Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan 21 A ugust 2008 The Council is responsible for marine environment protection within the 12 mile territorial limit under the Resource Management Act 1991. This responsibility is essentially controlling pollution from ships and offshore installations as regulated by the Resource Management (Marine Pollution) Regulations 1998. In addition, under the Maritime Transport Act 1994, the Marlborough District Council, as a unitary authority, is responsible for oil spill management and response within the 12 mile limit. Navigation and safety within the harbour limits is the responsibility of the Marlborough District Council as a harbour authority under the Harbours Act 1950. These functions are carried out by the Council’s Harbourmaster under Harbour Bylaws and General Harbour Regulations. These functions will inevitably overlap at times. The role of Council is clearly very important in the management of water transport in the Sounds. With regard to navigation, the main function of the Plan is to ensure that activities in the coastal marine area, when allowed either directly by the Plan or by a resource consent, do not adversely affect navigational safety. The inappropriate siting of a structure may have an effect on the ability of vessels travelling in that area to navigate safely. Some control needs to be exercised over the exact location of structures in relation to important water transportation routes and other structures. Managing the environmental effects of water transportation is the other main function of the Plan in relation to this activity. That is, environmental effects outside of those controlled directly by regulations under the Act (e.g. pollution from ships - explained above). Water transportation is a very broad reaching activity which has a number of interconnections with other activities. For example, the need for log barging and log barging sites on the foreshore has a direct link with forestry activity in the Sounds; similarly, jetties - which are an essential part of the water transportation infrastructure - relate very closely to Sounds residential development and subdivision on the adjacent land. Generally, these matters will be dealt with at source, rather than in isolation under this chapter of the Plan. In addition, there have been a range of adverse environmental effects experienced from ship generated waves and speed, through the operation of fast and large ships within Tory Channel and Queen Charlotte Sound, in particular. While some aspects of their operation are dealt with in this chapter, a more comprehensive policy framework addresses the issues surrounding ship-generated waves and speed at 9.5 of the Coastal Marine chapter. Finally, water transportation needs to be provided for in a way which is compatible with other activities which take place in the coastal marine environment. This will involve the prioritising of some forms of water transportation in some areas of the Sounds and thus limiting them from other areas. 19.2