South Dunedin Natural Hazards Plan Review

The Dunedin City Council (DCC) has recently undertaken a review of the natural hazard provisions in the Second Generation Dunedin City District Plan (2GP) that apply to the South Dunedin area. The review was prompted by new hazards information becoming available through the South Dunedin Future (SDF) programme, along with new regional and national direction for natural hazards.

The management of significant risk from natural hazards is a matter of national significance under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). In January this year, the National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards (NPS-NH) came into effect. This requires that significant risk is avoided or mitigated, proportionate to the level of risk. The Otago Regional Policy Statement also requires a risk based approach to managing natural hazards.

What did the review look at?

The review examined whether the plan provisions for natural hazards applying to South Dunedin were still appropriate in light of the new hazards information and the new national and regional direction.

The 2GP manages natural hazards through policies and rules attached to different types of overlay or mapped area, which are shown on the 2GP map. The South Dunedin area is currently subject to a ‘Hazard 3 (coastal) Overlay Zone’, which represents a ‘low’ risk. Because of the low risk rating, there are relatively few controls addressing natural hazard risk for new developments under the 2GP.

To support the review of the 2GP, the Otago Regional Council (ORC) prepared a qualitative risk assessment, which builds on the work done for the SDF programme. The risk assessment shows that by 2100, much of South Dunedin will be at significant (high or medium) risk, due to the combined impact of rainfall-induced flooding, rising groundwater and coastal inundation. A further potential source of risk arises from coastal erosion, and the risk of dune breach along the St Clair-St Kilda coastline.

What did the review conclude?

The review found that the current coastal overlay zone and its low risk setting is no longer fit for purpose and the 2GP is not managing new development appropriately in South Dunedin.  The review report, including the ORC risk assessment, can be found here: South Dunedin Natural Hazards Plan Review.

What happens next?

While there is a range of potential options that could be made to change how new development is managed under the 2GP, a decision has been made by Council not to initiate a plan change at this time. Under the government’s programme of Resource Management reform, the DCC will be required to develop a new land use plan which will replace the 2GP, within the next 3 to 4 years. Appropriate provisions for managing natural hazard risk will be developed under the new plan, informed by further government direction and the SDF adaptation work still underway.

Minutes of Council - 25 June 2026

Agenda of Council - 25 June 2026

In the meantime, the DCC has the ability under sections 106 /106A of the RMA to refuse consent or grant consent subject to conditions if it considers that there is a significant risk from natural hazards. This does not apply to permitted activities that do not require a consent.

Still didn't find what you were looking for?