About The Auckland Council Regional Plan: Air, Land and Water (ALW Plan)

Current status of the plan

The Auckland Unitary Plan became operative in part on 15 November 2016 and will replace this plan in its entirety once all appeals are resolved. Therefore, this regional plan is operative only in relation to parts of the Unitary Plan that are under appeal.

When the plan became operative

The ALW Plan became operative on 30 September 2013.

What the plan covers

The ALW Plan applies to the whole area within the Auckland Region, which is under the jurisdiction of Auckland Council. The plan provides for the management of air, land and water resources in the region including:

• air
• soil
• rivers, streams and lakes
• groundwater, wetlands and geothermal water.

History of the plan's development

The Proposed Auckland Regional Plan: Air, Land and Water was notified for public submissions in October 2001. The plan was made operative in part on 21 October 2010. Further parts of the plan became operative on 30 April 2012.

All appeals have now been resolved and on 30 September 2013 the remaining parts of the plan were made operative, including:

• Chapter 4 Air Quality provisions regarding landfills
• Parts of Chapter 5 Discharges to Land and Water, and Land Management including sewage solids and biosolids, other discharges of contaminants and onsite wastewater
• Parts of Chapter 12 – Definitions and Abbreviations.

The plan was fully operative until the Auckland Unitary Plan became operative in part on 15 November 2016. This regional plan is now operative only in relation to the parts of the Unitary Plan that are under appeal. It will be replaced by the Auckland Unitary Plan once all appeals have been resolved.

Withdrawal of Chapter 8 – Financial Contributions

The withdrawal of Chapter 8 – Financial Contributions to the ALW Plan was publicly notified on 20 April 2012.

Read the plan

Visit Regional plan: air, land and water documents to read about the plan in full.