13.1.2 Policies

Policy 13-1: Regional rules^ for vegetation clearance*, land disturbance*, forestry* and cultivation*

The Regional Council must:

regulate vegetation clearance*, land disturbance*, forestry* and cultivation* through regional rules^ in accordance with Objectives 12-1, 12-2 and 13-1 and Policies 12-1 to 12-8, and
manage the effects^ of vegetation clearance*, land disturbance* and cultivation* by requiring resource consents^ for those activities:
1. adjacent to some water bodies^,
2. involving the removal of some woody vegetation* in Hill Country Erosion Management Areas*,
3. involving land disturbance* or cultivation* in Hill Country Erosion Management Areas*,
4. involving large-scale land disturbance*, or
5. within the coastal foredune*

Policy 13-2: Consent decision-making for vegetation clearance*, land disturbance*, forestry*and cultivation*

For vegetation clearance*, land disturbance*, forestry* or cultivation* and ancillary discharges to and diversions of surface water^ that requires resource consent^ under Rule 13-2, Rule 13-6 or Rule 13-7, the Regional Council must make decisions on consent applications and set consent conditions^ on a case-by-case basis, having regard to:

the Regional Policy Statement, particularly Objective 4-2 and Policies 4-2 and 4-3,
managing the effects^ of land disturbance*, including large-scale earthworks, by requiring Erosion and Sediment Control Plans* or other appropriate plans to be prepared,
managing the effects^ of forestry* by requiring sustainable forestry* management practices to be adopted and Erosion and Sediment Control Plans* or other appropriate plans to be prepared,
managing the effects^ of cultivation* on water bodies^ through the use of sediment run-off control methods and setbacks from water bodies^,
the appropriateness of establishing infrastructure^ and other physical resources of regional or national importance as identified in Policy 3-1,
generally allowing the clearance of woody vegetation* on established pasture if that clearance will not lead to accelerated erosion* or the increased sedimentation of water bodies^,
generally allowing activities that are for the purpose of managing natural hazards^, including the reduction of flood risk,
generally allowing forestry* for soil conservation purposes,
generally allowing activities that result in improved land^ stability or enhanced surface water^ quality,
any relevant codes of practice, standards, guidelines, or environmental management plans and accepting compliance with them to the extent that they can be used as conditions^ on resource consents^,
sediment and erosion control measures required to reasonably minimise adverse effects^, including those caused by rainfall and storm events,
achieving integrated management through consents that are Region-wide or cover large areas for activities that are widespread and undertaken by or on behalf of a single consent holder including, but not limited to, infrastructure^ and other physical resources of regional or national importance, or forestry*, provided any such consents are subject to conditions^, including review provisions, enabling site*-specific matters to be addressed as necessary, and
for activities involving an ancillary discharge^ to surface water^, the matters in Policy 14-9.

Advice note: The rules^ in this regional plan^ do not authorise the modification or disturbance of any archaeological or registered waahi tapu* sites within the area of activity. Written authority from the Heritage New Zealand is required prior to any destruction, damage or modification of an archaeological or registered waahi tapu* site or an area where there is reasonable cause to suspect there is an archaeological site. Should any artefacts, bones or any other sites of archaeological or cultural significance be discovered within the area affected by the activity, written authorisation should be obtained from the Heritage New Zealand before any damage, modification or destruction is undertaken.

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Chapter 13 : Land Use Activities, Indigenous Biological Diversity, and Natural Inland Wetlands*