Potential issues impacting natural character, features and landscapes
Canterbury/Waitaha is experiencing increasing pressure on landscapes, natural character and outstanding features with a range of activities that contribute to these pressures within our different environments.
Issue: Land use development
New development, or changes to the way we currently use land, can impact the values of landscapes, natural character and Outstanding Natural Features (ONF).
This can include:
- Earthworks such as quarrying and development for subdivisions
- Intensive farming and development particularly when intensification is paired with irrigation
- Encroachment of land use activities into river and lake margins (see Maps 1 & 2)
- Changing land to exotic forestry, which is incentivised by the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry (NES-PF), the inclusion of forestry in New Zealand’s/Aotearoa Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), and the Billion Trees Fund
- Pressure from increased visitor numbers
- Marine farms and their associated infrastructure (shore facilities, buoys, cages and barges) can affect the visual amenity of an area, coastal landforms, surf breaks, scenery, and indigenous biodiversity
- Occupation of the margins and beds of lakes and rivers and the coastal marine area by reclamation, and structures such as jetties, wharves, boat sheds, and moorings. These structures become part of the landscape.
Adverse effects include:
- impacts on aesthetic values (such as scenery) from development and new buildings that are not in keeping with historical or cultural areas or landscapes
- exotic forestry and other farming practices dramatically changing cultural and historic heritage landscapes
- earthworks damaging burial sites and other archaeological records
- reducing or limiting access to historic and cultural heritage sites.
Map 1 Land use encroachment of the Waiau Uwha River between 1997 and 2015
Use the sliders above and below to see the difference in land use encroachment.
Map 2 Land use encroachment beside Lake Ruataniwha, 2004 - 2010
Issue: Identification and mapping
The values of landscapes, natural character and ONFs need to be identified in resource management plans in order to be protected.
The mapping and application of regulations to landscapes, natural character and ONFs has been challenging, particularly when features span district boundaries. The district councils in Waitaha have invested a significant amount of effort into identifying and protecting these values in district plans.
Some natural features and landscapes span across more than one jurisdiction/district. The Canterbury Regional Landscape Study Review 2010 identified numerous outstanding natural landscapes that cross district council boundaries, including:
- Banks Peninsula/Horomaka and the Port Hills (spans inland and coastal environments, and Christchurch/Ōtautahi and Selwyn district)
- Lake Sumner and Lewis Pass (spans Hurunui and Selwyn districts)
- Upper Rakaia Valley (spans Selwyn and Ashburton districts)
- Upper Rangitata Valley (spans Timaru and Ashburton districts)
- Mackenzie Basin/Te Manahuna (spans Mackenzie, Waitaki and Waimate districts).
This is a challenge for developing consistent planning frameworks, both in terms of identifying features using consistent criteria, as well as the application of consistent regulations between local authorities.
Banks Peninsula/Horomaka and the Port Hills
Lake Sumner and Lewis Pass
Upper Rakaia Valley
Mackenzie Basin/Te Manahuna
There is a lack of comprehensive and consistent mapping of natural character in the coastal environment across the region. This may partially be due to a lack of guidelines on how to assess natural character and determine the degree of natural character of an area or site. The New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement (NZCPS) sets out the matters to be considered when assessing natural character, such as natural landforms, processes and ecological aspects, but it does not specify how to determine the level of natural character.
Historic and cultural heritage sites reflect the identity and history of communities in Waitaha. If these areas are not identified in resource management processes, gradual decline of the identity and history of Waitaha may occur.
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga maintains a list of historical places and wāhi tapu sites that are listed in plans and on planning maps. This process relies on sites being nominated by the public, so the list is by no means complete.
Issue: Climate change
It is predicted that climate change will cause storms to increase in intensity and storm surge levels to rise. The historic high tide mark is likely to be exceeded more often, meaning that storm surges coinciding with high tides will cause damage further inland.
Climate change could have significant impacts on the relationship of Ngāi Tahu with ancestral lands, waters and sites of significance. Sea level rise is a threat to coastal marae, wāhi tapu (sacred sites) and urupā (burial sites).
Sea level rise could also restrict access to the coastal environment when seawater inundation or erosion of accessways occurs.
Increased temperatures, drought, flooding and fire will change the face of our landscapes, and impact on natural character.
Issue: Light pollution
Light pollution affects how well we can see the night sky from ground-level. This pollution occurs when lighting is inefficient, overly bright or poorly targeted.
A clear night sky is particularly important for tangata whenua, as Māori astronomical knowledge (tātai arorangi) plays an important part in mātauranga Māori. A clear night sky also enables Māori to use their maramataka (lunar calendar) to plan planting, harvest, gathering and navigation.
Waitaha is home to the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, multiple observatories and a research facility located at Mt John, Tekapō/Takapō. Various district plans throughout the region differ in the specificity and strictness of provisions directly (or indirectly) protecting the night sky.
The identification of night/dark sky areas is not currently a requirement under the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement (CRPS), but this is being reconsidered as part of a Regional Policy Statement review process. The NZCPS does, however, give us the opportunity to preserve the natural darkness of the night sky around the coast and limit light pollution.
Light pollution can also result in the disruption of human, animal and plant circadian rhythms and the navigation of migratory birds; can have human health impacts (for example, insomnia or depression); and can adversely impact nocturnal species, such as moths and bats, from pollinating dependent plants.
Map 3 below demonstrates that light pollution is centred around our urban areas which lack dark sky provisions in comparison to our rural areas.