Appendix Two Appendix Two Natural Character Areas Guide to Using this Appendix This appendix describes both the overall natural character of the Marlborough Sounds across terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments, as well as the natural character of each of the 11 land and eight marine natural character areas. When to use this Appendix Appendix Two is referred to in the assessment criteria for all consents across all zones. This appendix identifies the known core biophysical and ecological components that make up the natural character of the Marlborough Sounds. Consideration of the effect of any plan change and consent applications on the natural character of the Marlborough Sounds must therefore have regard to these descriptions. Consideration of the effect of activities on these core components is therefore required in: i) the preparation of plan change and resource consent applications Assessment of Environment Effects; ii) decisions on those plan changes and consents; and iii) the development of appropriate consent conditions, mitigation options and environmental offsets, where these are deemed to be appropriate. How to use this Appendix The overall character of the terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems that function within the area covered by the plan is described in terms of known biophysical and ecological characteristics that typify the Marlborough Sounds area. The same characteristics are used to describe the natural character of the particular areas across the 11 land and eight marine systems. The boundaries to these areas are clearly mapped (Sheet 106) Each natural character area contributes to the overall natural character of the Marlborough Sounds area. Sustainability of the characteristics of individual natural character areas is therefore important in sustaining the overall natural character of the Marlborough Sounds. The core ecological and biophysical components of each of the natural character descriptions are described in terms of the parameters listed in Table 1 below. These parameters condense the natural character components described in Chapter One of the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement. App Two - 1