A. The establishment of mineral related activities should incorporate, as an integral component, measures to protect water quality and ecosystems, and appropriate rehabilitation of disturbed areas.
B. To require active rehabilitation of areas disturbed by mining activity to generally their original condition or another suitable condition as approved by the Council.
C. Ensure that the life supporting capacity of ecosystems is safeguarded and adverse effects of mineral related activities and associated earthworks on natural features and landscapes, indigenous vegetation and habitat, the natural character of the coast, waterways and their margins, historic and cultural sites, public access and amenity values are avoided, remedied or mitigated.
a. The Council will impose conditions on resource consents required for mining that adequately provide for the avoidance, remedying or mitigation of adverse environmental effects including issues relating to water quality, ecosystems and rehabilitation.
Explanation / Reasons
The efficient and responsible utilisation of the District's mineral resources is an objective of the Council. This utilisation needs to be controlled to ensure that where significant adverse effects are possible, those effects will be avoided, remedied or mitigated as appropriate. It is generally acknowledged that prospecting and exploration are typically small scale activities with any adverse effects being of a relatively minor and/or temporary nature. The large scale earthworks associated with mining operations can make the establishment of indigenous vegetation difficult. Uncontrolled sediment discharges can smother aquatic life and affect water quality. Council will seek the active rehabilitation of land for all mining activities.
Mineral extraction and related activities do not have the ability to locate anywhere other than directly adjacent to the relevant deposit within the District. It is therefore important to recognise that competing land use can have the effect of making a potentially valuable mineral resource unattainable. In order to plan for the best utilisation of the District's mineral resources, it is necessary for those resources to be understood and for relevant information to be available to the Council.
Anticipated Environmental Outcomes
Implementation of the above policies and parent objectives are expected to achieve the following outcomes.
I Improve in knowledge about the District's mineral resources.
II Increased sensitivity towards and support for environmentally responsible mineral related activities.
III Reduced impacts on water quality.
IV Increase in land area rehabilitation after mining.
V Protection of significant indigenous vegetation and habitat from mining.
