13. Use of the Coastal Environment Volume One In contrast, Marlborough’s open coast is used by coastal and export ships transiting from one port to another around New Zealand and to other countries. Commercial fishing and recreational craft activity also occurs along this coastline, though compared to the Marlborough Sounds, recreational use of this area is much more limited. Issue 13H – Water transportation is a significant aspect of Marlborough’s overall transportation network but has the potential to be affected by various uses and activities. Given the extensive use of Marlborough’s coastal marine area for water transportation, potential exists for a range of activities, including the placement of structures, to have an impact on the safe and efficient navigation of ships. Navigation issues arise from the combination of craft types operating, especially given the concentration of boats of different size, speed capability, visibility and manoeuvrability. These problems can be worsened by the inconsistent skill levels of boat operators and from the placement of structures. It is important to ensure that activities in the coastal marine area, allowed either directly by the MEP or by resource consent, do not adversely affect navigational safety. The inappropriate siting of structures such as jetties or swing moorings may have an effect on the ability of ships travelling in that area to navigate safely. Controls need to be exercised over the exact location of structures and their maintenance, as well as various activities in relation to important water transportation routes. Lighting on land or on structures within the coastal marine area can also have an impact on the safe navigation of vessels and needs to be carefully controlled. Water transportation in and through Marlborough must be provided for in a manner compatible with other activities taking place in the coastal environment. This may involve the prioritising of some forms of water transportation in certain areas and limiting them from other areas. [RPS, C] Objective 13.14 – The use of the coastal marine area as part of Marlborough’s overall transportation network continues to contribute to the social, economic and cultural wellbeing of Marlborough and New Zealand. The use of the coastal marine area in Marlborough has developed over time for a wide range of transport related activities. The varying types of surface water activities, from small recreational boats operating at a non-commercial level through to large export vessels, have all contributed significantly to the social and economic wellbeing of Marlborough. This objective seeks to ensure that this continues. [C] Policy 13.14.1 – Enable water transportation activities where these do not have an adverse effect on the coastal environent. m Due to the nature of Marlborough’s coastal marine area (the extensive sheltered waterways of the Marlborough Sounds) and its central location within New Zealand, a number of water transportation activities have been in operation here for some time. It is important that provision is made to enable the activities identified in Objective 13.14 to continue where there is little adverse impact on the coastal environment. [C] Policy 13.14.2 – The strategic importance of areas of the Marlborough Sounds as a transportation route for inter-island shipping will be recognised as a ‘National Transportation Route’. The use of areas within the Marlborough Sounds for shipping provides a particularly important transport link between the North and South Islands. Tory Channel and inner Queen Charlotte 13 – 40