Wairau/Awatere Resource Management Plan 5 March 2015 The objectives and policies recognise and enable the continued existence of the residential environments within the Wairau/Awatere. They also seek to guide the development of future residential areas. The Wairau/Awatere residential areas, including most areas of Blenheim, are characterised by low rise dwelling houses on individual lots. Over the last 25 years the inner residential areas of Blenheim have been steadily developing as a higher density residential environment. This Plan seeks to promote higher density residential use within the inner residential area of Blenheim. This will accommodate some of the future demand for housing (refer to Maps 157, 161 and 162, Volume Three). Alternatively, lower density residential use will be promoted in locations on the Blenheim urban periphery where previous lower density residential development has occurred providing a transition between urban and rural activities. (Refer to Appendix H1, Volume Two). These lower density areas have developed as a direct result of past Council decisions and the result has been a high level of amenity achieved, in a spatial location sense, between buildings. Property owners in these areas have acquired land with a standard of spatial/locational amenities in place and expect a continuity of these amenities. The north western and south western peripheries have been identified as the areas most capable of accommodating future growth of Blenheim. It is very important that the interface between urban peripheries and rural areas is sustainably managed. The relationship between the urban and rural zonings is the basis of expected amenities, planning for service infrastructure and efficiency, energy conservation and the retention of the rural land for productive uses, along with its character and amenities. Any expansion of the urban limits needs to be considered in a coordinated manner having special regard to the rural/residential interface. Objective 2 To ensure that growth occurs in locations suitable for residential development. Policy 2.1 Avoid new or further development in areas subject to natural hazards. Policy 2.2 Limit residential development to the north of Renwick due to the flood hazard. Policy 2.3 Limit any further residential development of Spring Creek because of flood hazard. Policy 2.4 Limit any further residential development of Grovetown to the east and north, due to the flood hazard. Policy 2.5 Limit any further residential development of Tuamarina township, and Tuamarina pocket in particular, because of flood hazard. Policy 2.6 Residential development in the coastal environment will be assessed against the following matters: • The need to avoid sprawling or sporadic subdivision, use or development; • The likely exposure to natural hazards; 11 - 4