14. Use of the Rural Environment Volume One [R, D] 14.M.7 Council works The Council has historically maintained the drainage network on the Wairau Plain in a hydraulically efficient state to ensure primary production activities can continue to occur. The works involved include the following: (a) establishing a range of acceptable water levels for the drains and small rivers that make up the Council administered drainage network; (b) as necessary, removing aquatic vegetation and sediment from the drains and small rivers to achieve the acceptable water levels; and (c) where necessary, installing and using pumps to assist with the removal of excess water. The determination of acceptable water levels for each of the drains and small rivers allows for more efficient control of water levels. This will effectively provide triggers for active intervention and in doing so minimise the cost of drainage maintenance work. The use of acceptable water levels will also provide criteria for determining when further intervention such as pumping is required to control water levels. The drains and small rivers that make up the drainage network also provide habitat for indigenous flora and fauna and provide opportunities for the development of ecological corridors. The development and use of triggers for drain maintenance will help to mitigate the impact of the works on the habitat that the drainage network provides. It may also be appropriate to undertake drain maintenance works in a certain manner to further mitigate any adverse effect on habitat values; see Chapter 8 - Indigenous Biodiversity for further details. Anticipated environmental results and monitoring effectiveness The following table identifies the anticipated environmental results of the rural environment provisions of the MEP. The anticipated environmental results are ten year targets from the date that the MEP becomes operative, unless otherwise specified. For each anticipated environmental result, a series of indicators will be used to monitor the effectiveness of the rural environment provisions. Anticipated environmental result Monitoring effectiveness 14.AER.1 The productive capacity of the rural land The primary sector contributes over 15% of resource is retained. Marlborough GDP. Land use change to alternative land uses as recorded in the Land Cover Database and resource consents. 14.AER.2 Rural properties retain their productive The number of resource consents resulting in smaller potential. allotments especially of rural living or urban residential zone dimensions. 14 – 20