Land use planning most often occurs under the Resource Management Act, which contains specific provisions relating to noise and infrastructure. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Section 2 (Definitions of 'road', 'noise' and 'infrastructure')
• Section 16 (Duty to avoid unreasonable noise)
• Section 30(1)(d) (Functions of regional councils in the coastal marine area)
• Section 31 (Functions of territorial authorities)
• Section 166-186 (Part 8 – Designations) discussed in further detail below
• Section 326 (Excessive noise)

Land use planning attempts to address noise in a strategic manner. It can provide consistency and certainty when implemented early in the planning process. Land use planning approaches to control the effects of noise can occur at a national, regional or district/city level and can be complemented by other measures such as bylaws (for example restrictions on engine braking) and urban design (see discussion below).

Land use planning options include:

• National approaches: National Policy Statements, National Environmental Standards, the New Zealand Transport Strategy, New Zealand Standards, Building Codes and the Urban Design Protocol.
• Regional approaches: plan objectives, policies, rules and associated standards; regional land transport strategies and associated transport policies.
• District/city approaches: plan objectives, policies, rules and associated standards, such as rules and standards relating to noise barriers, building design, setbacks, site layout and building orientation.

District/city and regional approaches are most commonly used and specific planning options include:

• Location policies - such as policies recognising a hierarchy of roads within a district/city, policies encouraging new housing to locate in close proximity to public transport (which assists in reducing the need for travel by private vehicles and, therefore, the magnitude of noise generated).
• Control based measures – plan rules specifying suitable building setbacks from major arterial roads. Plan rules restricting the development of certain land uses near existing or planned road corridors, zoning, the use of structure plans to control site layout to reduce the transmission of, or exposure to, noise, or performance standards for noise sensitive activities (for example resource consent conditions requiring developers to demonstrate that specified internal sound levels have been met).
• Urban design – such as using plan rules and structure plans to achieve mixed use developments that aim to reduce private vehicle use or to control the location, orientation and design of buildings in order to reduce noise impacts.
• Strategic land use planning – such as promoting land use patterns that reduce dependency on private vehicles and subsequent road traffic related noise.

As always with land use planning, it is not appropriate to undertake a planning exercise with a single focus. Accordingly, noise outcomes will always need to be balanced with other national, regional and local planning objectives.

Land use planning approaches could make reference to this Standard and specify that noise shall be predicted, measured, assessed, and mitigated in accordance with this Standard.

Reverse sensitivity

Reverse sensitivity is the vulnerability of an established activity to objection from a sensitive land use. For example, noise from an existing road corridor may impact on the learning environment of a new school established nearby.

Land use planning can address reverse sensitivity noise effects by restricting certain land uses from developing near existing or planned transport corridors.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s investigation into noise and air pollution from the Hawke's Bay Expressway traverses the reverse sensitivity issue as it relates to land use planning. The report identifies that reverse sensitivity is difficult to plan for, and is a long-term issue to address, with multiple responsibilities – local authorities, landowners and those causing the primary effects.