Volume One 9. Public Access and Open Space [RPS, C] Policy 9.1.7 – Recognise there is an existing network of marinas at Picton, Waikawa and Havelock, publicly owned community jetties, landing areas and launching ramps that make a significant contribution in providing access for the public to Marlborough’s coastal areas. An existing network of marinas, jetties and launching ramps enable the public to access the coastal marine area. This includes substantial marinas in Havelock, Picton and Waikawa as well as access points across the foreshore at locations such as Wards Beach, Marfells Beach, the Wairau Diversion and Ohingaroa Bay in Mahau Sound. The policy recognises this significant contribution to public access and thereby gives effect to the matters of national importance in Section 6 of the RMA. [RPS, C] Policy 9.1.8 – Enable public use of jetties for the purposes of access to the Sounds Foreshore Reserve and legal road along the coast. Consistent with recognising the importance of providing, maintaining and enhancing public access to and along the coast, there are many existing jetties in the Marlborough Sounds that can provide access to the Sounds Foreshore Reserve. This reserve is a strip of land generally 20 metres wide, which has as its main purpose the right for the general public to come ashore from the sea and traverse the reserve for any lawful reason. In some locations, legal road also runs along the foreshore. It is important that public access to the foreshore via jetties and along the beach is allowed in any area where access is not otherwise constrained under conditions of a coastal permit. [RPS, D] Policy 9.1.9 – Enhance public access through: (a) development of networks for cycling and walking in both rural and urban areas; and (b) facilitating public access and recreational use of Marlborough District Council owned or administered land. In order to promote opportunities for walking and cycling in Marlborough, there need to be places available for people to undertake these activities. While in many cases these opportunities are evident within urban areas, in rural areas they are sometimes less evident. Improving public access for cycling or walking (including within the hills, plains, farms and vineyards and along rivers and coastal areas) will be important. In some cases this will extend to identifying new routes, but may also include seal widening or sealing shoulders on existing roads, or identification of specific cycle lanes. In addition, there are areas of Marlborough that are served by networks of rivers, tributaries and streams with significant opportunities for access. Many of the rivers have legal roads or other forms of public reserve running along their edges. (In addition to being corridors into the landscape, rivers provide significant opportunities for the creation and/or enhancement of tracts of ecological habitat.) The more populated area of the Lower Wairau Plain has a recorded history of flood plain management with stopbanked river floodways. Much of the floodway land is in Council ownership, thus public ownership of riparian margins is high and public access can be readily achieved. 9 – 5