New environment plan approved

Council has approved the recommendation of its Environment and Planning Committee to adopt most of the Proposed Marlborough Environment Plan (PMEP) this July.

At today's Council meeting, Councillors approved the regional coastal plan provisions of the PMEP that weren’t subject to appeal and referred those provisions to the Minister of Conservation for approval. It also approved the remaining PMEP provisions that were not under appeal.

The PMEP combines three previous management plans for the Marlborough region - the Marlborough Regional Policy Statement, the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan and the Wairau/Awatere Resource Management Plan - into a single comprehensive document, outlining what people can do on their land and how it might be developed.

It also provides guidance on how individuals, businesses and the community can utilise public resources such as freshwater and coastal areas.

Mayor Nadine Taylor and Chief Executive John Boswell signed seal pages for the PMEP at the Council meeting to effect the decision.

Although the regional coastal plan provisions need the Minister of Conservation’s approval to take effect, today’s Council decision clears the way for the remaining provisions to be put into action from Wednesday 9 July.

From 9 July, the provisions in the existing management plans will be replaced, making the resource management framework in Marlborough more straightforward and providing greater certainty for resource users and the broader community.

For more information, go to: marlborough.govt.nz/your-council/resource-management-policy-and-plans/proposed-marlborough-environment-plan