Land
Whenua me te oneone
Council wants to ensure that land is managed in a way that soil loss does not lead to excessive sedimentation in rivers and coastal waters, and that the way hazardous substances are used does not lead to ongoing contamination issues.
Whenua me te oneone
Council wants to ensure that land is managed in a way that soil loss does not lead to excessive sedimentation in rivers and coastal waters, and that the way hazardous substances are used does not lead to ongoing contamination issues.
The way in which we manage land can have a profound effect beyond the boundaries of our properties or beyond the period that we own them.
Depending on the physical characteristics of the land, vegetation clearance and earthworks can lead to accelerated soil erosion, beyond natural levels. Soil entering streams can lead to sedimentation in those water bodies and estuaries. Sedimentation can in turn have adverse effects on freshwater and marine species, particularly those reliant on rocky substrates and reasonable water clarity.
Feedback on the draft Nelson Plan in November 2015 highlighted community concern about the impacts of plantation forestry particularly during the harvesting phase, not just in visual terms, but also in terms of soil loss, sedimentation and slash debris deposition in streams, rivers and on the coast.
The draft Regional Policy Statement acknowledges that the Government is working on a National Environmental Standard for Plantation Forestry which, when finalised, would set a consistent benchmark for forestry practice in New Zealand. More stringent controls through the new Nelson Plan may be appropriate where the physical characteristics of the land, the sensitivity of receiving environments, and the risks and consequences of erosion demand it.
This section of the draft Regional Policy Statement also describes how the new Nelson Plan will manage the use and development of potentially contaminated sites and, through the management of hazardous substances and facilities, avoid the creation of new contaminated sites.
Does this draft RPS section outline an appropriate approach to managing the effects of land use?
Downloads
Download the Land chapter of the Draft RPS (1.4MB PDF)