02 How to Read and Use the Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HOW TO READ AND USE THE PLAN PART 2 HOW TO READ AND USE THE PLAN GREY DISTRICT PLAN 6 HOW TO READ AND USE THE PLAN GREY DISTRICT PLAN 7 HOW TO READ AND USE THE PLAN 2 HOW TO READ AND USE THE PLAN 2.1 INTRODUCTION The matters which must be included in the District Plan under Section 75 (Refer to 1.4) have been incorporated into this plan as follows: Part 1 Scope And Legislative Framework Of The Plan Part 2 How To Read And Use The Plan Part 3 District Wide Issues, Objectives and Policies Part 4 Environmental Area, Issues, Objectives, Policies and Rules Part 5 Appendices, Schedules and Definitions Part 6 Planning Maps These are referred to in detail below. In particular the range of methods is set out in 2.4 and application of the rules is set out in 2.5. 2.2 PART 1 - SCOPE AND LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURE Part 1 contains the relevant sections of the Act relevant to the preparation of the Plan and Council’s legal obligations. 2.3 PART 2 - HOW TO READ AND USE THE PLAN This explains how to use the Plan’s various statutory procedures and outlines the procedures when applying for a resource consent. 2.4 PART 3 - DISTRICT WIDE ISSUES, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES The District wide provisions in Part 3 apply to the following: • Utilities • Landscape • Indigenous vegetation and habitats of fauna • Waterways and Margins • Coastal Environment • Signs • Natural Hazards • Tangata Whenua • Hazardous Substances • Transport • Subdivision • Heritage • Financial Contributions GREY DISTRICT PLAN 8 HOW TO READ AND USE THE PLAN Part 3 identifies significant resource management issues which apply throughout the District and the objectives and policies which are intended to address these issues. The reasons and explanation for adopting the objectives and policies is given. Methods of implementing the objectives and policies are then identified. In this respect a number of methods, both regulatory and non-regulatory, are used which are summarised below. i. Promotion of Guidelines, Standards and Good Management Practices: There are a number of guidelines and codes of practice available, such as New Zealand Forest Code of Practice, building design and sign guidelines, and regional council publications. Some organisations have their own management guidelines including accreditation with internationally recognised standards. Council encourages their use by practitioners while Council will also work with groups such as Iwi, community organisations and environmental and landholder groups to further develop codes of practice. ii. Encouraging Use of Covenants: Grey District has large areas of covenanted land particularly as it relates to indigenous areas of vegetation. Council believes methods such as these should be encouraged given the acceptance and commitment of landowners. iii. Co-operation with other Parties: Favourable outcomes can be achieved by co- operation with other groups and agencies. For example, co-operation with parties such as Iwi, landowners and the Department of Conservation in respect of strategies, works and programmes can give practical effect to achieving sustainable management. iv. Consultation/Information: Potential problems arising from resource management can be solved within the community by consultation and ultimately agreement. Dissemination of information is part of this process. An example of this is the SNA (Significant Natural Area) Study, which over the next two years will identify areas of significant indigenous vegetation and habitats of fauna on the West Coast and the appropriate methods of sustaining their values. This is a co-operative exercise between such diverse organisations as Department of Conservation, district councils, regional council, Timberlands, Federated Farmers, Farm Forestry Association, MAF, landowners and Royal Forest and Bird Society and other conservation groups and individuals. An earlier example is the West Coast Accord in respect of indigenous forests. v. Use of other legislation and powers of the authorities: The use of legislation and powers of other regulatory authorities are an effective method of achieving sustainable management, particularly when district council input will only cause a duplication, or overlap, of controls. Examples of this are the Maritime New Zealand’s powers in respect of activities on the surface of water and the 1993 Forest Amendments Act which applies to the sustainable management of privately owned forests The Regional Council also has a considerable array of controls which are referred to in (vii) below. vi. Use of Rules in the District Plan: Rules may allow, restrict and regulate activities. Refer to 2.5 for more details on how they are applicable in the plan. vii. Regional Council Planning Documents: The West