Whanganui District Council — Property Due Diligence Guide

Contact Whanganui District Council directly to order a LIM. Standard processing takes 10 working days.

Whanganui LIMs cover building consents, resource consents, rates, zoning, and natural hazards. Given the city's heritage building stock, pay attention to any heritage listings or designations that may restrict alterations.

Properties near the Whanganui River should be checked carefully for flood risk. The LIM will note any flood hazard zones. Also check for any contaminated land entries, as the city has a history of industrial activity.

Whanganui's District Plan includes these key zones:

• Residential Zone: Standard residential areas
• Residential Amenity Zone: Higher-amenity residential areas
• Commercial Zone: Town centre and commercial areas
• Rural Zone: Surrounding farmland
• Heritage Precinct: Areas with heritage building protections

Whanganui's district plan includes heritage provisions that protect the character of the city's older buildings and streetscapes.

Whanganui's natural hazard profile includes:

• Flooding: The Whanganui River and its tributaries create flood risk in low-lying areas. The city has experienced significant floods historically.
• Land instability: Whanganui's terrain includes steep hillsides and river terraces that can be prone to slipping.
• Coastal erosion: The coastal settlement of Castlecliff faces some coastal hazard risk.
• Seismic activity: Moderate earthquake risk, as with most of the lower North Island.

Building consent is processed by Whanganui District Council with a standard 20 working day target.

Whanganui's heritage building stock means many renovation and alteration projects involve older construction methods (brick, timber, lathe and plaster). Heritage-listed buildings may require additional consents for alterations. Earthquake strengthening may be required for some older commercial buildings.