PART 3: SIGNIFICANT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
11.4 Environmental Hazards Policies and Methods
The Council will seek to reduce risks to communities in relation to land use and development on floodplains that are subject to flooding.
EXPLANATION AND REASONS:
Land use activities on parts of floodplains may be exposed to damage from floods. Public costs may be incurred through damage to community facilities and services as well as private property. There is a need to minimise the potential adverse effects of floods on communities and individuals.
METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION:
(i) The Council will:
(a) investigate and collect information on flood hazards and make it available to the public including information on the relationship between land use practices and the rate of stormwater run-off from land;
(b) assess the significance of flooding risks and the options available to reduce these risks.
(ii) The Council will maintain existing flood protection works and promote new works provided they are economically worthwhile and contribute to a comprehensive approach to floodplain management.
(iii) The Council will develop policies and rules in the District Plan and make decisions on resource consent applications to regulate the use and development of land on floodplains where such regulation is necessary to avoid, or mitigate the extent or degree of exposure to flooding.
(iv) The Council will maintain a flood-warning system to enable effective responses to actual or potential flood events.
ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS:
(i) Reduced incidence of damage to property or harm to people on floodplains subject to flooding.
PERFORMANCE MONITORING INDICATORS:
(i) Reported incidence of flood damage or harm where there are structural measures, development restrictions or flood-warning measures in place.
Implements Objectives 5.2, 8.1, 11.1, to address Issues 5.2, 8.1, 11.1 Related policies are Policies 5.2, 8.1.
Policy 11.2
The Council will seek to reduce risks:
(i) to the use and development of land subject to erosion, inundation or instability; and
(ii) to the use and development of any other land that may be affected as a result of such erosion or instability;
EXPLANATION AND REASONS:
Erosion and land instability may occur in coastal, riverside or other inland locations where natural processes or events result in ground shifting or being removed. Public costs may be incurred through damage to community land or services as well as private property. There is a need to minimise the potential adverse effects of erosion and land instability on communities and individuals.
METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION:
(i) The Council will:
(a) investigate and collect information on coastal erosion and land instability processes and hazards; and
(b) assess the significance of coastal erosion and land instability risks and the options available to reduce these risks.
(ii) The Council will develop policies and rules in the District Plan and make decisions on resource consent applications to regulate the use and development of coastal land in areas subject to coastal erosion and inundation, and of other land subject to slope instability, or ground subsidence, where such regulation is necessary to avoid, remedy or mitigate the effects of these hazards.
(iii) The Council will consider providing assistance for existing developments to relocate or to protect themselves in situations where it is satisfied the community risks are significant.
ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS:
(i) Reduced incidence of damage to property or harm to people from coastal erosion, slope instability or other forms of erosion.
PERFORMANCE MONITORING INDICATORS:
(i) Reported incidence of damage or harm from instability and erosion where there are structural measures or development restrictions in place.
Implements Objectives 5.2, 8.1, 9.5, 11.1, to address Issues 5.2, 8.1, 9.7, 11.1, 11.2, 11.4.
Related policies are Policies 5.2, 8.1, 11.1, 11.3, 11.4.
Policy 11.3
Council may allow activities at risk from flooding or land instability provided that:
(i) the activity does not cause risk to the land itself, or to other people, land or natural values; and (ii) the person carrying out the activity is aware of the risk; and
(iii) that person carries responsibility for risk management, including the costs of any protection.
EXPLANATION AND REASONS:
Activities may be established in areas at risk from natural hazards and so suffer damaging effects or aggravate such effects on other activities or resource values. Where the risks are known, and the effects of natural hazards are confined to an activity, then the Council may permit such development activity.
METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION:
(i) The Council will develop policies and rules in the District Plan and make decisions on resource consent applications to:
(a) specify the requirements and standards for risk reduction including avoidance of risk to activities and resource values, in areas subject to natural hazards; and
(b) consider allowing development activities in such areas subject to such requirements and standards for risk reduction.
ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS:
(i) Reduced likelihood of damage to land, resources or assets or harm to people from flooding or land instability.
Section 11: Environmental Hazards 1 July 2001
PERFORMANCE MONITORING INDICATOR:
(i) Reported incidence of damage or harm from flooding or instability where there are requirements or restrictions on development activities in place.
Implements Objectives 5.2, 8.1, 9.5, 11.1, to address Issues 11.1, 11.2, 11.4.
Related policies are Policies 5.2, 8.1, 11.1, 11.3, 11.4.
