4.7 Explanations and Principal Reasons

Objectives for land management are presented in this Plan to encourage sustainable land use and minimise erosion. These focus on responding to the fact that 65% of the Region consists of gullies and hillsides subject to accelerated erosion*. A target has been introduced into Objective 4-1 to ensure that the progress toward sustainable hill country land use can be measured. This is particularly important because the policy platform that underpins this objective is largely non-regulatory.

Policy 4-1 recognises that regulation is not the appropriate tool to encourage change toward sustainable land management practices. Instead it uses non-regulatory farm plans that contain a programme of works involving the landowner’s active participation. Policy 4-1 and associated methods acknowledge that the achievement of sustainable farming practices on hill country land subject to an elevated risk of accelerated erosion* is a complex task. There are three reasons for this.

Policy 4-2 recognises that vegetation clearance* and land disturbance* are two of the main contributors to accelerated erosion*. It also recognises that vegetation clearance*, land disturbance* and cultivation* within or close to water bodies have a high risk of causing discharges of sediment to water. The policy describes the regulation of land use activities to provide guidance to regional and district plan preparation.

Policy 4-3 states the Regional Council’s support for codes of practice, standards, guidelines and environmental management plans as these can assist with reducing accelerated erosion*.