Private Plan Change 13 – Te Rapa Racecourse 

Closed 15 Mar 2023

Opened 15 Feb 2023

Contact

Staff are available to discuss any concerns with you and can be contacted on (07) 838 6699 then ask to speak with the City Planning Unit or email:

planchange@hcc.govt.nz

Feedback updated 2 Nov 2023

We asked

Waikato Racing Club Incorporated requested a change to Hamilton’s District Plan to rezone around 6ha of the Te Rapa Racecourse to allow for housing. The land is no longer required to operate the Club and provides an opportunity to contribute more housing to the city.

The key changes include:

  • Changing the zone from Major Facilities to Medium Density Residential to allow for a mix of housing.
  • Change the zone from Major Facilties to Industrial for 1100m2 along Te Rapa Road to Industrial Zone.
  • Identifying some of the site as a low flood hazard area.
  • Adding additional rules to help manage potential noise effects from the racecourse on future housing.
  • Adding landscaping requirements around the future industrial-zoned sites.

Submissions to Private Plan Change 13 were open from 15 February to 15 March 2023.

You said

We received 26 submissions to Private Plan Change 13. There is now a formal process to follow under the Resource Management Act 1991.

Further submissions were open from 13 April to 28 April 2023.

The hearings for Plan Change 13 took place from 23 August to 25 August 2023. This is when anyone who chose to speak to their submission in person can present their evidence to commissioners.

We did

A panel of commissioners will consider all the submissions and make recommendations to Council on the final plan change in early 2024.

Keep up-to-date on the plan change here.

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Overview

Waikato Racing Club Incorporated have requested a change to Hamilton’s District Plan to rezone around 6ha of the Te Rapa Racecourse to allow for housing. The land is no longer required to operate the Club and provides an opportunity to contribute more housing to the city.

The key changes include:

  • Changing the zone from Major Facilities to Medium Density Residential to allow for a mix of housing.
  • Change the zone from Major Facilties to Industrial for 1100m2 along Te Rapa Road to Industrial Zone.
  • Identifying some of the site as a low flood hazard area.
  • Adding additional rules to help manage potential noise effects from the racecourse on future housing.
  • Adding landscaping requirements around the future industrial-zoned sites.

What’s a private plan change?

Private plan changes can be used to change or introduce new rules into the District Plan to do things like rezone land or list heritage buildings. Anyone can request a private plan change.

All private plan changes are required to go through public notification, submissions and hearings processes, including the right of appeal to the Environment Court. Council manages the administration of this.

To find out more and view the plan change online, visit hamilton.govt.nz/PlanChange13