5 March 2015 Chapter 11 Urban Environments • The need to protect coastal ecosystems that are vulnerable to modification; and • The contribution that the area makes to the amenity values found in the coastal environment. Policy 2.7 Ensure urban growth does not adversely impact on the life supporting capacity of soils or on the productive capacity of rural land. Residential development within the towns outside of Blenheim is limited to some degree by the occurrence of natural hazards, in particular flooding. All closely settled residential areas in the Wairau floodplain are intended to be protected from floods of up to 1 in a 100 year return period flood. However, in some areas where there are existing residential communities, in an extraordinary flood, floodwater will break out of floodways in some locations. The resultant floodwaters could be particularly deep and/or fast flowing and therefore potentially life threatening. This has greater implications for more closely settled areas particularly in terms of potential property loss/damage, and safety (loss of life) than it does for isolated rural dwellings. There are serious “community implications” for closely settled communities. This particular situation applies to the following areas: • The Tuamarina pocket area involving: Bush Road, England Street, Wakefield Street, Parkes Road, and the Kaituna Tuamarina Road, from its junction with Bush Road to where it crosses the stopbank upstream at “Raydale”; • The Spring Creek settlement; and • Grovetown, east of Vickerman Street. Further residential development in these areas presents an unnecessary risk. Below the terrace, north and northeast of the Renwick township, is another inundation sensitive area. While the Council continues with flood management works in this location there remains the threat of a flood break out from several rivers - the Wairau, Omaka, Gibsons Creek and Terrace Creek. The combined probability of flooding is therefore greater than a 1 in 100 year individual return period event and it is inappropriate for further close residential settlement to occur here. Settlement ponding of “Rural Residential” proportions may be considered in the context of site specific circumstances as they apply to the potential effects of inundation. The effects of flooding must be avoided before any further residential development can take place. Renwick and Grovetown are also presently limited by cumulative effects. In considering areas for future residential development, the productive capacity of rural land needs to be recognised and protected for long term sustainability. However, it also needs to be recognised that expansion of urban areas may inevitably need to be accommodated in rural areas, where it immediately adjoins existing towns/townships. Preference should be given to expansion on marginal or less productive land wherever possible with urban expansion balanced against the need to protect the life supporting capacity of soils. Where urban growth is to be provided for, it needs to be planned for in a coordinated manner rather than through piecemeal development. Although there is a duty under Section 17 of the Act to avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects, the Council recognises that the principle rural activities inherently 11 - 5