Chapter 12 - Rural Environments Pest Maintenance of a Regional Pest Management Strategy. Management Landcare Groups The Council will encourage and facilitate the setting up of multi- agency Landcare Groups to develop Sustainable Land Management Guidelines (similar to industry Codes of Practice) for Upland Valleys and Catchments, and those stations identified in Appendix B. The primary purpose of the Landcare Groups shall be: • To develop, promote and set down agreed Sustainable Land Management Guidelines appropriate to the area in question; • To implement the agreed Guidelines within the defined Landcare Groups area; • To identify and agree the extent of protection required for areas of significant indigenous vegetation and significant habitats of indigenous fauna; • To identify and agree on methods for the sustainable management of areas of significant indigenous flora and fauna; • To identify and agree on methods of implementation to manage all resources within the Landcare Groups defined area in a sustainable manner; and • To comply with other relevant Council initiatives (e.g. The Regional Pest and Plant Management Strategies). Rural Awards The Council will recognise environmentally sound farming Programme practice by supporting the Marlborough Rural Environment Awards. Riparian The Council will prepare, in consultation with relevant parties, Management a Riparian Management Strategy to provide further guidance on Strategy the appropriate management of riparian margins so that their habitat, water quality, amenity and public access benefits are recognised and enhanced. Generally the 1000m contour has been used as an indicative method to define high country and differentiate between Rural Uplands and General Rural. For the purpose of determining specific resource management issues however, it will be necessary to recognise that the circumstances relating to specific definitions may vary widely throughout the Plan area. The Council recognises that the sustainable management of land can not be solely achieved through regulation and believes that the establishment of Landcare Groups will allow more effective consideration of sustainable management issues, based on the actual characteristics of the land in question. Sustainable management of rural uplands depends on the interaction between climate, relief and soil as well as land use activities. Rules can to some extent be used to control land use activities but by far and away the greatest change will come through increased awareness and sensitivity to the vulnerability of the high country environment. The Council believes that where Landcare Groups formalise and adhere to Sustainable Land Management Guidelines these may take precedence and obviate the requirement for Rules. One of the roles of the Riparian Management Strategy is to investigate the appropriateness of existing riparian management detailed in this and other chapters 12 - 13