4.4 Policies

Policy 4-1: Encouraging and supporting sustainable land^ management

The Regional Council will encourage and support the adoption of sustainable land^ management practices by:

working with relevant owners and occupiers of farms within hill country land^ subject to an elevated risk of accelerated erosion* to prepare voluntary management plans under the Council’s Sustainable Land Use Initiative or Whanganui Catchment Strategy, which identify sustainable land^ management practices for each farm and work programmes for implementing any agreed changes,
monitoring the implementation of voluntary management plans and sustainable land^ management practices within hill country land^ subject to an elevated risk of accelerated erosion* and reporting this information on a two-yearly basis, and reviewing the effectiveness of the sustainable land management practices, and
responding to requests from owners or occupiers of land^ that is not within hill country land^ subject to an elevated risk of accelerated erosion* to prepare a management plan, provided this does not impede the achievement of (a).

Policy 4-2: Regulation of land^ use activities

In order to achieve Objective 4-2 the Regional Council must regulate vegetation clearance*, land disturbance*, forestry* and cultivation* through rules^ in this Plan and decisions on resource consents^, so as to minimise the risk of accelerated erosion, minimise discharges of sediment to water, and maintain the benefits of riparian vegetation for water bodies^.
Territorial Authorities^ may regulate, through rules^ in district plans^ and decisions on resource consents^, the actual or potential effects^ of the use, development, or protection of land^, in order to achieve Objective 4-2. However, Territorial Authorities^ must not have rules^ that are contradictory to the rules^ in this Plan that control the use of land^.
The Regional Council will generally allow small scale vegetation clearance*, land disturbance*, forestry* and cultivation* to be undertaken without the need for a resource consent^ if conditions^ are met. Vegetation clearance* and land disturbance* require a resource consent^ if they are undertaken adjacent to some water bodies^ (including certain wetlands^) in Hill Country Erosion Management Areas* or in coastal foredune* areas. Any other large scale land disturbance* will also require a resource consent^.

Policy 4-3: Supporting codes of practice, standards, guidelines, environmental management plans and providing information on best management practices

The Regional Council must, and Territorial Authorities^ may:

support the development of codes of practice, standards, guidelines and other sector-based initiatives targeted at achieving sustainable land^ use,
recognise appropriately developed and administered codes of practice, standards, guidelines or environmental management plans targeted at achieving sustainable land^ use, and incorporate them within the regulatory framework where applicable, and
make information describing best management practices for reducing erosion and maintaining water^ quality and soil health available to all relevant landowners, occupiers, asset owners, consultants, developers and contractors.

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Chapter 4: Land