14. Use of the Rural Environment Volume One associated with urban living can be characteristic. The cumulative effects of such development can be the urbanisation of rural areas and in terms of the policy are to be avoided. Omaka Valley [D] Policy 14.4.12 – The Omaka Valley is characterised by the following: (a) low, broad ridges, parts of which have been identified as having high amenity value and are included in the mapped Wairau Dry Hills Landscape; (b) limited building on ridgelines; (c) open character due to a lack of tall vegetation within the valley; (d) meandering watercourse patterns and topographical variation in the upper valley; (e) viticulture is a dominant land use; (f) with the exception of times around grape harvest, it is generally a low volume traffic environment; (g) lack of through roads; (h) a mix of land uses towards the lower valley where a more domesticated rural character is evident; and (i) roads located close to the broad ridges, giving a contained nature to the valley. Over time the Omaka Valley has developed particular characteristics considered appropriate to be managed differently to the remainder of Marlborough’s rural environments. This policy sets out the resource characteristics and values of this valley that separate it from other areas within Marlborough’s rural environments. These characteristics and values are potentially under threat from inappropriate subdivision, use and development. To ensure that these threats do not adversely affect the characteristics and values identified here, a specific management framework will apply to the Omaka Valley in addition to the general provisions for rural environments. [D] Policy 14.4.13 – The Omaka Valley has been recognised as having specific amenity and rural character values that are to be maintained and enhanced as follows: (a) enabling primary production activities as provided for in the underlying Rural Environment Zone; (b) requiring resource consent for commercial forestry, to enable an assessment of this activity on the confined nature of the valleys in the Omaka Valley Area; (c) including the ridgelines along the valleys within the Wairau Dry Hills Landscape; (d) avoiding development in the form of buildings on the ridgelines surrounding the valleys; (e) reducing the potential for ‘industrialisation’ within the Omaka Valley Area through controls on the height and scale of buildings associated with primary production activities; (f) other than as provided for in Policy 14.3.1 and Policy 14.5.4, other activities not related to primary production in the Omaka Valley Area are to be avoided; (g) maintaining a low volume traffic environment to maintain a peaceful and quiet environment within the Omaka Valley Area; and 14 – 12