DRAFT LTP book.indb - Hurunui District Council

www.hurunui.govt.nzSustainabilityIntroductionSustainability is a key ideal of the Local Government Act2002 which sets out the requirements for taking a sustainabledevelopment approach, and advises that we should take intoaccount the social, economic, and cultural wellbeing of peopleand communities; the need to maintain and enhance the qualityof the environment; and the reasonably foreseeable needs offuture generations.These factors are relevant to most of our policies and activities,and where appropriate, we will explicitly address the ideal ofsustainability in relation to these.They also tie in with some climate change issues that meritsome discussion here. We are mindful of trends in these areas,and will aim for compliance with any central governmentinitiatives, but the Hurunui District has long been subject toadverse weather events, and we do not see climate change as amatter of top priority.This PlanSustainability issues are discussed throughout the CouncilActivities chapter of this plan where they are explicitly addressedas the “signifi cant negative effects” and “sustainability”. In thePolicies section of this plan, the topic of sustainability is raised inthe Signifi cance Policy, in which the current and future wellnessof the community is taken into consideration in determiningwhether or not any issue is signifi cant. It is also raised in theRevenue & Financing policy, in which the sustainability of themeans of funding each Council service is considered.“Environmental Responsibility” is a key desire expressedthrough one of our community outcomes in this plan. Thisoutcome is described as:A Place that Demonstrates Environmental Responsibility:• We protect our environment while preserving people’sproperty rights• We minimise solid waste to the fullest extent, andmanage the rest in a sustainable wayOther Initiatives• We have a number of bylaws, strategies and otherpolicies which consider sustainable environmentalissues. These include our:Biodiversity Strategy – this aims to ensure that the uniquenatural values of the district are maintained and enhanced bythe council, landowners and other parties working together inpartnership, voluntarily and cooperatively, in a non-regulatoryframework• Walking and Cycling Strategy – the intention is todevelop a series of linking walking and cycling tracks inthe District• Hurunui Waiau Zone Implementation Programme– the summary of this programme is included in theappendices of this Long Term Plan• Smoke Free Outdoors Strategy (which is underdevelopment) – this is to encourage smoke freeoutdoor areas in a non-regulatory manner• Pegasus Bay Bylaw – aims to control activities and theuse of land, including camping, the use of horses and theuse of vehicles, on the foreshore, beaches and adjacentareas of Northern Pegasus Bay to protect the importantnatural values of the coastline.• Freedom Camping Bylaw – encourages people tofreedom camp in a responsible manner and in designatedareas to protect the environment from harm• Earthquake Strengthening Policy – sets out criteria tomake buildings more likely to withstand earthquakes.The Canterbury earthquakes in 2010/11 have focusedour attention on the potential for earthquake pronebuildings in the District and we are in the process ofreviewing these now.Climate ChangeA “once in 50 year fl ood” on 30/31 July 2008 and a “once in 25year fl ood” on 26 August 2008 caused widespread damage toroads, fences, fl oodgates and tracks. This was compounded bythe fact that the fl oods came not long after a major drought,due to which many farmers were already struggling fi nancially.The Ministry for the Environment warns us to expect anincrease in the frequency of such extreme weather events, andcompounding factors such as rising sea levels, due to “climatechange” brought about by “human activity increasing the naturallevel of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere”.This is a controversial topic, but whether or not the fl oods anddrought were caused by climate change, and whether or notsuch climate change is primarily due to human infl uences (thereis much debate about this, even amongst the “experts”), it isclear that we need to be prepared to respond to such events inorder for farming and other key activities in the District to beeconomically and environmentally sustainable.Potential sea level rise is also an issue we have to grapple with inthe District Plan review. Some of our small coastal settlementsare likely to be inundated, but the time frame for when such sealevel rises may impact is dependent on updated research andmodelling.44