in their District Plan review. Today they have effect. Radical changes to subdivision rules are about to place a...

Hauraki Appeal (June 2014)

Hauraki subdivision appeal resolved An order was recently signed by The Environment Court resolving a long standing appeal against the Hauraki District Plan subdivision rules. The resulting rules were negotiated over a long period between the...

WBOP (May 2014)

Subdivision changes in WBOP District - can I subdivide my land? This is a question I am regularly asked by rural landowners in the Western Bay. In response I must then ask them where precisely their property lies, as it makes a huge...

Franklin and Unitary (April 2014)

Franklin subdivision rules squashed by unitary plan The old Franklin Council District Plan rules are under attack again. After being finalised by the Environment Court thirteen years after notification they were operative for only months before...

Environment Court Decision Waikato (March 2014)

Appeal to subdivision rules turns the table Following the settlement of an appeal to the Environment Court, it is now much tougher to subdivide a lifestyle block. In an interesting turn of events the Waikato District Council was forced to...

TCDC Conservation (February 2014)

New TCDC plan creates winners and losers As reported last month, the Thames Coromandel District Council notified its new District Plan during December and it is now open to public submissions. As expected, rural subdivision steadily gets...

New Year Rules (January 2014)

New year challenges for subdivision So, you’re planning a subdivision or boundary adjustment on the farm this year – then check the rules soon. Many District Councils have announced changes to their District Plans recently....

TCDC Notification (December 2013)

TCDC notifies district plan - on december 13 council will notify it's new proposed district plan. My last update on the Thames Coromandel District plan was at the beginning of the year and I said that shortlly Council would announce their...

Boundary Adjustment (November 2013)

Plan ahead for farm boundary changes Now is the time to move quickly if you are considering a change to the farm boundaries before next season. Over the years the subdivision process has become more complex with the Resource Management Act and...

Matamata-Piako (October 2013)

Subdivision appeal succeeds in Matamata-Piako After many hours of work and mediation facilitated by the Environment Court, local landowners have won the right to subdivision opportunities that were taken away by Council in the proposed review of the...

Which Rules Waikato (September 2013)

Which subdivision rules apply in Waikato and for how long ? As if the rules were not confusing enough – and then along came our first super city, absorbing most of Franklin District, and forcing amalgamation of the remainder into Waikato and...

Local Update (August 2013)

Your local subdivision update WAIPA DISTRICT: If you have a surplus house or 15 year association with your block and want to subdivide or want to subdivide lots of 25ha minimum average size ... Act immediately! WAIKATO DISTRICT: Before...

Waikato Franklin Lifestyle (August 2013)

Subdivision rules change for Northern Waikato The old Franklin District area of the Waikato has recently had it's rural subdivision rules updated by an Environment Court ruling. In essence they are still the same, in that they allow...

Waikato Waipa Lifestyle (July 2013)

Lifestyle lots disappearing in Waikato and Waipa New lifestyle lots may become a rare commodity in the Waikato Region once current and future changes to the District Plans come into effect. Already Waikato District Council has halved the...

Plan Ahead (June 2013)

Future planning essential – and time running out ! The subdivision rules of many District Plans in the region are currently under appeal following Council decisions to reduce subdivision and development in a major way. In my view, this is...

Waikato (May 2013)

Rural subdivision gets harder still in Waikato When proposed changes to rural subdivision rules were announced over two years ago I was not surprised at the tightening of the rules in an attempt to slow down the number of lifestyle blocks. ...

Local Update (April 2013)

Your local subdivision update WAIPA DISTRICT: Council decision on hearings due soon . If you have a surplus house, 15 year association with your block or you want to subdivide lots with 25ha minimum average ... Act immediately! WAIKATO...

Enviro Lots (March 2013)

Environmental protection for subdivision Rather than clearing land and draining natural wetland to create more pasture, farmers are increasingly protecting these features for the benefit of the wider community and picking up subdivision benefits...

Waipa and Matamata-Piako (February 2013)

Plan for change with new council rules - Matamata-Piako and Waipa hearings are first up this year. With the new year upon us there is no time to sit back if you are planning to subdivide or build another house on your rural block. Councils in...

Local Update (February 2013)

Your local subdivision update MATAMATA-PIAKO: Council hearings this month. If you want to create lifestyle or 8ha rural blocks before the proposed 40ha minimum … Act now! WAIPA DISTRICT: Council hearings this month. If you...

Local Update (January 2013)

Your local subdivision update MATAMATA-PIAKO: Proposed Plan notified. If you want to create lifestyle or 8ha rural blocks before the proposed 40ha minimum … Act now! WAIPA DISTRICT: Proposed New Rules notified, hearings pending....

Waipa Further Subdivision (November 2012)

Farmers against subdivision controls in Waipa There have been many submissions to the proposed subdivision rules and you may have a chance to support them if you are quick. The first round of submissions to their Proposed District Plan have now...

Local Subdivision Update (November 2012)

Your local subdivision update MATAMATA-PIAKO: Proposed New Rules notified. Act now if you want to create lifestyle or 8ha rural blocks before the proposed 40ha minimum. WAIPA DISTRICT: Proposed New Rules notified, further submissions close 7th...

