Rural subdivision

Key points | Report card | Technical information | Data

On this page:

• What is happening in our region
• Why rural subdivision is important
• What Environment Waikato is doing
• What you can do to help
• More information

What is happening in our region

• Between 1991 and 1996, 1864 hectares of land changed from a low-density rural land use to a more intensive use. Between 1996 and 2001, this figure rose to 2181 hectares and increased to 2936 hectares between 2001 and 2006.
• More than two-thirds of the land affected by subdivision has a ‘high productive capability for pastoral use’ (LUC classes I-IV)¹  - 67 percent in 1991-1996, 75 percent in 1996-2001 and 85 percent in 2001-2006.
• The greatest amount of subdivision is occurring on the land with the higher productive capabilities (LUC classes II, III and IV).
• Within the Waikato Region class I productive land makes up only 1.9 % of the total land area. Between 1996 and 2006, 423 hectares of class I land was subdivided (0.91% of the total class I land). Over the same period, a total of 1047 hectares of lower productivity land (classes V-VIII) were subdivided (0.07% of the total class V-VIII land). These classes make up over 61% of the Regions land area.
• In decreasing order, rural subdivision is occurring most rapidly in Waikato District, Hamilton City, Thames-Coromandel District, Franklin District, Taupo District, Hauraki District and Waipa District. Lower rates of rural subdivision are also occurring within South Waikato District and Matamata-Piako District.
• Between the 1996 and 2006 census, rural land has been subject to the following intensification pressures:²

• View this graph’s data.
• Find out more about rural subdivision.

The table below shows subdivision pressures by land class on rural land in the Waikato Region between the 1991 Census and 2001 Census. Even though most of the subdivided rural land in the Region is not being used for intensive urban development, other uses for the remaining subdivided rural land can still affect its potential productivity. You can see in the table below that the actual amount of Class I land has not dropped significantly. However, an average of 53.2 hectares per year of Class I land taken for subdivision may be being used in a less productive way (for example, previously productive pasture feeding high numbers of farming stock may instead become home to one or two cows on a lifestyle block).

Why rural subdivision is important

Around the world, intensified agricultural and horticultural development and urban subdivision is increasing pressure on the environment. The pressures include effects on:

• the economy - highly productive land may be removed from production. Rural subdivision also increases land prices above agricultural production values
• the natural environment – intensified agricultural/horticultural development and urbanisation may increase water requirements, soil erosion, loss of soil structure, fertiliser leaching and pesticide use. There may also be increases in impervious surfaces (those which can’t be penetrated by water, for example, roads, paving, roofs) leading to increased runoff and pressure on storm water and flood management. Rural subdivision can affect biodiversity by increasing the fragmentation of natural areas. It additionally increases traffic volume on rural roads with corresponding increases in pollution, energy use and greenhouse gas generation. Compared to sprawling urbanisation of rural land, high-density urban development can reduce many of these environmental impacts
• the visual character of the landscape by changing the pattern of vegetation and buildings
• the community – there may be conflicts between new lifestyle block owners and long-time rural residents through different perceptions of how land is best used and managed.

What Environment Waikato is doing

• It is not Environment Waikato’s role to control subdivision of land; however, Environment Waikato tracks changes in subdivision to assist with policy making and provide support and information to territorial authorities (district councils) who have the primary role in controlling subdivision.
• Environment Waikato can control other activities that affect land and water health, such as vegetation clearance on steep land and treatment of waste from subdivisions through Regional Policy and Plans.
• We encourage responsible land and groundwater use though our Land Management Advisors. Environment Waikato also co-ordinates Land Care and Stream Care groups within local communities. We provide incentives to care for rural land through financial assistance, such as the Clean Streams Project.
• We support the NZ Fertiliser Manufacturers' Research Association’s Code of Practice for Fertiliser Use
• We encourage land use planning that minimises reliance on motor vehicles.
• We are helping to protect areas of native vegetation through education, regulation (vegetation clearance rules on unstable land) and funding support (for example through the Environmental Initiatives Fund).
• Environment Waikato aims to raise the public’s awareness of the environment so that people understand that the daily actions in their lives and business can affect the environment.

What you can do to help

• Find out more about your local environment (for example, join a local Landcare or environmental group).
• Get involved in environmental issues (for example, make a submission on a Plan).
• Consider the impacts of where and how you live. Lifestyle blocks can have the greatest impact as they often take up valuable rural land, and require significantly more infrastructure (for example, roading, power, water, sewage). In comparison to lifestyle blocks, urban subdivisions on rural land concentrate infrastructure and take up less land per household. However, sprawling urban subdivision can still remove large areas of rural land. Housing infill within existing city limits concentrates facility use and does not encroach on rural land.

• planting native vegetation (especially nurse crops such as manuka) on steep land and alongside streams to enhance native wildlife habitat, stabilise soils and protect water quality
  
• keeping stock out of waterways and stopping them from trampling banks
  
• carrying out pest control in existing or planted areas of native vegetation
  
• using pesticides carefully and only when necessary
  
• using a nutrient budget to help maintain optimal soil fertility and reduce the risk of excessive fertiliser application. Follow the Code of Practice for Fertiliser Use
  
• managing water tables to avoid excessive drainage
  
• joining or forming a Landcare group in your area.

• planting areas of native vegetation, particularly fruiting species, to encourage birds
  
• using electric or flued gas heaters as an alternative to burning wood or coal
  
• making your house energy efficient - insulating walls and ceilings and stopping drafts
  
• whenever possible, reducing the number of times you use a private vehicle, or try:
  • carpooling
    
  • using public transport (trains, buses and shuttles)
    
  • cycling
    
  • walking.

More information

More detail on this indicator, including how and where Environment Waikato collects this information, is available in the Technical Information page.

Useful links

• Environment Waikato – Managing Land and Soil - Land Capability of Use

• Landcare Research - New Zealand Land Resource Inventory
• Ministry for the Environment - land
• NZ Fertiliser Manufacturers' Research Association’s Code of Practice for Fertiliser Use
• Statistics New Zealand

• Population growth
• Population structure
• Land Use
• Soil Quality
• Fine Particle Levels in Air
• Forest Fragmentation

Footnotes

1. The productive capability of land in the Waikato Region is assessed from the Land Use Capability (LUC) classification in the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory (NZLRI) (NWASCO, 1979). Classes I-IV are reported because they represent land with a high productive capability that is well suited to agricultural or horticultural use but also land that would appeal for urban and lifestyle block development.
2. The rural subdivision indicator has been developed from data in the 1991, 1996 and 2001 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings. Copyright: Information obtained from Statistics New Zealand may be freely used, reproduced, or quoted unless otherwise specified. In all cases Statistics New Zealand must be acknowledged as the source.