OPERATIVE: The NRRP consists of eight chapters which address sustainable management of natural resources in the Canterbury Region.
Amendments to NRRP Chapter 4 Water Quality & Waimakariri River Regional Plan relating to the Styx River Catchment
Pursuant to Section 27 of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act, 2011 (CER Act), the Minister has used his powers to amend the regional plan that applies to the Styx River/Puharakekenui catchment. This makes the Styx River catchment subject to the water quality rules in the Canterbury Natural Resources Regional Plan 2011 (NRRP). Water quality in the Styx River catchment had previously been managed under the Waimakariri River Regional Plan 2004. The NRRP provides the most up to date policies and rules regarding stormwater, and includes a requirement to develop stormwater management plans for the catchment. Having a single regional plan apply to the whole north east Christchurch area will also simplify the planning and consenting process, to facilitate the delivery of much needed housing and associated infrastructure for the Christchurch recovery.
Waimakariri River Regional Plan amendments (12 kB)
The Natural Resources Regional Plan amendments - Chapter 4 Water Quality (13 kB)
Appendix 1 Amendments to NRRP Chapter 4 Table WQL8 Index of rules (29 kB)
Appendix 2 Amendments to rules in Chapter 4 of the Canterbury Natural Resources Regional Plan (538 kB)
Christchurch Map Series A-C02 (1.5 MB)
Christchurch Map Series A-C05 (2.9 MB)
Christchurch Map Series A-C06 (987 kB)
Public Notice: Styx River Catchment
Amendments to NRRP Chapter 4 Water Quality relating to the Burwood Landfill site
As a result of the earthquakes there is an urgent need to dispose of earthquake related waste. The Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery has used the CER Act s27 powers to make amendments to both the Natural Resources Regional Plan and to the Christchurch City Council’s City Plan. The amendments to Chapter 4 Water Quality allow the Burwood Landfill site to be used for permanent disposal of earthquake related waste. These amendments took effect on the 24th November 2011.
CERA s27 Amendments to the Canterbury Natural Resources Regional Plan and the Christchurch City Council City Plan re Burwood Landfill (374 kB)
CERA s27 Burwood Christchurch Map Series A-C06 Burwood
Public Notice: Burwood Landfill
View the minor corrections in the Operative Natural Resources Regional Plan >>
Key outcomes
- Environmental and water quality outcomes have been set.
- Water bodies deserving a high level of protection have been identified.
- Environmental flow and allocation regimes have been set for specific rivers.
- Groundwater allocation limits have been set (to stop over-abstraction and adverse impacts on rivers).
- The protection of significant wetlands.
- Limits on forestry in water-sensitive catchments (to protect flows).
- Many activities that require authorisation, but have only minor effects, have been made permitted activities avoiding the need for consent.
Key changes to consented activities
- A consent may be needed for activities that do not currently need a consent.
- Intensively farmed cattle, deer or pigs must be kept out of water bodies.
- Sewage will not be allowed to be discharged into boulder holes within the Christchurch drinking water protection zone (from November 2015).
The Chapters
The NRRP consists of 8 chapters which address sustainable management of natural resources in the Canterbury Region. Chapter 1 and Chapter 3 were made partly-operative from 27 October 2009, Chapter 2 was operative from 27 October 2009. The balance of Chapters 1 and 3, and all of Chapters 4-8 were made operative on 11 June 2011.
This plan should be consulted along side our other regional plans.
Variations/Changes
All proposed plans and variations go through a submission/further submission, hearings, decisions and appeals process prior to becoming "operative". The Variations marked operative have completed this process. For guidance on this process, see the process page.
Note that once the NRRP becomes operative, any Variation that is still going through the RMA Schedule 1 process will become a plan change.