Operative Waikato Regional Policy Statement (October 2000)

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3  Significant Resource Management Issues, Objectives, Policies and Methods

3.15  Heritage

3.15.2 The Region's Heritage

Principal Reasons for Adopting: The value of the Region’s cultural and historical heritage is increasingly being recognised and appreciated. Many structures, sites and places have historical/archaeological or cultural importance which may be adversely affected by changes in their use or in surrounding land uses. A significant amount of Waikato’s heritage has already been lost. It is therefore important that appropriate management practices are put in place.

The Region’s natural environment has been extensively modified. This has resulted in the loss of particular physical features and landforms (such as limestone features and ignimbrite outcrops), and the loss or deterioration of significant landscape qualities. Landscapes may be significant in terms of their scientific, visual, cultural or historic values, and therefore it is appropriate to provide guidance for heritage management from a regional perspective.

To achieve the objective, policies have been developed which will protect the significant heritage resources of the Region while allowing the use and development of others, within a framework of no total loss of heritage.

Ensure the protection of significant natural and cultural heritage resources.

1. Through district plans and resource consents, identify and provide for the protection of significant natural and cultural heritage resources, including the protection of views and sight-lines of outstanding natural features and landscapes.
   
2. Encourage territorial authorities in the Region, when they are preparing or reviewing district plans, to promote provisions such as conservation and open space covenants, economic instruments (including rates relief), heritage protection orders and designations for the protection of outstanding and significant natural and cultural heritage resources.
   
3. Through liaison with territorial authorities, the NZHPT, tangata whenua and other interested parties, ensure the integrated management of the Region’s natural and cultural heritage resource.
   
4. Provide information to the public pertaining to the Region’s significant heritage resources and their appropriate management, and support education programmes which promote the understanding and values of natural and cultural heritage.

Allow subdivision, use and development, while avoiding, remedying or mitigating any adverse effects on other natural and cultural heritage resources.

1. Ensure, through district plans and resource consents, the maintenance of other heritage resources in accordance with established heritage categories.
   
2. Through resource consents, consider methods that may be adopted to remedy and/or mitigate adverse effects of activities on the Region's heritage resources.
   
3. Through environmental education programmes, provide education and practical guidance on how heritage resources can be maintained and encourage land users to adopt management practices which avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects on natural and cultural heritage resources.
   
4. Through education and information, encourage an awareness of landscape values and the need for protection, by consultation with farming and forestry organisations, development and resource using enterprises and conservation organisations.

Many of the significant natural and cultural heritage resources remaining in the Region occur on private land. Policy One is concerned with protecting those natural and cultural heritage resources that have been identified as significant. One of the most effective ways of achieving protection of natural and cultural heritage resources is through increasing public awareness and interest in heritage. Public education is an important role which can be undertaken by the Waikato Regional Council (Environment Waikato) in parallel with territorial authorities and national organisations. At the same time, it is important that regulatory tools are available to ensure protection of particularly sensitive and significant heritage resources.

Policy Two ensures that that the other heritage resources in the Region are managed so that any adverse effects associated with subdivision, use and development are avoided, remedied or mitigated. This will ensure that the use and development of heritage resources is consistent with that which it is valued for. The methods of implementation are primarily through district plans and the processing of resource consents. Other methods include advocacy, consultation, and education of land users.

Within the Region there are many places and structures with significant heritage value related to early European settlement, such as historic mine sites and examples of early New Zealand architecture. Appropriate planning techniques need to be in place to protect these. Areas of particular Maori heritage value must also be protected. Significant archaeological and heritage features and waahi tapu sites have been identified in the Region. These generally relate to items of particular social and cultural heritage value to Maori. Where preservation of these can be ensured, and disclosure will not put the sites at risk, it is considered that these should be scheduled for protection.

1. Regionally significant natural and cultural heritage resources identified and protected.
   
2. Other natural and cultural heritage resources maintained.
   
3. Protection of significant landscapes from the adverse effects of subdivision, use, and development.
   
4. A co-ordinated approach to the management of the Region’s heritage with territorial authorities, affected land owners, tangata whenua and organisations specialising in the field of protecting and maintaining natural and cultural heritage resources.

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Footnotes

1. See Appendix 4: Criteria for Determining Significance of Natural and Cultural Heritage Resources.