Volume One 5. Allocation of Public Resources 5. Allocation of Public Resources Introduction Much of the Council’s resource management work involves managing resources that are in the public domain. Marlborough has a considerable coastline, large areas of land in Crown ownership and extensive freshwater resources. The Council frequently allocates or authorises the use of these natural resources for private benefit, especially resources in the coastal marine area, rivers, riverbeds and aquifers. Allocating rights to use public resources has become a fundamental part of the overall fabric of Marlborough’s social and economic wellbeing. For example, our viticulture industry, which contributes significantly to Marlborough’s economy, relies on access to freshwater resources from rivers and aquifers. Other examples include the many moorings, boatsheds and jetties throughout the Sounds, all of which contribute to the social wellbeing of residents and holidaymakers. The importance of the community and visitors being able to continue to use and develop these natural resources within the constraints of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) cannot be underestimated. Any significant reduction or change in approach to resource use could have significant implications for Marlborough’s economic, cultural and social wellbeing. The two main areas where allocation of public resources is considered to be an issue are rights to occupy space in the coastal marine area, and rights to take and use freshwater. Issue 5A – The diversity of water resources makes it difficult to achieve uniformity in water allocation and water use management regimes across the District. Marlborough’s geology, topography, land cover and climate vary dramatically across the district. This results in a diverse array of rivers and aquifers, evident in the size of catchments/aquifers, the length of rivers through the catchment, the spatial extent and depth of aquifers, the flow of water through the river/aquifer, water availability (and variation in water availability) and the natural and human use values that the waterbodies support. Although the objectives of the Marlborough Environment Plan (MEP) establish consistent objectives across all water resources, the means to achieve these outcomes will necessarily differ due to the above variation. It is therefore difficult to achieve consistent approaches to managing water resources across Marlborough. The lack of consistency can create frustration, especially for water users who access water from more than one water resource. [RPS] Objective 5.1 – Water allocation and water use management regimes reflect hydrological and environmental conditions within each water resource. If the management applied to the taking and use of water does not reflect the hydrological and environmental conditions that exist in each water resource, one of two things may happen: water users could be unnecessarily restricted in taking or using that water, or taking and use of water may result in adverse effects on the natural and human use values supported by the freshwater resource. These are inappropriate outcomes given the value of water in terms of its contribution to social, economic and cultural wellbeing and its life-supporting capacity. It is therefore essential that the management applied to any water resource is fit for purpose in order to achieve sustainable outcomes. 5 – 1