Coast Regional Council has a regional policy statement as well as a number of regional plans which contain rules regulating activities which affect land use activities. These plans address Regional Council functions in such matters as the control of the use of land for the purpose of soil conservation and water quality, and coastal management and discharges to land, air or GREY DISTRICT PLAN 9 HOW TO READ AND USE THE PLAN water. Grey District sees little point in duplicating these types of rules as it will only lead to confusion, delay and added expense for councils and the public alike. All of the five plans have been publicly notified and therefore have statutory effect. The regional documents are set out below: • West Coast Regional Policy Statement While not containing any rules the policy statement sets the framework for the integrated management of natural and physical resources of the West Coast region, addressing issues relating to heritage, Maori values, soil, water, natural habitats, the coastal environment, natural hazards, wastes, air quality, network utilities , energy and minerals.” • Soil Conservation and Erosion Control Plan. This plan has rules controlling activities such as disturbance of land surface and earthworks, including vegetation clearance and works in proximity to waterbodies. • Regional Air Quality Plan. This plan has rules controlling discharges to air and includes odour, dust and industrial emissions. • Control of the Discharge of Contaminants to Land. This plan has rules controlling discharges to land and includes stormwater, effluent, leachate, farm wastes etc. • Regional Coastal Plan. This plan has rules controlling discharges from land, structures, deposition and excavation etc, as they affect the Coastal marine area. Activities such as forestry, mining, factory farming , coastal works and land development are all affected by the above plans, and may require consent from the Regional Council as well as any consents from the District Council. viii. Designations: These generally provide for existing or future public works. Refer to 2.8.3. ix. Conditions of Resource Consents: Council can impose conditions on resource consents, including financial contributions, to avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects. x. Enforcement and Abatement Notices: Council and in some cases, other parties, can initiate an enforcement or abatement notice if the Act or a rule is contravened or if any activity is likely to have an adverse effect on the environment. xi. Monitoring: Monitoring enables Council to review significant resource management issues in the district and the appropriateness of their methods to deal with such issues. Finally, Part 3 includes anticipated environmental results setting out the consequences of implementing the Plan’s objectives, policies and methods and how those results will be monitored. GREY DISTRICT PLAN 10 HOW TO READ AND USE THE PLAN 2.5 PART 4 - ENVIRONMENTAL AREA - ISSUES, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES (INCLUDES RULES) Part 4 contains five environmental areas as follows: i. Residential: Greymouth, Karoro, Paroa, Runanga, Cobden, Blackball, Kaiata, Kaiata Park , Mitchells, Iveagh Bay, Moana, Dobson, Punakaiki, Boddytown, Sumner Road, and Blaketown. ii. Township: Camerons, Nelson Creek, Ahaura, Ngahere, Stillwater, Taylorville, Gladstone, Rapahoe, Barrytown, Totara Flat, and Blackball. iii. Rural-Residential: Golden Sands, parts of Dobson, Kaiata Park , Blackball and Paroa. iv. Commercial/Industrial: Stillwater, Greymouth, Cobden, Runanga, Rapahoe, Blaketown, Karoro, Paroa, Gladstone, Kaiata, Kaiata Park , Dobson, Ngahere, Moana, and Mitchells. v. Rural: All that area not previously mentioned. Each of the management areas generally contain similar natural and physical resources which make each area distinct from one another. Essentially as you move between those areas the performance standards vary, i.e. from the more stringent residential standards to the more flexible Commercial/ Industrial standards. This could generally be represented in graphic form as: HIGH PERFORMANCE STANDARDS LOW COMMERCIAL/ RURAL RURAL- TOWNSHIP RESIDENTIAL INDUSTRIAL RESIDENTIAL As with Part 3, each Environmental Area contains significant resource management issues, objectives and policies, implementation methods, anticipated environmental results and monitoring techniques. The management areas also contain the district plan rules referred to in the methods. The rules implement both District wide objectives and policies and also the Area wide objectives and policies (this emphasises the need to take into account all sections of the plan so that the plan is read as a whole). The Rules are set out in columns as follows and should be read across: i. Item: GREY DISTRICT PLAN 11 HOW TO READ AND USE THE PLAN This describes the item or activity that is