Policy 11.4
The Council will seek to reduce risks to people, structures and land from the effects of earthquake shaking and ground movement.
EXPLANATION AND REASONS:
Earthquakes may cause ground to shake and shift, and to move along fault lines. Earthquakes may damage buildings and land, and be a danger for the public at large. There is a need to minimise the adverse effects of earthquake shaking and ground movement on communities and individuals.
METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION:
(i) The Council will investigate earthquake hazards and assess the significance of risks to people, structures and land.
(ii) The Council will develop policies and rules in the District Plan and make decisions on resource consent and building consent applications to regulate locations and performance of buildings and other essential structures or services where such regulation is necessary to avoid, remedy or mitigate the effects of earthquake hazards.
ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS:
(i) Reduced incidence of damage to property or harm to people from earthquake effects.
PERFORMANCE MONITORING INDICATORS:
(i) Reported incidence of damage or harm from earthquakes where development restrictions are in place.
Implements Objectives 5.2, 11.1, to address Issues 5.2, 11.4.
Related policy is Policy 5.2.
Policy 11.5
Council will establish principles for re-establishing utility services after damage by environmental hazard, to overcome threats to life and health, minimise waste of resources, and avoid further environmental damage.
EXPLANATION AND REASONS:
As the severity of an environmental hazard event increases, the range of Anormal@ response options is likely to decrease. Restoration of utilities needs to be based on priorities for life, health and safety. Adequacy, rather than convenience, may dictate immediate stages for various utilities If limited resources are to achieve the greatest result.
METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION:
(i) Council will develop a set of environmental hazard contingency principles to apply to the re- establishment of utility services following any environmental hazard.
(ii) Council will advocate or apply these principles in responding to any emergency and in managing public utility assets.
ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS:
(i) Optimal reinstatement of utilities and containment of further environmental damage.
PERFORMANCE MONITORING INDICATORS:
(i) Incidence of damage to utility services from environmental hazards remaining following hazard events.
Implements Objectives 11.1, 11.2, to address Issues 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6.
Related policies are Policies 11.1, 11.2, 11.4, 11.6. 11.7.
Policy 11.6
Council will seek to reduce risks to people, property, land and ecosystems from fire.
EXPLANATION AND REASONS:
Fire is a hazard to both private and community assets. The risk should be reduced where practical.
METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION:
(i) Council will investigate District Plan provisions to separate assets at risk of fire, from potential sources of fire, particularly in rural areas where fire control response times are greater than in urban areas and equipment may be less.
(ii) Council will advocate land use, development and management practices to reduce the risk of uncontrolled fire occurring or spreading.
ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS:
(i) Reduced spread of fire from source areas.
PERFORMANCE MONITORING INDICATORS:
(i) Incidence of fires having serious damage to property and ecosystems.
(ii) The proportion of contained to uncontained fires.
Implements Objective 11.3, to address Issue 11.5.
Related policies are Policies 5.4, 6.4.
Policy 11.7
The Council will minimise risks to public safety, health and environmental contamination arising from the storage, transport, use, or disposal of hazardous substances.
EXPLANATION AND REASONS:
Hazardous substances may have significant adverse effects on public safety and health, and on environmental contamination where they are inappropriately stored, transported, used or disposed of. There is a need to minimise the potentially damaging effects of hazardous substances on people, animals and plants.
METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION:
(i) The Council will investigate the storage, transport, use and disposal practices for hazardous substances and assess the significance of risks of hazardous substances and the options available to reduce these risks.
(ii) The Council will develop policies and rules in regional and district plans and make decisions on
Section 11: Environmental Hazards 1 July 2001
(a) the locations and performance of land use activities involving the storage, transport or use of significant hazardous substances;
(b) the contamination effects of the disposal of waste hazardous substances by discharges to land, water or air.
(iii) The Council will promote and advocate good practices in the storage, transport, use and disposal of hazardous substances where no rules or consents apply.
(iv) The Council will prepare and implement a “cradle-to-grave” tracking system for hazardous substances in the District, in accordance with requirements of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms legislation when enacted.
ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS:
(i) Reduced incidence of harm to people or ecosystems arising from the storage, transportation, use or disposal of hazardous substances.
PERFORMANCE MONITORING INDICATORS:
(i) Reported incidence of harm to people or ecosystems arising from the storage, transport, use or disposal of hazardous substances where there are management restrictions or good practice codes in place.
Implements Objective 11.4, to address Issue 11.6.
Related policies are Policies 10.8, 10.9.