A Guide to Making House Alterations in a Conservation Area
If you live in New Zealand, you’ll be no stranger to our highly regulated conservation laws and guidelines to protect our local wildlife. Our systems are set up so that the Department of Conservation (DoC) categorises reserve areas as specially protected. These places are accessible to the public most of the time and have their own ecosystems. Those of us who live near a reserve, creek, stream or bush that’s considered DoC land will know that making house alterations can be tricky.
If you fit that category and you’re thinking of making house alterations, let’s explore your options.
Houses in the Bush
If you own land in the New Zealand bush, you are probably already aware that many bush areas are technically classed as heritage areas, which means there are specific building restrictions for those who live there. It’s always best to talk to your local DoC representative if you’re looking at doing any alterations on your home in the bush, but we’ve summarised a few of the main factors to take into consideration.
Let the wilderness guide Your design process
It’s important that any building erected in a heritage area does not distract from the scenic nature of the wilderness it is surrounded by. For example, the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Act states that developments in the area must be “of an appropriate character, scale and intensity.” This means the architectural style of homes in these areas should blend and work in harmony with the bush. This can be easily achieved by using natural, muted tones and textures on the exterior.
Basically, the government doesn’t want your home to stick out like a sore thumb when people wander the beautiful New Zealand bush.
Don’t create interference with natural waterways
The New Zealand bush is full of running streams and has vast aquatic ecosystems that live within them. These waterways are heavily protected in the conservation act, so if you are building in the bush, you must ensure that you don’t interfere with the natural water flow. It may pay to take a walk around the outskirts of your property to check for waterways, as they may have a marginal strip of land where you can’t build at all. We discuss this in more detail below.
Build with sustainability in mind
This one isn’t a set-in-stone law, but if you are building amongst the great outdoors, you are in a great position to put sustainable elements into effect. This can even make it easier to abide by the conservation laws, as your home is set up to be more passive with the landscape. Conservation is all about managing a changing landscape and it is much easier for infrastructure to do that when it doesn’t rely so heavily on energy from urban environments.
Houses Near Waterways
Not much of New Zealand is truly inland, so it’s no surprise that many of our biggest towns and cities are built close to varying bodies of water. This doesn’t just mean those who live by the beach, but also on the bank of a stream, creek or lake. If you think about all the suburban waterways that have been created by Auckland’s volcanic activity, or the central North Island lake system stemming from the massive Lake Taupo, there’s absolutely no shortage of these.
The Conservation Act has some strict regulations to take into account if you’re one of the many New Zealanders living near a body of water.
Be careful of your marginal strip
The main thing to take into account if you live near a body of water is that the Department of Conservation has reservation of your marginal strip, i.e. the 20-metre margin on either side of every body of water in the country. This prevents anyone from building any permanent structures less than 20 metres back from the foreshore of a waterway. If you live on the bank of a waterway, 20 metres may be a lot more than you think, and you may have to think twice before making housing developments into your backyard.
There is a possibility of reducing your marginal strip by a maximum of three metres. If you require this, the way to go about it is to talk to your local DoC representative and have it approved by the Minister of Conservation. The requirements for a reduction include proving that there is little to no value in the environment of the land and that any value it does have can be protected adequately in another way.
Build Your Home with Conservation Architecture Experts
At Gubb Design, we have no shortage of experience developing homes for kiwis living in vastly diverse landscapes. As some of the best architects West Auckland has to offer, we’re well-versed in providing conservation-friendly solutions to your housing design. If you’re looking for someone to partner with for your housing alterations or new home build, chat to us today.
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