Plans

Council Annual and Long-Term Plans

The Local Government Act 2002 requires the Council to develop a Long-Term Plan (LTP) in consultation with the community. The LTP is required to cover a minimum of ten years from the date of its publication. The LTP will be reviewed and updated every three years following a further consultation process. In the first year of an LTP, the financial and service level information in the LTP, is by law, the Annual Plan. In the following two years, the Council will publish an Annual Plan. Each Annual Plan will describe the work programme to deliver that year’s part of the LTP. No significant changes can be made through just the Annual Plan process, unless there is an amendment to the LTP. Any amendment and the Annual Plan can be consulted on and adopted concurrently.

Amendments to the Local Government Act 2002 require the Council to consult with the community on the proposed content of the LTP by way of a Consultation Document (CD), with the draft components of the new LTP available to the community.

The Council has to produce an LTP every three years. In the in-between years (i.e. years two and three) the Council will produce an Annual Plan. This will focus on budget implications of the LTP for that year.

2025-34 Long-Term Plan

South Wairarapa District Council’s 2025-34 Long-Term Plan was adopted on 25 June 2025.

The Council’s 2026-27 Annual Plan was adopted on 25 June 2026.

The Wairarapa Combined District Plan

The purpose of the Wairarapa Combined District Plan (WCDP) is to assist the Council to carry out its functions in order to achieve the purposes of the Resource Management Act.

The Decisions Version of the Proposed Wairarapa Combined District Plan (Proposed WCDP) 2025 is now the principal planning document for South Wairarapa, Carterton and Masterton districts.

Following a comprehensive review of the 2011 WCDP, independent hearing commissioners considered submissions and made recommendations. The Councils released the Decisions Version of the Proposed WCDP on 8 October 2025. It contains the objectives, policies and rules used to assess land use, subdivision and development.

Most of the Proposed WCDP obtained full legal effect on 21 November 2025. This means that for most matters, the 2011 Operative WCDP no longer needs to be considered.

Eight provisions of the Decisions Version of the Proposed Wairarapa Combined District Plan are currently under appeal to the Environment Court. For these specific matters, parts of the former Operative WCDP will still apply until the appeals are resolved. Further information on the scope of the appeal matters can be found here: Appeals

If your property, activity or proposal is affected by one of these appeals, please take into account that you will need to consider both plans.

For all other planning matters, only the Proposed WCDP (Decisions Version) should be used.

Find the Proposed Wairarapa Combined District Plan Decisions Version here. Hard copies are available for viewing at our libraries.

Register of Notable Trees

The Register of Notable Trees is Appendix 1.4 of the District Plan. The Register includes records of the trees within the district that are deemed worthy of protection.

Each tree registration record includes a unique reference number and details of the tree, such as species, postal address and a map reference.

The Register provides certainty to landowners, and all other district plan users about what (if any) trees are protected on a given site.

See the register here: SWDC Notable Trees 2025

Other plans

Information current as at 03 August 2026