Hastings District Council — Property Due Diligence Guide
Hastings District Council governs the largest district in Hawke's Bay, with a population of approximately 88,000. The district encompasses the city of Hastings, the towns of Havelock North and Flaxmere, the coastal settlement of Haumoana, and extensive rural areas including some of New Zealand's most productive horticultural and viticultural land.
Quick Facts
Useful Links
How to Order a LIM Report
You can order a Hastings District Council LIM online through their website. Standard processing takes 10 working days, with an urgent option available for faster turnaround.
Hastings LIMs include building and resource consents, rates, zoning, flood risk, and contaminated land. Post-Cyclone Gabrielle, LIMs will include updated flood hazard information and any property categorisation under the government's cyclone recovery process.
Some properties in the Heretaunga Plains have been categorised (Category 1, 2, or 3) based on flood risk assessment post-cyclone. Category 3 properties face potential voluntary buyout. Check the LIM and the council's cyclone recovery information for any affected property.
District Plan Zones
Hastings District Plan zones include:
- Residential: General residential in Hastings, Havelock North, and Flaxmere
- Rural Residential: Lifestyle properties on the urban fringe
- Plains Zone: Productive rural land on the Heretaunga Plains, with restrictions on subdivision to protect elite soils
- Rural: Hill country pastoral and forestry land
- Coastal: Coastal settlement zones including Haumoana, Te Awanga, and Waimarama
The Heretaunga Plains are classified as highly productive land, and the District Plan restricts subdivision to protect this resource. This limits rural-residential supply and supports values.
Natural Hazards
Hastings' natural hazard profile was dramatically demonstrated by Cyclone Gabrielle:
- Flooding: The Ngaruroro and Tutaekuri rivers and associated drainage systems create extensive flood risk across the Heretaunga Plains. Cyclone Gabrielle breached stop-banks and flooded large areas. Post-cyclone hazard reassessment is ongoing.
- Land instability: Hill country areas experienced devastating landslides during Cyclone Gabrielle, particularly in forestry areas.
- Coastal erosion: Haumoana and surrounding coast face ongoing coastal erosion, with some properties already lost to the sea.
- Earthquakes: Hawke's Bay is seismically active, with the 1931 Napier earthquake a historic reminder.
- Tsunami: Coastal areas face tsunami risk from the Hikurangi subduction zone.
Building Consent & Code Compliance
Building consent is processed by Hastings District Council with a 20 working day target. Post-Cyclone Gabrielle, there is elevated consent demand for repairs and rebuilding.
New builds in flood-affected areas may face additional requirements for floor levels, foundations, and flood resilience. Properties in cyclone recovery categories may face restrictions on development until categorisation outcomes are finalised.
The productive rural zones have restrictions on residential development to protect horticultural land.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Cyclone Gabrielle property categories?
After Cyclone Gabrielle, affected properties were assessed and placed into categories: Category 1 (low future risk, can remain), Category 2 (further assessment needed, possible engineering solutions), and Category 3 (high future risk, voluntary buyout offered by government). Check the council's cyclone recovery portal for any property's categorisation status before purchasing.
What is the Heretaunga Plains protection?
The Heretaunga Plains are classified as some of New Zealand's most versatile and productive soils. The District Plan restricts subdivision on the plains to protect this resource for food production. This means rural-residential development is limited, which constrains lifestyle block supply but supports existing property values in rural-residential zones.
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