Consultation on Wellington District Plan heritage provisions

Overview

The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Act 2025 introduced a new power for the Minister for the Environment (now delegated to the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform) to make regulations to remove or modify local plan provisions that negatively impact economic growth, development capacity or employment.

Read more about this regulation-making power.

Investigation into relevant heritage provisions within the Wellington District Plan 

The Government is consulting on whether to modify heritage provisions in the Wellington District Plan at five locations.  

• The Courtenay Place Heritage Area  
• The Karori Tunnel 
• The Kelburn Viaduct  
• The former General Headquarters Building at 213A Taranaki Street 
• The Miramar oil tank at 139 Park Road.

These changes are being considered under section 360I of the Resource Management Act 1991. Section 360I enables the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform to make regulations that remove or modify local plan provisions where they are found to negatively affect economic growth, development capacity, or employment.  

Following a request from the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Wellington City Council in March 2026, the Minister commissioned an investigation into the heritage provisions at these five locations. The investigation concluded that these provisions have negative impacts on economic growth or employment, and recommended that they be modified or removed. 

The Government is now considering whether to make regulations to modify these provisions in the District Plan. 

Read the investigation report.

Why we are consulting 

Before making these regulations, the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform must consult parties who are likely to be affected. The Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport is undertaking this consultation on behalf of the Minister.