Rural landowners in the Western Bay wishing to subdivide around existing multiple legal dwellings can now do so under new rules in the Western Bay of Plenty District Council's Proposed District Plan.
The rule enables landowners to subdivide additional dwellings with minimal land from the main dwelling by means of a ‘transferable amalgamation' title.

A transferable amalgamation title is obtained when two titles that currently exist and can be built on are amalgamated (one must be vacant) to form one certificate of title.
This creates a ‘spare' title that can then be transferred to use on properties that have two dwellings on the one site to create a separate title for each of the dwellings.
The provision enables owners of properties with multiple dwellings to subdivide in a way that does not create any additional rural lots in the district.
Under the new rural subdivision rules, in the decisions released by council on the Revised District Plan, the main aim is to retain what's left of the district's higher productive land by preventing any further subdivision into small, non-productive lots.
For similar purposes council has created three new lifestyle zones to cater specifically for people who want to live rurally but not farm viable economic units. These zones will compliment the more than 4000 vacant lots existing in the rural zone, thus providing ample choice to those seeking such a living environment.
This new rural lifestyle provision is also aimed at protecting the remaining productive versatile soils that form the rural and horticultural rump of the sub-region's economy.
If rural land is subdivided in to small uneconomic blocks, the productive potential of the land is lost forever and this would severely compromise the region's economic growth and the survival of professional and service industries related to the rural productive sector.