Wairau/ Awatere Resource Management Plan • Disposal of human effluent from domestic and community sewage treatment systems; • Disposal of waste in landfills and farm dumps, composting and recycling operations; • Disposal of waste from trade and industrial premises (eg timber treatment); and • Discharge of contaminants from land disturbance (eg sedimentation). All these activities have the potential to create adverse environmental effects if undertaken in a certain location or in an uncontrolled manner. Potential adverse effects include degradation of surface and groundwater quality through infiltration and runoff, soil contamination, disruption to land ecosystems and reduction of amenity values. However, some activities, such as the disposal of human and agricultural effluent, can have more significant adverse effects on the environment. It is important that the activities with more significant adverse effects are subject to greater controls. In certain locations there is also potential for land based discharge activities to have more significant adverse environmental effects. This is particularly the case for landuse activities located over the unconfined Wairau Aquifer, where contaminants can be more easily carried into the aquifer. Given the significance of the Wairau Aquifer for the supply of community drinking water it is important that activities located over the unconfined Wairau Aquifer are subject to more restrictive controls. Activities located adjacent to high value surface water resources or surface water resources which require enhancement should also be subject to greater controls to enable water quality to be enhanced. Recent growth in the Marlborough economy has led to greater quantities of contaminants being discharged to land, particularly in the form of agrichemicals. Greater volumes are generally associated with more significant adverse effects. The Marlborough Regional Policy Statement seeks to reduce the quantity of contaminants, particularly waste, being discharged to the environment by promoting the principles of waste minimisation and cleaner production. 15.3 Objectives and Policies Objective 1 To avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse environmental effects arising from the discharge of solid and liquid contaminants onto or into land. Policy 1.1 To control activities on the basis of the environmental effects arising from the discharge of contaminants to land. Policy 1.2 To subject all landuse activities which discharge contaminants onto or into land located over the unconfined aquifer/ s to greater controls on the basis of environmental effects. Policy 1.3 To encourage riparian management for landuse activities located adjacent to surface water resources which require enhancement or are highly valued. 15 - 2