Highly productive land
This page explains what Highly Productive Land (HPL) is, why it is important, and links to resources and the policy to protect it.
Highly Productive Land (HPL) is land that is:
- in use for production (agriculture, horticulture and forestry)
- has a favourable climate
- suitable soils for food and fibre.
HPL covers less than 15 per cent of New Zealand’s land area. Only 0.7 per cent of our land area is Land Use Capability (LUC) class 1, the most versatile category of HPL. LUC class 2 covers a further 4.5 per cent and LUC class 3 covers 9.2 per cent (Lynn et al. 2009 [Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research).
Highly Productive Land is particularly good for food production. Both exports and domestic food production rely on the small amount of highly productive land available.
Certain food production such as outdoor vegetable production are limited to HPL. Food exports are an important part of New Zealand’s economy, and having access to local affordable food is important for everyone’s wellbeing.
Development of the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land
Many cities developed around food-producing land, with access to local food supply. These areas are also in high demand for housing and development. This puts a strain on the use of HPL for food production. To protect HPL for primary production, the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land (NPS-HPL) was developed.
View the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land