3.4 Policies

3.4.1 Infrastructure^ and other Physical Resources of Regional or National Importance

1. The Regional Council and Territorial Authorities^ must recognise the following infrastructure^ as being physical resources of regional or national importance:
   1. facilities for the generation of more than 1 MW of electricity and its supporting infrastructure^ where the electricity generated is supplied to the electricity distribution and transmission networks
   2. the National Grid and electricity distribution and transmission networks defined as the system of transmission lines, subtransmission and distribution feeders (6.6kV and above) and all associated substations and other works to convey electricity
   3. pipelines and gas facilities used for the transmission and distribution of natural and manufactured gas
   4. the road^ and rail networks as mapped in the Regional Land Transport Strategy
   5. the Palmerston North and Wanganui airports^
   6. the RNZAF airport^ at Ohakea
   7. telecommunications and radiocommunications facilities
   8. public or community sewage treatment plants and associated reticulation and disposal systems
   9. public water supply* intakes, treatment plants and distribution systems
   10. public or community drainage systems, including stormwater systems
   11. the Port of Wanganui.
2. The Regional Council and Territorial Authorities^ must recognise the following facilities and assets as being physical resources of regional or national importance:
   1. solid waste* facilities including landfills*, transfer stations and resource recovery facilities that deal with municipal waste*
   2. existing flood protection schemes
   3. New Zealand Defence Force facilities.
3. The Regional Council and Territorial Authorities^ must, in relation to the establishment, operation*, maintenance*, or upgrading* of infrastructure^ and other physical resources of regional or national importance, listed in (a) and (b), have regard to the benefits derived from those activities.
4. The Regional Council and Territorial Authorities^ must achieve as much consistency across local authority^ boundaries as is reasonably possible with respect to policy and plan provisions and decision-making for existing and future infrastructure^.

1. ensuring that current infrastructure^, infrastructure^ corridors and other physical resources of regional or national importance, are identified and had regard to in all resource management decision-making, and any development that would adversely affect the operation*, maintenance* or upgrading* of those activities is avoided as far as reasonably practicable,
2. ensuring that any new activities that would adversely affect the operation*, maintenance* or upgrading* of infrastructure^ and other physical resources of regional or national importance are not located near existing such resources or such resources allowed by unimplemented resource consents^ or other RMA authorisations,
3. ensuring that there is no change to existing activities that increases their incompatibility with existing infrastructure^ and other physical resources of regional or national importance, or such resources allowed by unimplemented resource consents^ or other RMA authorisations,
4. notifying the owners or managers of infrastructure^ and other physical resources of regional or national importance of consent applications that may adversely affect the resources that they own or manage,
5. ensuring safe separation distances are maintained when establishing rules^ and considering applications for buildings, structures^ and other activities near overhead electric lines and conductors eg., giving effect to the New Zealand Code of Practice for Electrical Safe Distances (NZECP 34:2001), prepared under the Electricity Act 1992, and the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003 prepared under the Electricity Act 1992,
6. ensuring safe separation distances are maintained when establishing rules^ and considering applications for buildings, structures^ and other activities near transmission gas pipelines eg., giving effect to the Operating Code Standard for Pipelines - Gas and Liquid Petroleum (NZS/AS 2885) and the Gas Distribution Networks (NZS 5258:2003), the latter promulgated under the Gas Act 1992,
7. ensuring that any planting does not interfere with existing infrastructure^, eg., giving effect to the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003 promulgated under the Electricity Act 1992 and Section 6.4.4 External Interference Prevention of the Operating Code Standard for Pipelines - Gas and Liquid Petroleum (NZS/AS 2885), and
8. ensuring effective integration of transport and land^ use planning and protecting the function of the strategic road^ and rail network as mapped in the Regional Land Transport Strategy.

1. recognise and provide for the operation*, maintenance* and upgrading* of all such activities once they have been established,
2. allow minor adverse effects^ arising from the establishment of new infrastructure^ and physical resources of regional or national importance, and
3. avoid, remedy or mitigate more than minor adverse effects^ arising from the establishment of new infrastructure^ and other physical resources of regional or national importance, taking into account:

1. the need for the infrastructure^ or other physical resources of regional or national importance,
2. any functional, operational or technical constraints that require infrastructure^ or other physical resources of regional or national importance to be located or designed in the manner proposed,
3. whether there are any reasonably practicable alternative locations or designs, and
4. whether any more than minor adverse effects^ that cannot be adequately avoided, remedied or mitigated by services or works can be appropriately offset, including through the use of financial contributions.