July 21, 2016

Decisions on “Omnibus” plan change

Environment Canterbury announced today that Council had accepted the recommendations of the independent Hearing Commissioners on the Omnibus Plan Change, Plan Change 4 to the Land & Water Regional Plan.

Council resolved to notify the decisions on Plan Change 4 on 30 July 2016 and to have those decisions take legal effect from that date.

Commissioner Peter Skelton said the Plan Change covered a range of issues and was particularly good news for inanga (whitebait).

“It is pleasing that changes in response to declining inanga numbers in Canterbury have been accepted by the Hearing Commissioners,”Professor Skelton said. “The plan change puts in place new provisions to protect areas of potential inanga spawning habitat. The effect of this is to prohibit farmed cattle, deer and pigs from more lowland waterbodies than is currently the case.”

The Omnibus Plan Change also amends the rules on exclusion of stock from high country lakes. Existing Land & Water Regional Plan prohibitions are unaffected, with limited exceptions. “The change reflects the Hearing Commissioners’ view of the practicality of the current rules regarding non-intensively farmed cattle standing in some lakes,” Professor Skelton said. “Applying these rules is more straightforward on the Canterbury Plains than in the high country.

“In the high country, the challenges of excluding cattle from standing in water on these vast properties are considerable and the impact on water quality may well be minor.

“Strong prohibitions remain in place - cattle in waterways can have a substantial environmental impact on areas such as spawning sites. It is a non-complying activity for intensively farmed stock to use and disturb the bed and banks of any lake. Environment Canterbury’s compliance response to these activities will be followed through.”

Further, the stock exclusion rules now define braided river beds to make it easier to understand how to comply with the rules.

Another key topic covered by the Omnibus Plan Change is community drinking water.

The change to the definition of community drinking water supply means any supply listed on the drinking water register, and which supplies drinking water to no fewer than 25 persons per year is treated as a “community drinking water supply”. The previous definition provided protection only to supplies that served more than 500 people. Some activities within the protection zone of a community drinking water supply will require consent.

The Omnibus Plan Change will be subject to an appeal period of 15 working days. Appeals (on points of law only) can be filed in the High Court. Once any appeals have been resolved the Plan Change in its final form will be made operative.

For more information on the Plan Change, go to www.ecan.govt.nz/lwrp-pc4

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