Volume One 6. Natural Character individual components of natural character and therefore provide a framework on how to avoid significant adverse effects on natural character values. [RPS, R, C, D] Policy 6.2.3 – Where natural character is classified as high or very high, avoid any reduction in the degree of natural character of the coastal environment or freshwater bodies. The degree of adverse effects on coastal natural character is an important consideration under Policy 13 of the NZCPS. This policy establishes a threshold for the extent of further change that can be made in coastal environments that have high or very high natural character. Any activity that would have the effect of reducing the natural character at or near the site to a classification below that which exists at the time of making a resource consent application or plan change request, will be considered a significant adverse effect in the context of Policy 13(1)(b) of the NZCPS and should therefore be avoided. Although there is no equivalent direction in a statutory sense for freshwater bodies that reflects Policy 13(1)(b) of the NZCPS, the Council considers that the same policy approach is relevant given that freshwater bodies are included within the direction in Section 6(a). The extent of change in natural character at or near a site will be determined on a case-by-case basis through the resource consent or plan change process. The change will depend on the nature of the proposal, the natural character context within which the activity is proposed to occur and the degree of change to the attributes that contribute to natural character in that context. For the coastal environment specifically, Appendix 2 contains information on the elements, patterns, processes and experiential qualities that give discrete areas high or very high natural character. For freshwater environments, information on a range of values for Marlborough’s rivers, including natural character values, is set out in Appendix 5. This will help to inform any assessment of environmental effects on natural character of Marlborough’s rivers and the coastal environment. [RPS, R, C, D] Policy 6.2.4 – Where resource consent is required to undertake an activity within coastal or freshwater environments with high, very high or outstanding natural character, regard will be had to the potential adverse effects of the proposal on the elements, patterns, processes and experiential qualities that contribute to natural character. Where it is proposed that an activity will take place in an area of high, very high or outstanding natural character, it is appropriate that the applicant assesses the impact of the proposal on natural character at the site and in the surrounding environment. To undertake the assessment, regard must be had to the elements, patterns, processes and experiential qualities that contribute to natural character. For the coastal environment, Appendix 2 of the MEP contains information on these matters for each area, which will assist the assessment process. The level of assessment undertaken should reflect the scale of the proposed activity and the potential adverse effects on the attributes that contribute to the natural character in the coastal environment. The values of freshwater bodies, including natural character values, can be found in Appendix 5. [RPS, R, C, D] Policy 6.2.5 – Recognise that development in parts of the coastal environment and in those rivers and lakes and their margins that have already been modified by past and present resource use activities is less likely to result in adverse effects on natural character. Modified coastal and freshwater environments have greater potential to absorb change than those that have not been modified previously or that have low levels of modification. For this reason, the Council will use a combination of regional and district rules, zoning and overlays to provide direction about where development should be located. This will help to preserve the natural character of coastal and freshwater environments. 6 – 7