Guidelines for environmental management plans to be presented to Council

At the next Council meeting, Councillors will be asked to consider a set of newly developed guidelines for environmental management plans to help reduce the effects of land disturbance activities related to land development.

If the guidelines are endorsed by Council, they will provide guidance to consent holders, contractors and consultants for the environmental management plans they submit alongside resource consent applications. The guidelines can also be applied to small-scale construction sites (such as residential construction projects carrying out land disturbance activities) without resource consent, to assist in compliance with environmental protection measures outlined in the Earthworks chapter of the District Plan.

QLDC General Manager Planning and Development Tony Avery advised over the last two years, particularly in the Upper Clutha area, there have been a number of erosion and sedimentation events associated with land disturbance projects.

“Previous QLDC Earthworks Guidelines are outdated and not currently in line with industry best practice. Therefore it was determined that new best practice guidelines needed to be created to raise the bar and align the district to the current national standards,” said Mr Avery.

QLDC Regulatory Manager Anthony Hall advised that feedback was gathered over a two month period from key industry and community stakeholders as part of the process to develop these new guidelines.

Stakeholders included Otago Regional Council, Fish & Game, local iwi, community environmental groups, Heritage New Zealand, contractors, developers, and planning, engineering and surveying consultants. Southern Skies Environmental Limited also independently reviewed the guidelines.

If the new guidelines are endorsed, proactive monitoring inspections would be undertaken by QLDC officers to ensure consent holders are complying with the environmental management plans they have provided.

“Once these guidelines come into effect there are bound to be questions along the way, so we encourage consent holders, contractors, and consultants to keep the dialogue going with us,” Mr Avery added.

ENDS.

Media contact: communications@qldc.govt.nz or call 03 441 1802.

To view a copy of the guidelines and the Council agenda item please visit: www.qldc.govt.nz/council-online/council-documents/agendas-and-minutes/full-council-agendas/2019-full-council-agenda/27-june-2019