Wairau/ Awatere Resource Management Plan 2 October 2014 Objective 2 To protect rural amenity values of the Rural 3 Zone by encouraging the establishment of a range of activities which do not create unacceptably unpleasant living or working conditions for residents and visitors, nor a significant deterioration of the quality of the rural environment. Policy 2.1 To recognise that activities permitted or provided for in rural areas may result in effects such as noise, dust, smell, and traffic generation but that these will require mitigation where they have a significant adverse effect on the rural environment. Policy 2.2 To ensure that a wide range of rural land uses and land management practices can be undertaken in the rural areas without increased potential for the loss of rural amenity values or for conflict. Policy 2.3 To limit the scale of rural subdivision and dwellings in order to retain the rural amenity values of openness, to reduce conflicts between residential and neighbouring rural activities, and to assist in protecting the quality of the water resources. Policy 2.4 To avoid, remedy or mitigate the effects of activities that can cause unpleasant living or working conditions for the rural community, or that cause other significant adverse effects to the environment. Policy 2.5 To avoid, remedy or mitigate the adverse effects of intensive farming activities, ensuring that their scale and nature, design and management, protect the amenity values of rural areas. Policy 2.6 To manage the establishment of activities which result in higher than normal traffic generation to avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects on the safety and efficiency of the arterial road network. Policy 2.7 Ensure that the patterns of small-scale rural subdivision and related residential development are not located where: • Rural amenity values of openness will be adversely affected; or • The potential for conflict between residential and neighbouring rural activities will be created, or where they already exist, be exacerbated. Policy 2.8 To enable rural activities which might generate adverse effects such as noise or smell, to operate in rural areas in accordance with accepted practices, without being significantly compromised by other activities demanding higher levels of amenity. A wide range of activities occur in rural areas, including viticulture, traditional livestock farming and the farming of supplementary crops, as well as more intensive pastoral and horticultural enterprises. Low density residential development has also spread throughout rural areas. People have differing expectations about what are acceptable amenity levels in the rural environment. Amenity means how noise levels, odour strength, air quality and visual appearance relate to the overall nature of the rural environment. The inherent nature of land based productive activities, means that intermittently high noise levels will be produced when agricultural machinery is being used, stock is being moved or held, or crop protection mechanisms are activated. These activities may also result in increased odour levels and reduced air quality. 12 - 6