Southland District Council Plan Change 2 – Onsite Wastewater Disposal and Stormwater Disposal in a Subdivision Context in the Southland District

If you're preparing a subdivision or land development application in the Southland District and are not connecting to Council’s reticulated infrastructure, it’s important to be aware of the new requirements introduced under Plan Change 2.

On 16 April 2025, the Southland District Council adopted the Hearing Panel’s recommendation on Plan Change 2 and approved the decision version. The plan change is now operative (subject to appeals) and introduces key updates to the District Plan and supporting technical standards.

All subdivision and land development must now comply with the Subdivision, Land Use and Development Code of Practice (2023). As a side note, the 2013 version of the Code will be revoked.

If your proposal includes on-site stormwater or wastewater systems, you will need to demonstrate compliance with the technical standards outlined in the 2023 Code. The District Plan now specifies that this compliance must be supported by evidence from a suitably qualified professional.

This evidence will typically take the form of a preliminary site and soil assessment prepared by someone experienced in the field (such as an engineer). The assessment must confirm that the site is suitable for stormwater disposal and/or wastewater disposal and that there will be no adverse effects. Existing stormwater disposal and wastewater systems that form part of a subdivision may also be required to demonstrate compliance in this way.

Importantly, the District Plan recognises that not every development is the same, so there may be circumstances when technical assessments to support a resource consent application are not required. However, it's something applicants should consider early, particularly when planning for subdivision where full access to reticulated services is not available as these new requirements will increase the overall costs for Applicants.

All information related to Plan Change 2 is available on the Southland District Council's website. Alternatively, please feel free to contact Altra Planning via allie@altraplanning.co.nz to discuss this further.