19 February 2026 
 
 
File Ref: IRC-9545  
 
 
Wellington City (Brooklyn) Rate Payer 
[FYI request #33223 email] 
 
Tēnā koe Wellington City (Brooklyn) Rate Payer 
 
Thank you for your email of 10 December 2025 to Te Kaunihera o Pōneke | Wellington City Council 
(the Council) requesting information regarding District Plan Change 1 (EW-R2 Amendment). Your 
request has been considered under the Local Government Of icial Information and Meetings Act 1987 
(LGOIMA). Please find my response below. 
 
1)  Internal memos, briefings and decision rationale Please provide documents created between 
1 January 2023 and the date of this request: 
a)  Any internal briefing notes, issue assessments, or memos prepared by Planning Policy, 
Resource Consents or Compliance teams that identify a need to amend EW-R2 or initiate 
Plan Change 1. 
 
 
Five documents have been identified in scope of this portion of your request and provided in Appendix 
One. Further details can be found in the Appendix Table below. 
 
b)  Any documents discussing risks, gaps, or loss of regulatory coverage following the 
removal of the Ridgelines and Hilltops Overlay (RLHTO) in the Council Decisions version 
of the Proposed District Plan. 
 
c)  Any internal reports that compare the former RLHTO controls with the proposed EW-R2 
controls, including analysis of how regulatory ability may shift. 
 
As the Council does not hold any information relating to questions 1b or 1c, this portion of your 
request has been refused under section 17(e) of the LGOIMA, the document alleged to contain the 
information requested does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found. 
 
 
2)  Communications regarding the Planning Bill or amenity-based effects Please provide: 
a)  Any emails, meeting notes, summaries or internal communications relating to the 
Planning Bill or the shift away from regulating amenity and visual effects, where these 
discussions relate to rural earthworks or EW-R2. 
b)  Any internal or external (MfE to WCC or WCC to MfE) communications in which staff 
discuss how the Planning Bill may affect the Council’s ability to regulate rural tracks, 
visibility-based effects, or earthworks. 
 
 
As the Council does not hold any information relating to question 2, this portion of your request has 
been refused under section 17(e) of the LGOIMA, the document alleged to contain the information 
requested does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found. 
 
 
3)  Internal discussions about regulatory control or gaps Please provide: 
a)  Any internal emails or meeting notes in which staff discuss concerns about retaining 
regulatory oversight of rural land modification, the impact of RLHTO removal, increased 
construction of tracks associated with permitted activities, or the need to strengthen 
earthworks triggers due to enforcement difficulties. 
 
 
 
 
 

---

 
 
 
 
Aside from the emails provided in Appendix One, we have identified one email in scope of this portion 
of your request. This has been provided in Appendix Two. 
 
b)  Any internal descriptions of EW-R2 as a mechanism to maintain or restore regulatory 
control following the removal of visibility-based or amenity-based tools. 
 
As the Council does not hold any information relating to question 3b, this portion of your request has 
been refused under section 17(e) of the LGOIMA, the document alleged to contain the information 
requested does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found. 
 
4)  Drafts, comments and approvals 
Please provide: 
a)  All versions of the Plan Change 1 proposal where wording relating to EW-R2 differs 
materially from the notified version. 
 
There has only been one version of Plan Change 1 proposed wording of EW-R2. This is available via 
the following link - Proposed Changes and Section 32 Report - Plans, policies and bylaws - Wellington 
City Council. 
 
b)  Any comments or instructions from senior planning staff, managers or legal advisors 
explaining the purpose of the rule change or expressing concern about loss of regulatory 
ability under the new planning system. 
 
The purpose of the rule change is detailed in the change register spreadsheet, and subsequently in 
the omnibus issues and errors spreadsheet, then assessed in the s32 evaluation. There are also the 
email chains where we identify a need to assess how EW-R2 functions. PC1 was notified before 
details of the new planning system were known, therefore we hold no records about loss of regulatory 
ability.  
 
c)  Any documents showing who authorised the drafting of Plan Change 1 and the reasons 
cited for initiating it. 
 
Two documents have been identified in scope of this portion of your request and provided in Appendix 
Three. Further details can be found in the Appendix Table below. 
 
Additionally, the plan change was presented to the Social, Cultural and Economic Committee on 4 
September 2025. The details of this meeting can be found here. 
 
Some information has been withheld under the following sections of the LGOIMA: 
•  7(2)(a) of the LGOIMA, to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased 
natural persons. 
 
As per section 7(1) of the LGOIMA, I do not consider that in the circumstances of this response, the 
withholding of this information is outweighed by the other considerations which render it desirable to 
in the public interest to make the information available.  
 
I trust this information is helpful. If you have any concerns about this response please contact 
[Wellington City Council request email]. Alternatively, you are advised of your right to raise any concerns 
with the Of ice of the Ombudsman at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602. 
 
Nāku noa, nā 
 
 
 
 
Chelsea McHugh 
Senior Advisor Of icial Information 
Of icial Information & Privacy 
Wellington City Council 
 
Wellington City Council   |   2 of 3 
 
 

---

 
 
 
 
Appendix One –   
 Document 
 Date 
Released/withheld 
Withholding Grounds 
Some information 
withheld under section 
7(2)(a) of the LGOIMA, 
 Email 
 14 May 2024 
 Released in part 
to protect the privacy of 
natural persons, 
including that of 
deceased natural 
persons. 
Some information 
 Email 
11 November 2024 
 Released in part 
withheld as it is out of 
scope of the request. 
 Section 32 Assessment  October 2024 
 Released in full 
  
We have provided an 
Omnibus assessment of 
excerpt of the 
issues and errors – 
 August 2024 
Released in part 
document. The 
A ugust 
remainder is withheld as 
out of scope. 
PDP recommendation 
We have provided an 
reports - change register 
excerpt of the 
and Plan Change 1 
July 2023 
Released in part 
document. The 
topics 
remainder is withheld as 
 
out of scope. 
 
 
Appendix Two –   
 Document 
 Date 
Released/withheld 
Withholding Grounds 
Some information 
withheld for the following 
reasons: 
•  under section 
7(2)(a) of the 
LGOIMA, to 
 Email 
13 August 2025 
 Released in part 
protect the 
privacy of 
natural persons, 
including that of 
deceased 
natural persons. 
•  it is out of scope 
of the request. 
 
 
Appendix Three –  
 Document 
 Date 
Released/withheld 
Withholding Grounds 
 Omnibus Presentation  May 2025 
Released in full 
  
 Omnibus Plan Change 1 June 2025 
Released in full 
  
 
Wellington City Council   |   3 of 3 
 
 

---