Digital boost for Waipā's district plan with online tool

A new online tool is making it easier for people to navigate Waipā’s district plan with the launch of the Waipā ePlan.

The Waipā District Council has transitioned to the ePlan, which offers an interactive and entirely digital version of the district plan.

The online platform makes it easier to view maps and find property-specific district plan information.

Group manager district growth and regulatory services Wayne Allan said the new platform would improve the user’s experience in finding the information they need from the district plan quickly and easily from any device.

District councils throughout the country have been tasked with improving standards for district plans.

The Ministry for the Environment requires all councils to have an online interactive plan. Waipā’s ePlan follows several other councils, meaning customers can get used to and experience the same tool across a number of districts.

“The district plan is one of the top viewed pages on our website. The new platform makes the district plan information so much more accessible, making it easier to do business with Waipā District Council in the regulatory space.”

Users can now search for a specific property and use filters to narrow down the relevant parts of the district plan that they want to see.

Previously, the plan was accessed through separate maps in hardcopy form or as a series of PDF documents.

“We know our regular users, such as surveyors, developers, real estate agents, designers, lawyers and tradespeople, will welcome the change, but also the public will find this tool far more streamlined and user-friendly than what we’ve had before.

“The ePlan will also help internal processes and will be well established come Waipā’s next full district plan review,” Allan said.

A district plan is a key document that contains policy guidance and rules on how land in the district is developed and used.

● To learn more about the Waipā ePlan,go to waipadc.govt.nz/eplan.