Long Term Community Plan 2012-2022 - Hurunui District Council

Hurunui Community Long Term Plan 2012 - 2022
Sustainability
• Walking and Cycling Strategy – the intention is to
develop a series of linking walking and cycling tracks in
Introduction
the District
Sustainability is a key ideal of the Local Government Act
2002 which sets out the requirements for taking a sustainable
development approach, and advises that we should take into
account the social, economic, and cultural wellbeing of people
and communities; the need to maintain and enhance the quality
of the environment; and the reasonably foreseeable needs of
future generations.
These factors are relevant to most of our policies and activities,
and where appropriate, we will explicitly address the ideal of
sustainability in relation to these.
They also tie in with some climate change issues that merit
some discussion here. We are mindful of trends in these areas,
and will aim for compliance with any central government
initiatives, but the Hurunui District has long been subject to
adverse weather events, and we do not see climate change as a
matter of top priority.
This Plan
Sustainability issues are discussed throughout the Council
Activities chapter of this plan where they are explicitly addressed
as the “significant negative effects” and “sustainability”. In the
Policies section of this plan, the topic of sustainability is raised in
the Significance Policy, in which the current and future wellness
of the community is taken into consideration in determining
whether or not any issue is significant. It is also raised in the
Revenue & Financing policy, in which the sustainability of the
means of funding each Council service is considered.
“Environmental Responsibility” is a key desire expressed
through one of our community outcomes in this plan. This
outcome is described as:
A Place that Demonstrates Environmental Responsibility:
• We protect our environment while preserving people’s
property rights
• We minimise solid waste to the fullest extent, and
manage the rest in a sustainable way
Other Initiatives
We have a number of bylaws, strategies and other policies which
consider sustainable environmental issues. These include our:
• Biodiversity Strategy – this aims to ensure that the unique
natural values of the district are maintained and enhanced
by the council, landowners and other parties working
together in partnership, voluntarily and cooperatively, in a
non-regulatory framework
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• Hurunui Waiau Zone Implementation Programme
– the summary of this programme is included in the
appendices of this Long Term Plan
• Smoke Free Outdoors Strategy (which is under
development) – this is to encourage smoke free
outdoor areas in a non-regulatory manner
• Pegasus Bay Bylaw – aims to control activities and the
use of land, including camping, the use of horses and the
use of vehicles, on the foreshore, beaches and adjacent
areas of Northern Pegasus Bay to protect the important
natural values of the coastline.
• Freedom Camping Bylaw – encourages people to
freedom camp in a responsible manner and in designated
areas to protect the environment from harm
• Earthquake Strengthening Policy – sets out criteria to
make buildings more likely to withstand earthquakes.
The Canterbury earthquakes in 2010/11 have focused
our attention on the potential for earthquake prone
buildings in the District and we are in the process of
reviewing these now.
Climate Change
A “once in 50 year flood” on 30/31 July 2008 and a “once in 25
year flood” on 26 August 2008 caused widespread damage to
roads, fences, floodgates and tracks. This was compounded by
the fact that the floods came not long after a major drought,
due to which many farmers were already struggling financially.
The Ministry for the Environment warns us to expect an
increase in the frequency of such extreme weather events, and
compounding factors such as rising sea levels, due to “climate
change” brought about by “human activity increasing the natural
level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere”.
This is a controversial topic, but whether or not the floods and
drought were caused by climate change, and whether or not
such climate change is primarily due to human influences (there
is much debate about this, even amongst the “experts”), it is
clear that we need to be prepared to respond to such events in
order for farming and other key activities in the District to be
economically and environmentally sustainable.
Potential sea level rise is also an issue we have to grapple with in
the District Plan review. Some of our small coastal settlements
are likely to be inundated, but the time frame for when such sea
level rises may impact is dependent on updated research and
modelling.