New homes built in Hamilton will soon have an extra layer of protection against extreme wet weather.

Hamilton City Council is proposing to make changes to the District Plan (the rule book for development), to ensure new buildings in Hamilton are more resilient to flooding.

In recent years, Council has updated flood modelling data for the city, and Floodviewer now shows the potential effects of a 1-in-100-year flood event for the entire city.

Council has contacted thousands of affected properties in recent years, as new flood information became available.

Plan Change 14 proposes to replace static flood maps in the District Plan, with the best available flood information (currently on Floodviewer) to assess the flood hazards for a property.

New homes, or homes undergoing major renovation, will need to meet minimum requirements to protect against these hazards.

Strategic Growth and District Plan Committee Chair Councillor Sarah Thomson is confident these changes will improve outcomes in flood events.

“Climate change is happening. We’ve seen several examples in recent years of extreme rain causing widespread flooding in New Zealand."

“We need to be proactive about this and make sure we’re building the right things in the right place. Along with updating the District Plan, Council’s Civil Defence team is working to help Hamilton’s community to be prepared for flooding events.”

Check out Civil Defence for more information on how to prepare your whaanau for a flood event.

Council will notify Plan Change 14 in late January 2025. The Plan Change will propose to tighten the rules around low, medium and high flood hazard areas, and introduce new rules for depression areas.

Depression areas are spaces that could fill up with water, either because of the terrain, or if stormwater drains and culverts become blocked during a flood event.

The Plan Change will also include rules about overland flow paths – where water would flow across the ground if pipes and culverts become overloaded or blocked.

Urban and Spatial Planning Unit Director Mark Davey said: “The proposed changes enhance the city’s resilience to flood risks, and strike a fine balance between mitigating the impacts of extreme weather and enabling appropriate development. Moving from static maps to the most up-to-date information on Floodviewer supports getting the best outcomes for Hamiltonians and the city.”

Because these proposed changes relate to water, they will come into immediate effect when the Plan Change is notified. Anyone can provide feedback on the proposed changes during the submission period. Based on feedback provided during the submission period, the independent panel may recommend that Council modifies the Plan Change.

Learn more about Plan Change 14.

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