Local Subdivision Update (October 2012)

Your local subdivision update MATAMATA-PIAKO: Proposed New Rules notified. Act now if you want to create lifestyle or 8ha rural blocks before the proposed 40ha minimum. WAIPA DISTRICT: Proposed New Rules notified, further submissions close 7th...

Hauraki Appeal (October 2012)

Plains farmers losing subdivision fight Hauraki District Council recently announced the long awaited decisions on the Proposed District Plan. It is no surprise to me that there has been little changed in the subdivision rules as a result of...

Wetland (September 2012)

Wetland creates subdivision opportunities The recent prolonged wet spell has given us the opportunity to see what areas quickly cover with surface water and retain it for some time. These were perhaps natural wetland areas before the farm was...

Waipa Submissions Closed (August 2012)

Waipa submissions closed but still time to subdivide Subdivision under the existing rules will continue in Waipa until the proposed rules are beyond contention. Following the notification of their new District Plan, submissions closed on...

Local Subdivision Update (August 2012)

Your local subdivision update WAIPA DISTRICT: Submissions closed. Act now if you have a 14 year association with the block or you want to use the 25ha average before it becomes 40ha minimum! HAURAKI DISTRICT: Absolute Last Chance if you want...

Waipa Notified (July 2012)

New rules coming for Waipa Recently the proposed subdivision rules were formally notified by Waipa District Council as part of their Proposed District Plan. Timing is important if you want to utilise the existing rules. This change has been...

Local Subdivision Update (July 2012)

Your local subdivision update WAIPA DISTRICT: Proposed Rules Notified. Act now if you have a 14 year association with the block or you want to use the 25ha average before it becomes 40ha minimum! HAURAKI DISTRICT: Time almost up if you want...

Subdivision Costs Rise With Rule Change - Waipa and Matamata-Piako Next (June 2012)

Subdivision costs rise with rule changes - Waipa and Matamata-Piako next As rural Councils push on with their plans to make rural lifestyle and small farming blocks much more difficult to establish, the end result will be a huge increase in...

Hauraki Subdivision (May 2012)

Time running out for Hauraki Subdivision It has now been eighteen months since Hauraki District Council publically notified their Proposed District Plan and we are still largely working under the old rules. This is good news for those wanting...

Local Subdivision Update (May 2012)

Your local subdivision update WAIPA DISTRICT: Proposed Rules Notified. Act now if you have a 14 year association with the block or you want to use the 25ha average before it becomes 40ha minimum! HAURAKI DISTRICT: Time almost up if you want...

Waikato (April 2012)

New subdivision rules have little weight Last month I wrote that it was business as usual for those wanting to subdivide in the Waikato District. This has raised significant interest from some who have seemingly received contrary advice from...

Waikato (March 2012)

Waikato landowners get subdivision reprieve It is business as usual for those wanting to subdivide in the Waikato District. The proposed change, restricting subdivision, has been appealed by several parties. This means that we can use the...

Waipa (February 2012)

Waipa rule change will squash rural subdivision After a lengthy consultation period Waipa District Council will publicly notify its change to subdivision rules next month. This will mark the start of a formal submission process where...

Transferable Subdivision or Development Rights (January 2012)

Profit from subdivision rights Transferable Subdivision or Development Rights allow landowners to take advantage of their subdivision rights without actually losing the land! The purchaser of these rights can gain the ability to subdivide a...

Local Subdivision Update (December 2011)

Your local subdivision update WAIKATO DISTRICT: New Rules Imminent. Call us now! HAURAKI DISTRICT: Urgent action required if you want a lifestyle block or to avoid 40ha minimum on Plains - act immediately. WAIPA DISTRICT: Apply to subdivide...

General Value (December 2011)

Subdivision adds value Subdivision can add value in more ways than one but if you live in a rural area those opportunities are likely being taken away as you read this. Obviously if you live in a desirable location others will also be drawn to...

Waikato (November 2011)

Time up for rural subdivision It has been talked about for months now but time is almost up for the lifestyle subdivision that we have been witnessing in the Waikato District, particularly close to Hamilton City on the smaller farms. The rules...

Hauraki DP (October 2011)

Time running out for rural subdivision - Waikato and Hauraki hardest hit I'm continually surprised by the number of farmers that don't realise how their ownership flexibility is being eroded by the removal of existing subdivision...

Local Subdivision Update (October 2011)

Your local subdivision update WAIKATO DISTRICT: Urgent action required if you want to subdivide. HAURAKI DISTRICT: Urgent action if you want a lifestyle block. Also 40ha minimum pending on Plains - act immediately. WAIPA DISTRICT:...

Waikato (September 2011)

Waikato lifestyle subdivisions bigger As the Waikato District Council gets close to announcing their final decision on new rural subdivision rules it is clear that they haven't reacted at all to the many submissions requesting the status quo or...

WBOP Minden Zone (August 2011)

Lifestyle subdivision for minden zone After a long process involving many submissions and several Council Hearings the Minden Lifestyle Zone in the Western Bay is nearing fruition. The next step is for Council to announce the final structure...

TCDC Plan (May 2011)

TCDC review subdivision rules The Thames-Coromandel District Council say that they are well under way with a review of their District Plan. This document contains the rules that constrain subdivision of land throughout the District. Although...