Hamilton City Council’s Plan Change 14 – Flood mapping
This article provides a summary of the proposed changes to flood mapping by Hamilton City Council and next steps for those affected.

The predicted flood modelling data for the city has been updated and this will be shown on properties within Hamilton City through Plan Change 14 (PC14). Through PC14, the current flood hazard maps will be removed, and the new modelling will take its place.
Key wording in the new mapping includes:
- Flood Hazard Areas – there are three areas:
- Low – which means flooding up to 50cm high and water moves 1m per second;
- Medium – which means flooding between 50cm – 1m high and water moves 1m – 2 m per second;
- High – which means flooding more than 1m high and water moves faster than 2 m per second
The activity you wish to carry out and what level the property is located within the Flood Hazard Area will determine if resource consent is required.
- Overland flow paths
- These are the areas that water will take when the man-made drainage network is overloaded.
If you’re building a new house or development or making changes to your property, you will need to make sure the water will not divert the flow path of floodwater that may occur during intense rainfall.
- Depression areas
- These are the areas that water will fall within if stormwater pipes or culverts are blocked.
If the property is changing to an activity where people will be located (like a school, community centre etc), resource consent will be required.
- Flood extent areas
- This is the area where the flooding may extend to.
Who might be affected by these changes?
PC14 will only affect certain properties. In any event, we recommend that individuals keep up to date with the proposal, using the link below.
To check whether your property might be affected by the proposed Plan Change, use this interactive map from Hamilton City Council: https://maps.hamilton.govt.nz/floodviewer/
What does it mean for my property?
- If you are looking to do new development, subdivide or complete renovations on your property, you may require resource consent.
- Your insurance provider will need to be updated on the new mapping area if you are affected.
- This flooding information will also be available on a Land Information Memorandums (LIMS) and therefore available to potential purchasers.
What if I disagree with the mapping and rules?
This plan change is set to have legal effect as soon as it is notified (21 January 2025). If you disagree with the information relating to your property, you will need to complete a submission and note your opposition before the submission period closes on 28 February 2025.
Please contact our environmental law team if you would like to make a submission or have any questions about how PC14 might affect you.
This article is current as at the date of publication and is only intended to provide general comments about the law. Harkness Henry accepts no responsibility for reliance by any person or organisation on the content of the article. Please contact the author of the article if you require specific advice about how the law applies to you.
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