Activity Group: Environmental Management Activity: Environmental Policy Outcome Actions How this Activity Contributes to the Vision and Related Living Making provision for housing, employment and recreation in the Proposed MEP. Community Outcomes Providing recreational space and guidelines for the form of residential This Activity helps to achieve the Vision by planning for urban development and a development encourages social cohesion. healthy natural environment. This Activity also contributes to the Community Avoiding, remedying or mitigating the adverse effects of other Outcomes of Governance, Environment, People, Economy, Connectivity and activities on reasonable residential amenity expectations. Living as outlined below. Identifying and protecting Marlborough’s cultural heritage. Outcome Actions What is this Activity About? Governance Taking a collaborative approach to resource management policy This Activity is the first of the cycle of Activities that play an integral role in a wider development, which involves the community and tangata whenua iwi system of environmental management. This system can be described as the Plan- in the process, ensures that the policy and planning provisions remain Do-Monitor Review cycle as described in the rationale for the delivery of the current and reflect the aspirations of the Marlborough community. Environmental Management Group of Activities. Environment Including provisions in the Proposed MEP to sustain the potential of natural and physical resources to meet the reasonably foreseeable The Environmental Policy Activity involves the development and review of policy needs of future generations and to safeguard the life-supporting and planning provisions under the RMA in response to resource management capacity of air, water, soil and ecosystems. This includes limits on issues for Marlborough. These provisions are aimed at the sustainable use, resource use and environmental standards but also the use of a range development and protection of Marlborough’s natural and physical resources, of non-regulatory methods. including land, water, air, indigenous ecosystems and the built environment. Seeking to avoid, remedy or mitigate the adverse effects of activities, Many of the provisions are mandatory under the RMA. Council is required to especially where there is potential for conflict between different prepare a Regional Policy Statement, a Regional Coastal Plan and a District Plan. resource uses and users. It may also develop other regional plans, as necessary. Carrying out monitoring to understand the environmental outcomes resulting from the current resource management framework. The Council’s four core RMA policy and planning documents are outlined below. results of state of the environment monitoring indicate where current policy and planning provisions are not maintaining or enhancing the The Marlborough Regional Policy Statement (RPS) state of the Marlborough environment, allowing adjustments in management to be made through review processes. This monitoring This is an operative document that provides a community-based vision and also identifies new and emerging issues to be addressed. direction for managing the natural and physical resources of Marlborough. It People Developing and maintaining the resource management framework in a identifies regionally significant issues for Marlborough and how they are to be way that recognises the kaitiaki role of tangata whenua iwi. addressed. Economy Strategically guiding appropriate use, development and protection of The Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan Marlborough’s natural and physical resources, including land, water, (MSRMP) air, indigenous ecosystems and the built environment. Ensuring adequate and appropriate land is zoned to meet business This is an operative combined Regional Plan, Regional Coastal Plan and District and housing demand. Plan that provides the framework by which the natural and physical resources of Connectivity Protecting transport infrastructure from the adverse effects of other the Marlborough Sounds area are to be managed. activities and enabling the efficient and effective operation of the infrastructure. 2018-2028 Long Term Plan Page 109