Circumstances which influence the type of esplanade area provision

The geography of a district can influence the nature of the esplanade provisions included in a district plan.

Districts with large areas of rural land, natural habitats or natural features tend to make more use of esplanade and access strips instead of esplanade reserves. As these areas are often relatively inaccessible, many councils are inclined to defer the maintenance and control of such areas to land owners.
Rural land owners are often more comfortable with the concept of strips than reserves, as it provides them with more direct control over how these areas are used and managed.
Urban councils are more likely to use esplanade reserves as they usually want to exercise greater control over maintenance and access.
The size of the rating base will determine the extent of resources available to develop, administer and manage any reserves (eg, many districts in the South Island encompass large areas, but have a relatively low rating base - this can limit the amount of resource available to manage these areas).