29 May 2014 Chapter 12 - Rural Environments Rules to control subdivision are considered a useful tool to ensure that lot sizes are appropriate to enable sustainable management of rural land that results in the retention of the life supporting capacity of the land and soil resource, allows for a range of future uses, retains the character and amenity values of the rural environment and minimises conflict between activities in rural areas. Management Plans as part of resource consents for new dairy farm conversions will enable rural land to be used in such a way as to avoid adverse effects on water quality, while providing farmers the flexibility to manage their activity in a manner best suited to achieving the outcomes they are seeking. Guidelines and education allow flexibility of approach to accommodate new information, changes in community perceptions, and take account of management systems and the needs of crop rotations. Farm environment awards both reward and educate farmers on environmentally sustainable farming practices. Rules limit the use of rural resources to include those activities that are rural land based activities in nature, require a rural setting or are necessary to enable rural communities to provide for their social, cultural and economic wellbeing. Drains and watercourses less than three metres in width are particularly prone to blocking with vegetation spreading from each bank. Control of riparian weed vegetation is essential to maintain the hydraulic effectiveness of such watercourses and drains. One of the roles of the riparian management strategy is to investigate the appropriateness of existing riparian management detailed in this and other chapters and the rules contained in Volume Two of the Plan. If, following this investigation, changes to plan provisions are required then those changes will be pursued through the plan change process. 12.3 Rural Uplands 12.3.1 Issue The continued use of the tussock grasslands for extensive pastoral farming has the potential if managed inappropriately, to adversely affect the life supporting capacity of the soil and the robustness and diversity of the indigenous fauna and flora of the Wairau/Awatere uplands. For much of the land in the Plan area above 1000 metres, extensive pastoralism, historically was and still is the predominant land use activity. Its relative isolation and topographical and climatic limitations means that pastoralism is likely to remain the major land use activity well into the future. Much of the land is Crown owned and is in pastoral lease subject to private management. A primary issue which concerns the management of these upland areas (and indeed most South Island uplands) is the need to protect communities of tall tussock grasslands and other significant indigenous flora and fauna and to limit erosion and general land degradation. There is considerable debate over the sustainability of grazing of tussock grasslands and the interaction with land degradation causal factors such as rabbit infestations and invasion by hieracium. Most parts of the rural uplands have experienced changes in vegetation from tall tussock lands into species such as 12 – 10A