15. Resource Quality (Water, Air, Soil) Volume One stormwater to reduce the level of contamination. This means that the Taylor, Ōpa oa and Waitohi rivers, Waikawa Stream (and relevant tributaries) and coastal waters will experience reduced water quality during and after rainfall events. Although there may be community concern at this outcome, it is important to recognise the role that these waterbodies play in enabling ongoing residential, commercial and industrial activity in each of the towns. Without the ability to discharge stormwater to these waterbodies, land utilised for these activities would be subject to surface flooding during rainfall events. However, efforts should still be made to reduce the level of stormwater contamination over time. Policy 15.1.21 identifies other initiatives that will be utilised in this regard. [R] Policy 15.1.23 – Avoid the discharge of animal effluent to fresh waterbodies and stock disturbance of river beds to the extent necessary to meet the management purposes established by Policy 15.1.1, by: (a) preventing the direct discharge of collected animal effluent to water; and (b) avoiding the access of intensively farmed stock to rivers. Animal effluent can be discharged directly into rivers and wetlands through either the point source discharge of collected animal effluent (e.g. farm dairy effluent) or through stock access to waterbodies. At the date of notification of the MEP, there were no authorised discharges of animal effluent into water. This policy seeks to avoid the significant risk posed to surface water quality by discharges of collected animal effluent. This will be implemented through a prohibited activity rule. Stock can also access rivers when grazing riparian margins. In such circumstances, it is likely that there will be a discharge of animal effluent to water and the river bed will be physically disturbed. The resulting increase in bacteria and turbidity in the receiving waters have the potential to reduce water quality. The adverse effects of casual access on water quality are dependent on a number of factors, including the type and density of stock. Intensively farmed stock such as dairy cattle, pigs, or cattle or deer grazed on irrigated pasture or breakfed on winter crops create a significant risk of adverse effects on water quality. For this reason, the policy seeks to avoid stock access where stock is farmed intensively. Due to the practical difficulties in some situations of fencing stock out of waterbodies, particularly where stock are grazed extensively, the Council has also adopted an approach of using permitted activity rules for managing the adverse effects of stock access not covered by this policy. The permitted activity rules will require compliance with any relevant water quality standard set for the affected waterbody. [R, C] Policy 15.1.24 – Establish a response capability to deal with spills of hazardous substances that enter waterbodies or coastal waters. In the event that hazardous substances are accidentally or deliberately released into the environment, it is important that there is the capability to contain the extent of the spill and subsequently clean-up the site. Several agencies are potentially involved in any spill event, including the Council, Fire Service, Police and (in the coastal marine area) Maritime Safety. An ad hoc response from each agency creates the potential for ineffective containment and for soil contamination to occur over a wider area than if the spill was effectively contained. It is important therefore that the actions of each agency in responding to a spill are co-ordinated. This is especially the case considering the risks posed by the volume of goods transported to and through Marlborough on the Cook Strait ferries. Methods of implementation The methods listed below are to be implemented by the Council unless otherwise specified. 15 – 20