Hamilton City Council
Te kaunihera o Kirikiriroa
This private plan change applies to approximately 91ha of land in Hamilton’s northeast, currently zoned as Deferred Industrial Area. The Plan Change seeks to rezone Fonterra-owned land and neighbouring parcels to ‘Te Rapa North Industrial Zone’.
Status Commissioner review
Private Plan Change 17 was publicly notified on 23 April 2025, with the submission period closing on 23 May 2025. Council received 18 submissions.
Summary of submissions was published on 24 June 2025 and the further submission period was open from 24 June to 9 July 2025. Council received 04 further submissions.
On 21 August 2025, Fonterra submitted a supplementary report that shows the changes that have been made to the Te Rapa North Industrial Private Plan Change (PC17) since it was notified in April 2025.
Next step: Hearings start on 02 December 2025.
Fonterra have requested a change to Hamilton’s District Plan to rezone 91 ha of land surrounding their Te Rapa dairy manufacturing site to Te Rapa North Industrial Zone. This would enable an industrial precinct that includes manufacturing, logistics and yard activities. The Plan Change also includes additional landscaping requirements to protect the Waikato River and Te Rapa Stream and to future-proof rail access to the North Island Main Trunk Line. Fonterra propose to develop a five-metre buffer of native planting between the Te Rapa North industrial zone and the adjoining deferred industrial zoned area.
The area proposed for the Plan Change is currently zoned as “Deferred Industrial Zone” and is used for rural and residential purposes. The area is made up of three blocks of land, shown below.
Rezone Fonterra-owned land and identified neighbouring parcels from ‘deferred industrial zone’ to ‘Te Rapa North Industrial zone’
Extend 0.5ha of Natural Open Space Zone alongside the Waikato River, bringing the total zoned area to 1.7ha
A new Structure Plan for the area, which guides the development of the plan change area
Keeping the existing Dairy Manufacturing Site and the associated noise emissions boundary.
Public notification (and your chance to tell us what you think)
Submissions close
Summary of submissions available and open for further submissions
Further submission close
Fonterra to lodge any additional or updated Plan Change material
s42a report
Fonterra Evidence
Submitters Evidence
Any rebuttal evidence
If the Panel directs expert conferencing
Legal submissions
Hearings
Notification of the decision
This includes all the documents and reports that are part of the planning process, such proposed changes, policies, maps, and technical studies.
Updated Application - Supplementary Report 21 August 2025
Te Rapa Private Plan Change Request
These are written comments or opinions from the public about a proposed change on the District Plan. They can support, oppose, or suggest changes to the plan.
These are additional comments made in response to the original submissions. They allow people to support or oppose the views expressed in the initial submissions. You do not need to be an original submitter to make a further submission, but your comments must be related to the points raised in the original submission. You cannot introduce a new topic.
Hearing Panel Directions are guidelines and instructions provided during the planning and hearing processes. This section also contains communications directed to the Hearing Panel, including legal memorandums and responses to those memorandums and directions. The documents are arranged in chronological order.
