Wairau/Awatere Resource Management Plan 29 May 2014 The visual impact of large scale industrial, commercial or accommodation buildings and ancillary structures, as well as the likelihood of significantly increased traffic generation is likely to have a cumulative adverse impact on amenity values such as landscape, privacy, rural outlook, spaciousness and quietness. In addition the lack of services in the rural area would necessitate these industries or activities extracting sufficient quantities of water for their development and also establishing appropriate large scale on-site waste disposal systems. Furthermore, allowing any industry or commercial enterprise to establish in the rural area could cause fragmentation of the present industrial and commercial areas which have been established for Blenheim. Commercial, accommodation and industrial activities have been located in the past within the townships and will generally continue to be under this Plan for the following reasons: • There is a supply of labour within the townships; • There is ready access to goods and services; • A range of activities is located conveniently to a large number of potential customers; • There is access to environmental services such as reticulated water supply, sewer, stormwater and refuse services; and • The types and scales of buildings and open space areas needed for these activities can be better accommodated within the character of the built environment. The Business Areas section, under the Urban Environments chapter, sets up a hierarchy framework to enable the Council to consider the location of commercial activities outside the Central Business Zone. Consideration of large format retail commercial activity in the rural zone will be rigorously tested against this hierarchy, including requiring an assessment of whether those activities will significantly undermine the functionality of the Central Business Zone. 12.2.1.4 Safeguarding water resources The ready availability of quality ground and surface waters in quantity is a major factor underlying the intensive development of the lower Wairau Plain. Sustainable management of the water resource is essential to the sustainability of this rural environment. Water resources, ground, surface, and coastal waters, are vulnerable to contamination from various activities undertaken on land or on the surface of lakes and rivers. Sources of contamination may include dairy farm run off; septic tank effluent disposal; waste disposal from wineries; offal and refuse pits; mining operations; roading and tracking; spray or fertiliser application; or discharge of inadequately treated urban sewage. Such problems can be overcome by appropriate containment or treatment of possible contaminating discharges. In addition, there is potential that certain activities, for example forestry and irrigation schemes, can affect the water regime. Mismanagement can lead to impaired water quality and yields and its subsequent unsuitability or unavailability for drinking water or contact recreation; or its inability to support healthy natural aquatic ecosystems. The Rarangi Community has an older settled area that has historically taken water from shallow wells. This water source is very susceptible to the risk of contamination, and development will be permitted where this aspect is identified and provided for. 12 - 4