Operative Waikato Regional Policy Statement (October 2000)

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3  Significant Resource Management Issues, Objectives, Policies and Methods

3.14  Minerals

3.14.2 The Ability to Extract Mineral Resources

Principal Reasons for Adopting: Land uses and developments over and near mineral deposits can be incompatible with mineral extraction activities. In practice, this can mean that the ability to extract the minerals may become compromised. When managing natural and physical resources, local authorities should recognise that mineral resources exist only in certain locations. While the adverse effects of mineral extraction activities are addressed specifically in section 3.14.3, the potential conflicts between incompatible land uses overlying and neighbouring mineral deposits and mineral extraction activities must also be addressed.

The use of regulatory tools such as zoning to either enable the use and development of mineral resources or to enable other activities which are sensitive to the effects of mineral use and development can exacerbate these constraints or create new ones. Such tools should not be used unless they are necessary either to control adverse effects or to avoid conflicts between land uses arising.

Manage the use and development of land and mineral resources in a manner that:

1. recognises that the extraction of mineral resources may be incompatible with other land uses or resources;
   
2. recognises that other activities may be incompatible with the extraction of mineral resources;
   
3. imposes only controls that are necessary to address the adverse environmental effects of activities and likely conflicts between incompatible activities;

1. When developing regional and district plans or determining resource consent applications, consider the effects of allowing incompatible activities to occur above or adjacent to known mineral resources on the ability to extract those resources.

Policy One identifies that some minerals are important for enabling people and communities to provide for their social, economic and cultural well being and for meeting the reasonably foreseeable needs of future generations. The ability to use and develop these mineral resources can be compromised by allowing incompatible activities to locate over or near mineral deposits. Conversely, the effects of mineral extraction activities can restrict the potential uses and values of neighbouring land. In some cases, the sensitivity of neighbouring land uses or resources may affect whether access to the mineral resource is appropriate. Policy One has been adopted to ensure that these effects are considered without necessarily giving special status to a particular land use. To implement this policy, decision-makers will need to consider both the beneficial and adverse effects of the conflicting activities prior to making decisions about the use and development of natural and physical resources.

The implementation method identifies that the appropriate forum for considering conflicts is at the regional/district plan and resource consent levels. In implementing this section, decision-makers may need to differentiate between existing sites and prospective mineral resources when preparing plans or granting land use consents.

Existing mineral extraction sites are important to the economy of the Waikato Region and other neighbouring regions. The effects of conflicting land uses near these existing sites should be considered before decisions are made. If possible, means of avoiding or mitigating these effects should be identified and methods provided to achieve this.

In a more strategic sense, when developing plans, decision-makers should consider the effects of incompatible activities on the future development of other known mineral resources, and ensure that these potential future uses of the resource are taken into account. This should ensure that conflicts between land uses are minimised.

1. Minimal incidences of conflict between incompatible land uses.
   
2. Effects based regulatory control of activities in the vicinity of mineral resources.
   
3. Integrated management of minerals and other resources, having regard to the site specific constraints of minerals.
   
4. Minimal use of regulatory instruments to secure the ability to extract mineral resources and the industry taking a strategic approach to securing its long term interests.

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