21-Heritage Resources (PDF 482
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21. Heritage Resources 21.1 Introduction 21.1.1 Sections 6 and 7 of the Resource Management Act refer to the need to recognise and protect heritage values of sites, places, areas, or buildings through the District Plan. Section 6, which sets out Matters of National Importance includes as one of the matters; (e) The relationship of Maori and their culture and traditions with their ancestral lands, water, sites, waahi tapu, and other taonga.’ Section 7 of the Act requires that particular regard shall be had to; (a) Kaitiakitanga: (aa) The ethic of stewardship: (b) The efficient use and development of natural and physical resources: (c) The maintenance and enhancement of amenity values: … (f) Recognition and protection of the heritage values of sites, buildings, places or areas: (g) Any finite characteristics of natural and physical resources: …’ 21.1.2 Therefore the Resource Management Act places considerable responsibility on those who administer it to determine and provide for appropriate heritage protection. Heritage is an integral part of the definitions of ‘natural and physical resources’, ‘environment’, and ‘amenity values’. These terms are defined in the Act and underpin the philosophy of the Act. 21.1.3 One of the methods of recognising and protecting heritage values is through Heritage Orders. The process for obtaining Heritage Orders is set out in s187 to 198 of the Act. 21.1.4 The Historic Places Act, 1993 is a specific Act ‘to promote the identification, protection, preservation, and conservation of the historical and cultural heritage of New Zealand.’ It provides for creation of a register of heritage sites (‘Historic Places Register’) and for temporary protection of historic buildings, places, waahi tapu, and waahi tapu areas during the registration process. It also establishes a general protection of archaeological sites, and for the Trust to negotiate covenants and act as a Heritage Protection Authority. The fact that an item is registered by the Trust does not in itself provide any protection. However one of the purposes of the register is to ‘assist historic places, historic areas, waahi tapu, and waahi tapu areas to be protected under the Resource Management Act, 1991’. Councils must have regard to the register when preparing their District Plans under s74(2)(b) of the RMA. District Plans provide the actual protection of heritage items. Therefore the stewardship of heritage resources is essentially a shared responsibility, a partnership between Councils, the community (including the Maori community) and organisations like the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. 21.1.5 An inventory of heritage resources is a central component in the control of activities that may adversely affect these resources. The inventory contained in this section has been developed from existing information from the Historic Places Register produced by the Historic Places Trust, and from the New Zealand Archaeological Association. 21.1.6 There are many heritage sites throughout the District of importance to Maori. Some of those sites are shown on the planning maps, but many are unrecorded. It is accepted that non-disclosure of locations of places known to Maori may be an option that is taken to preserve the waahi tapu nature of those places. The Council and Maori must work together to establish processes for dealing with information on waahi tapu sites in a way that recognises both the management challenges that confidentiality can present, and respects the views of Maori. Effort will be made through ongoing consultation with iwi, hapu and whanau to show such cultural sites on the planning maps where they are appropriately identified and where confidentially is not sought. 21.1.7 There are various types of heritage resource in the District, with different needs for protection. They include natural limestone bluffs, remnant bush areas, waahi tapu, archaeological sites and historic buildings and structures. There is insufficient comprehensive information available covering these resources and the provisions in this Plan are based on local knowledge and the information in the Historic Places Register and the records of the Archaeological Association. It is accepted that further work would be needed to provide a comprehensive inventory of Waitomo’s historic resources. - 90 - Waitomo District Plan – March 2009 (amended for NES-PF 1 May 2018) Part Three: Section 20: Noise 21.1.8 The following issues, objectives, policies and rules cover a range of heritage features: Scheduled and mapped heritage sites of national or district significance (Schedules 1 and 2 at the end of this Section of this Plan). Archaeological sites identified on the planning maps from information supplied by the NZ Archaeological Association Site Recording Scheme (Schedule 3). Sites of cultural or spiritual significance to Maori (for example Maori Reservations, marae, urupa, and other specific sites identified by Maori). Significant trees and natural sites. 