Wairau/ Awatere Resource Management Plan 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. Identification of The natural and human use values supported by surface water the values of bodies within the Plan area are identified in Appendix A of water bodies Volume One the Plan. These values include ecological, habitat, recreational and natural character values. Regard can be had to these values when considering resource consent applications required as a result of rules in this Plan. As more is learnt about the values supported by water bodies in South Marlborough, it is possible to add to Appendix A by way of plan change. 12.5 Rural Residential (residential activity in the rural environment) 12.5.1 Issue Accommodating rural residential living in a manner that does not result in incompatible activities in the rural environment. Any residential development extending into the rural area may bring potential residents into closer contact with landuse activities such as viticulture, orchards, intensive livestock operations, forestry or rural industries. Adverse effects can include smell, noise, spray drift or in the case of forestry, fire risk and fire hazard. Rural activities which are legitimately established should not be expected to relocate to accommodate residential activity. Residential activities should only be permitted to establish where clear steps have been taken to mitigate any adverse effects. The onus is clearly on the developer to ensure that a situation of conflict between the residential activity and the legitimate rural activity does not arise. Existing rural residential areas in the Wairau/ Awatere area such as at Rarangi have been given a rural residential zoning. New locations will be considered where it can be demonstrated that there will be no adverse effect on existing legitimate rural activities and where public health concerns (such as sewage disposal), water availability and water quality issues have been addressed, along with factors involving ecology, landscape, land stability, inundation and drainage and transport. Although there is a duty under Section 17 of the Act to avoid, remedy or mitigate any adverse effects, the Council recognises that the principal rural activities inherently involve effects that may not meet the expectations of an urban environment. Urban activities at the rural/ urban interface must expect to compromise their urban amenity expectations where there are justifiable and reasonable effects as a result of primary production activities in the rural environment. 12 - 18