Policy 5-7: Land^ use activities affecting groundwater and surface water^ quality

The management of land^ use activities affecting groundwater and surface water^ must give effect to the strategy for surface water^ quality set out in Policies 5-2, 5-3, 5-4 and 5-5, and the strategy for groundwater quality in Policy 5-6, by managing diffuse discharges^ of contaminants in the following manner:
  1. identifying in the regional plan targeted Water Management Sub-zones*. Targeted Water Management Sub-zones* are those subzones where, collectively, land^ use activities are significant contributors to elevated contaminant levels in groundwater or surface water^
  2. identifying in the regional plan intensive farming land^ use activities. Intensive farming land^ use activities are rural land^ use activities that (either individually or collectively) make a significant contribution to elevated contaminant levels in the targeted Water Management Sub-zones* identified in (a) above
  3. actively managing the intensive farming land^ use activities identified in (b) including through regulation in the regional plan, in the manner specified in Policy 5-8
  4. the Regional Council must continue to monitor ground and surface water^ quality in Water Management Sub-zones* not identified in (a) and rural land^ uses not identified in (b). Where monitoring shows the thresholds in (a) and (b) are met then the regional plan must be amended so that those further Water Management Sub-zones* and rural land^ uses are included in the management regime set out in (c).

Policy 5-8: Regulation of intensive farming land^ use activities affecting groundwater and surface water^ quality
  1. Nutrients
    1. Nitrogen leaching maximums must be established in the regional plan which:
      1. take into account all the non-point sources of nitrogen in the catchment
      2. will achieve the strategies for surface water^ quality set out in Policies 5-2, 5-3, 5-4 and 5-5, and the strategy for groundwater quality in Policy 5-6
      3. recognise the productive capability of land^ in the Water Management Sub-zone*
      4. are achievable on most farms using good management practices
      5. provide for appropriate timeframes for achievement where large changes to management practices or high levels of investment are required to achieve the nitrogen leaching maximums.
    2. Existing intensive farming land^ use activities must be regulated in targeted Water Management Sub-zones* to achieve the nitrogen leaching maximums specified in (i).
    3. New intensive farming land^ use activities must be regulated throughout the Region to achieve the nitrogen leaching maximums specified in (i).
  2. Faecal contamination
    1. Those persons carrying out existing intensive farming land^ use activities in the targeted Water Management Sub-zones* listed in Table 14.1 or new conversions to intensive farming land^ use activities anywhere in the Region must be required, amongst other things, to:
      1. prevent cattle access to some surface water bodies^ and their beds^
      2. mitigate faecal contamination of surface water^ from other entry points (eg., race run-off)
      3. establish programmes for implementing any required changes.
  3. Sediment
    1. In those Water Management Sub-zones* where agricultural land^ use activities are the predominant cause of elevated sediment levels in surface water^, the Regional Council will promote the preparation of voluntary management plans under the Council’s Sustainable Land Use Initiative or Whanganui Catchment Strategy for the purpose of reducing the risk of accelerated erosion*, as described in Chapter 4.

Policy 5-9: Point source discharges^ to water^

The management of point source discharges^ into surface water^ must have regard to the strategies for surface water^ quality management set out in Policies 5-3, 5-4 and 5-5, while having regard to:
  1. the degree to which the activity will adversely affect the Schedule B Values for the relevant Water Management Sub-zone*
  2. whether the discharge^, in combination with other discharges^, including non-point source discharges^ will cause the Schedule E water quality targets* to be breached
  3. the extent to which the activity is consistent with contaminant^ treatment and discharge^ best management practices
  4. the need to allow reasonable time to achieve any required improvements to the quality of the discharge^
  5. whether the discharge^ is of a temporary nature or is associated with necessary maintenance^ or upgrade* work and the discharge^ cannot practicably be avoided
  6. whether adverse effects^ resulting from the discharge^ can be offset by way of a financial contribution set in accordance with Chapter 19
  7. whether it is appropriate to adopt the best practicable option

Policy 5-10: Point source discharges^ to land^

Discharges^ of contaminants^ onto or into land^ must be managed in a manner which:
  1. does not result in pathogens or other toxic substances accumulating in soil or pasture to levels that would render the soil unsafe for agricultural, domestic or recreational use
  2. has regard to the strategies for surface water^ quality management set out in Policies 5-3, 5-4 and 5-5, and the strategy for groundwater management set out in Policy 5-6
  3. maximises the reuse of nutrients and water^ contained in the discharge^ to the extent reasonably practicable
  4. results in any discharge^ of liquid to land^ generally not exceeding the available water^ storage capacity of the soil (deferred irrigation)
  5. ensures that adverse effects^ on rare habitats*, threatened habitats* and at-risk habitats* are avoided, remedied or mitigated.

Policy 5-11: Human sewage discharges^

Notwithstanding other policies in this chapter:
  1. before entering a surface water body^ all new discharges^ of treated human sewage must:
    1. be applied onto or into land^, or
    2. flow overland, or
    3. pass through an alternative system that mitigates the adverse effects^ on the mauri* of the receiving water body^, and
  2. all existing direct discharges^ of treated human sewage into a surface water body^ must change to a treatment system described under (a) by the year 2020 or on renewal of an existing consent, whichever is the earlier date.