21.2 Issues 21.2.1 Lack of knowledge of the location and significance of heritage features. 21.2.2 Potential destruction, damage or compromise of important heritage features of value to the community, including waahi tapu and other taonga. 21.3 Objectives 21.3.1 To ensure that new developments, activities and subdivisions do not adversely affect Issue 21.2.1 any heritage values of places, areas, structures or buildings. 21.3.2 To protect sites, features and buildings of historical or cultural significance. Issue 21.2.2 21.4 Policies 21.4.1 To ensure that all developments, activities or subdivisions are designed, constructed Objective 21.3.1 or operated so as to avoid, remedy or mitigate any adverse effects upon heritage values and features. 21.4.2 To ensure that information on the location and significance of sites of heritage value Objectives is available. 21.3.1, 21.3.2 21.5 Methods 21.5.1 Non Regulatory Methods. 21.5.1.1 Heritage protection is best achieved through a combination of both regulatory and non-regulatory methods. Non-regulatory methods that the Council will use to complement regulatory controls include: Education - through a heritage resources information booklet. Provision of information and consultation. Waiver of resource consent fees and/or financial contributions. Assistance towards professional advice/information or the preparation of a Conservation Plan. Rates relief (see Section 11.7 of this Plan for Council policy on rates relief). Agreements on assistance with maintenance. Covenants. Awards, plaques and trails. 21.5.1.2 Council accepts that guidance and education are appropriate methods to be adopted under the Act. It is therefore proposed, in association with other interested and knowledgeable parties, to prepare a booklet addressing identification, protection and enhancement of heritage resources. 21.5.1.3 Council will consider funding for a full or staged heritage survey for improving the level of information on heritage resources when preparing its Annual Plans under the Local Government Act. 21.5.2 Regulatory Methods Policy 21.4.2 21.5.2.1 (a) Rules in the District Plan are one method that can be used to protect the District’s heritage values. Schedules 1 to 3 which follow list the sites considered to be of particular significance in respect to their historical, cultural and heritage values. Specific rules apply to these items. These sites are recorded on the planning maps using the number identified in the schedules. - 91 - Waitomo District Plan – March 2009 (amended for NES-PF 1 May 2018) Part Three: Section 21: Heritage Resources (b) A distinction has been made between the different types of heritage sites based largely upon their significance under the Historic Places Register. They are scheduled in the Plan as follows: Schedule 1: Historic Places of National Significance. These items are based on the Historic Places Register produced by the Historic Places Trust. They are shown on the Planning Maps as ‘Historic Places’. Schedule 2: Historic Places of District Significance. These items are based on the Historic Places Register produced by the Historic Places Trust. They are also shown on the Planning Maps as ‘Historic Places’. Schedule 3: Archaeological Sites. These are archaeological sites derived from the New Zealand Archaeological Association Site Recording Scheme. They are shown on the Planning Maps as ‘Archaeological Sites’. Sites recorded in this Schedule are not an exhaustive list of all sites in the District but rather have been accumulated from individual surveys over a period of time. The absence of any data for any particular area should not be taken to mean that it contains no archaeological sites. (c) Additions to the Schedules may be made by way of Plan Changes as further information becomes available. (d) Additional ‘Heritage Sites’ are shown on the Planning Maps being sites of cultural importance to Maori, natural features, remnant bush, and individual trees. 21.6 Rules 21.6.1 Permitted Activities 21.6.1.1 Any minor work on a Historic Place listed in Schedule 1 or Schedule 2 carried out in a manner and design and with similar materials and appearance to those originally used, and which does not detract from the values the item or resource is listed for. For the purposes of this Rule a ‘minor work’ is defined as: (a) Periodic redecoration, (b) Maintenance or protection of a site or building, (c) Minor replacement of minor components such as bricks, tiles, timber sections and the like, where the replacement is of the same or similar materials and appearance as the original it replaces, (d) Tree trimming for the purposes of maintaining security of supply of overhead services. 21.6.1.2 Signage within and upon heritage buildings in a Business Zone, providing that signage complies with the requirements of Section 19 of this Plan. 21.6.1.3 Educational or descriptive signs associated with the heritage character of a building or site in any zone, providing that signage complies with the requirements of official signage within Section 19 of this Plan.