Whakatāne District Council has today approved Plan Change 5: Accessible Parking, following extensive community consultation. This decision ensures accessible parking is required for key facilities such as medical centres, libraries, and shopping centres, despite the removal of general minimum parking requirements from the District Plan.
In response to the Government’s 2020 National Policy Statement on Urban Development, councils across New Zealand were directed to remove minimum car parking requirements from their District Plans. As a result, the Whakatāne District Plan no longer guaranteed the provision of accessible parking, instead relying solely on national standards and building consent requirements.
Plan Change 5 addresses this gap by identifying specific situations where accessible parking must be provided and introducing a minimum number of accessible car parks. The change includes 18 targeted amendments to the District Plan and enables Council to assess accessible parking provision as part of the resource consenting process.
“Without this plan change, there was a risk that new developments might omit accessible parking altogether - potentially creating barriers to participation and mobility,” said Nicholas Woodley, Manager Policy, Planning and Consents Compliance. “By mandating accessible parking, Council is taking clear and proactive steps to build a more inclusive and equitable community.”
The decision supports the Council’s recently adopted Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Policy, which aims to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, can access public and commercial spaces and feel a sense of belonging.
Plan Change 5 also reinforces the Council’s commitment under its Accessibility and Inclusion Agreement with Whakatāne Accessibility and Inclusion (WAI), signed in 2024. This agreement highlights the need for accessible infrastructure, including suitable parking at essential services and community destinations.
Notified in May 2023, Plan Change 5 received five submissions, all of which were in support. Following a hearing process, the Hearings Panel issued its decision on 27 January 2025. With no appeals received by the 12 March deadline, the plan change was approved at the Council meeting on 8 May 2025. The changes will be formally incorporated into the District Plan and take effect from 26 May 2025.