Joint Legal Memo – HCC and Fonterra – 31 July 2025
Legal Memo - Fonterra 06 November 2025
Direction 3 - 14 November 2025
Legal Memo – Fonterra – 20 November 2025
Legal Memo - Porters 21 November 2025
Legal Memo - Te Awa Lakes 24 November 2025
Direction 4 - 24 November 2025
Joint Legal Memo - Porters and TAL - 25 November 2025
Appendix A - PPC17 Transportation Review.pdf
Appendix B - PPC17 Water & Wastewater Review.pdf
Appendix C - PPC17 Stormwater Review.pdf
Appendix D - PPC17 Geotechnical Review.pdf
Appendix E - PPC17 Ecology Review.pdf
Appendix F - PPC17 Private Plan Change Request Documents.pdf
Appendix G - PPC17 Supplementary Information.pdf
Appendix H - Applicable Statutory Framework.pdf
Appendix I - Proposed Amendments to District Plan.pdf
Appendix J - Proposed Draft Provision for Landscape Concept Plans.pdf
Evidence of Suzanne O'Rourke (Corporate)
Evidence of Nicholas Grala (Planning) updated version 14 October 2025
Evidence of Damian Ellerton (Acoustic)
Evidence of Sian Keith (Archaeology)
Evidence of Shane Moore (Contamination)
Joint evidence of Carolyn Hopa and Jo Kukutai (Cultural)
Evidence of Gerardus Kessels (Ecology – bats)
Evidence of Dr Graham Ussher (Ecology – Freshwater and Terrestrial)
Evidence of Fraser Colegrave (Economic)
Evidence of Mark Sinclair (Geotechnical)
Evidence of Peter Kensington (Landscape)
Evidence of Bryce Hourigan (Rail Siding)
Evidence of Scott King (Stormwater)
Evidence of Cameron Inder (Transport)
Empire Corporation and Porter Group
Joint Evidence for Sam and Alisa Coleman, Scott Mathieson, Graeme Boddy, Hayden Porter, Paul and Gloria Stone and Wen Sen Shih & Hsiu-Jung Huang
Te Awa Lakes
Hamilton City Council
Proponent
Submitters
Chapter 3.9 - TAL additional changes sought
Chapter 12 - Chapter 3.9 - TAL additional changes sought
Volume 2 - Appendix 1.3.3 - TAL additional changes sought
Empire Corporation and Porter Group
Appendix 1 - Bluehaven Management Ltd v Western Bay of Plenty District Council [2016] NZEnvC 191 (1)
Hearing schedule
Hearing recording
Tabled statements
Waikato Regional Council – Letter - 29 October 2025
Waikato Regional Council - Letter 01 December 2025
Fonterra – Summary of Evidence
Summary Evidence statement of Damian Ellerton (Acoustics)
Summary Evidence statement of Sian Keith (Archaeology)
Summary statement of Evidence of Shane Moore (Contamination)
Summary Evidence statement of Gerardus Kessels (Ecology -bats)
Summary Evidence statement of Fraser Colegrave (Economics)
Summary Evidence statement of Mark Sinclair (Geotechnical)
Summary Evidence statement of Bryce Hourigan (Rail Siding)
Summary Evidence statement of Matthew Farrell - Water Supply and Wastewater
Summary Evidence statement of Nicholas Grala - Planning
Summary Evidence statement of Samuel Coles - Urban Design
Summary Evidence statement of Scott King - Stormwater
Summary Evidence of statement of Cameron Inder - Transport
Te Awa Lakes – Summary of Evidence
Summary of statement of evidence Summary of evidence of Mark Apeldoorn (Transport)
Summary of evidence and response to rebuttal of Michael Bilsborough (Urban Design)
Summary of evidence and response to rebuttal of Aaron Collier (Planning) - updated 01/12/2025
Statement of Evidence of Richard Coventry (Corporate) 01 December 2025
Supplementary Information – Shotover Park Limited v QLDC - 2013-NZHC-1712
Supplementary Information - Consented Infrastructure Summary
Supplementary Information - HCC decision on application
Supplementary Information - WRC - Decision on application
Hearing Statement
Rachel Caroline McGuire and Stephen Wayne Morth (submitter 16)
Empire Corporation Limited and Porter Group
Summary Evidence Statement of Dean Morris - 3 Waters Infrastructure
Summary Evidence Statement of Leo Hills - Transport
Summary Evidence Statement of Briar Belgrave - Planning
Meadowview Lane Submitters
Sam and Alisa Coleman (sub 4), Scott Mathieson (sub 5), Graeme Boddy (sub 8), Hayden Porter (sub 9), Gloria Stone (sub 12) and Wen Sen Shih & Hsiu‐Jung Huang (sub 17)
Summary Evidence Statement of Briar Belgrave - Planning
s42a Report team – Supplementary Statements
Supplementary statement of Naomi McMinn - Transport
Supplementary statement of Chris Hardy - Water and Wastewater
Hamilton City Council – Supplementary Information post hearings
Addendum Section 42A Summary Report
Section 32AA Further Evaluation
Transport Summary Statement – updated version 12 December 2025
Water & Wastewater Summary Statement – updated version 12 December 2025
Update provisions post hearings – 12 December 2025
Addendum Section42A - Summary Report - 23 January 2026
Closing submissions
Legal submissions in reply on behalf of Fonterra
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.
We're here to help so if you've got any questions, please email planchange@hcc.govt.nz