Volume One 2. Background 2. Background The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) promotes integrated management of natural and physical resources. This is reflected in the purpose of a regional policy statement, which is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources in Marlborough by: (a) providing an overview of the resource management issues of the district; and (b) identifying policies and methods to achieve integrated management of the natural and physical resources of the whole district. Identifying regionally significant issues The following criteria were used to determine whether an issue is regionally significant for Marlborough. Does the issue involve a resource that is scarce, rare, unique and/or is under threat? This includes both natural and physical resources and could include the limited availability of water in some parts of Marlborough or it may include the habitats of threatened indigenous species. Is the issue a widespread problem apparent throughout Marlborough or large areas of Marlborough? This type of issue may even cross local authority boundaries. An example of this is the management of pests. Is there a conflict in resource use? This may be evident where there is the presence of or the potential for significant conflicts in resource use. An example of this could be between recreational and commercial users of the Marlborough Sounds. Are there any significant cumulative impacts arising from resource use? This could arise in the use of both natural and physical resources. An example could be the expansion of urban areas where issues with roading, effluent disposal, rural amenity and flooding may be apparent. These criteria have been used throughout the review process in identifying issues that must be addressed. Results gained through monitoring Marlborough’s resources and from the emerging pressures that have become evident in recent times are also taken into account. (Monitoring results have been reported regularly to the community through the Council’s state of the environment monitoring reports and are available on the Council’s website.) Review process In carrying out the review there has been significant consultation with the Marlborough community and particularly with individual landowners. Initial consultation began with flyers to ratepayers and discussion papers seeking feedback on what were considered to be regionally significant issues for Marlborough and options to address these. Additionally the review process saw a number of supporting projects looking at key issues. Information about Marlborough’s outstanding landscapes, natural character, wetlands, allocation of water, significant marine areas and freshwater values was gathered and urban growth strategies for north and south Marlborough were developed. These projects resulted in significant numbers of private landowners being 2 – 1