Air Plan Review Project Addressing Issues of Significance to Ngāi Tahu. Prepared by Dyanna Jolly For Environment Canterbury

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4 Air Plan Review Project Addressing Issues of Significance to Ngāi Tahu Prepared by Dyanna Jolly For Environment Canterbury May 2013

5 Air Plan review project - Addressing Issues of Significance to Ngāi Tahu May 2013 Disclaimer: The information in this report is accurate to the best of the knowledge and understanding of the Consultant. While the Consultant has exercised all reasonable skill and care in the preparation of the report, the Consultant does not accept any liability, whether direct, indirect or consequential, arising out of the provision of information in this report.

6 Table of contents 1. Background Purpose of this report Methods Outcomes Issues of significance to Ngāi Tahu Addressing issues of significance to Ngāi Tahu in the Air Plan Concluding comments... 6

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8 1. Background Chapter 3 of the Natural Resources Regional Plan (the Air Plan) was made fully operative in June Since then, there have been significant changes in policy and legislation. In order to align the Air Plan with these changes, Environment Canterbury has decided to undertake a full review of the plan, to give effect to new policy and legislation, and also to streamline and simplify the document. The review also provides the opportunity to ensure that issues of significance to Ngāi Tahu are appropriately recognised and provided for in the Air Plan. 2. Purpose of this report The purpose of this report is to: (a) To provide a desktop review and analysis of Iwi Management Plans (IMPs) and existing council plans and policy documents in the Canterbury region to identify issues of significance for Ngāi Tahu that may fall within the scope of the Air Plan; and (b) To provide options for how these issues can be addressed in the Air Plan. In providing this information, the report will assist the regional council to: Meet obligations under section 66 (2A) (a) of the RMA, whereby the regional council is required to take into account IMPs when preparing or changing regional plans. Engage with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Papatipu Rūnanga, for the purposes of Schedule 1 consultation. 3. Methods As per the contract brief for this report, the following methods were used to prepare this report: (a) A review of IMPs (relevant to the Canterbury region) to identify issues of significance to Ngāi Tahu relating to air. The following IMPs were reviewed: Mahaanui Iwi Management Plan 2013 Kai Tahu Ki Otago Natural Resource Management Plan 2005 Te Poha o Tohu Raumati Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura Environmental Management Plan 2005 Kati Huirapa Iwi Management Plan 1992 May 2013 Page 1

9 (b) A review of Chapter 2 of the Natural Resources Regional Plan (NRRP) and Chapters 2 and 4 of the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement (RPS), with regard to issues of significance to Ngāi Tahu for air, and how these issues have been addressed. (c) A brief review of the existing Air Plan (not a gap analysis). (d) An assessment of those issues that may fall within the scope of the Air Plan, and options for how those issues may be addressed. A working table was used to identify issues of significance, assess relevance to the Air Plan, and suggest options for addressing those issues identified as relevant. The working table is provided in Appendix 1. The results of the analysis are provided in Section 4 (Outcomes) below. 4. Outcomes Issues of significance to Ngāi Tahu IMPs in the Canterbury region, and existing regional plan chapters and the regional policy statement, identify a range of issues of significance relating to air. These issues fall into four groups: 1. Localised and ambient air quality issues associated with the discharge of contaminants to air and effects on: (a) (b) (c) (d) Mauri, and life supporting capacity of air; Human health; Cultural values such as wāhi tapu, marae, mahinga kai, papakāinga, wāhi taonga; and Cultural amenity values such as such celestial darkness, views of important landmarks and natural features, the ability to smell the sea, clean rain, safe and quality air around marae. 2. Ngāi Tahu involvement in regional decision making on the management and protection of air quality. 3. Global air issues connected with the reduction in the ozone layer and increased solar radiation, and greenhouse gas emissions. 4. Non-air quality issues such as electromagnetic radiation, noise pollution, airwaves ownership, cultural impacts of airborne diseases, light pollution. The first two issue groups are relevant to the Air Plan and are discussed in more detail below. The third (global air issues) is not relevant if the scope of the revised Air Plan remains that same as the current plan and therefore does not include global air quality issues. May 2013 Page 2

10 The fourth group includes those issues that are outside the scope of the Air Plan. These issues are not addressed in this report. Air chapters in IMPs contain a wide range of issues associated with air and it is not uncommon for some of these to sit outside of the scope of an Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991 plan or policy statement. IMPs tend to be holistic and often cover non-rma topics. 5. Addressing issues of significance in the Air Plan Based on the analysis of relevant IMPs and regional plans and policy statement chapters, there are two overarching issues of significance that should be addressed in the Air Plan (as per Section 4 above): 1. Localised and ambient air quality issues associated with the discharge of contaminants to air as a result of a number of different activities, and the effects on mauri and the life supporting capacity of air, human health, cultural values such as wāhi tapu, marae, mahinga kai, wāhi taonga, and cultural amenity values. 2. Ngāi Tahu involvement in regional decision making on the management and protection of air quality. When does an issue need to be identified as specific to Ngāi Tahu? Some issues identified in IMPs are significant to the region as a whole, and not just Ngāi Tahu. For example, the protection of the mauri or life supporting capacity of air, and the need to control activities that discharge contaminants to air in order to protect human health are general issues of regional significance. There is no specific cultural context to issues such as the need to reduce vehicle emissions and find cleaner alternatives for transport and energy, or to promote cleaner forms of domestic heating in urban areas. These issues are significant to Ngāi Tahu, as part of the wider Canterbury community, but are not related to specific cultural concerns or impacts. Such issues do not require an explicit reference in the Air Plan as issues of cultural significance. Effective provisions in the plan should achieve objectives set by Ngāi Tahu alongside those desired by the region as a whole. However, there are a number of issues associated with discharges to air and air quality that do have a specific cultural dimension. Discharges to air and poor air quality can have effects on sites or resources of cultural significance, or can be culturally offensive. These effects may be tangible (e.g. odour, residue, impeding visibility) or intangible (e.g. spiritually offensive to have specific discharge near a wāhi tapu site). Discharges to air and poor air quality can also have adverse effects on cultural amenity values such as celestial darkness, the ability to view particular landmarks or the ability to smell the sea, or clean rain (noting that some of these may be issues for the wider community, but are referred to in a specific cultural context). The Air Plan should explicitly identify and address these types of issues as significant to Ngāi Tahu. May 2013 Page 3

11 How to address specific cultural issues in the Air Plan: Issues of significance to Ngāi Tahu that are of specific cultural concern and/or have specific cultural effects can be addressed in the revised Air Plan by: 1. Providing introductory text that explicitly recognises the value and importance of air to Ngāi Tahu as tāngata whenua. The existing Air Plan acknowledges the importance of good air quality to tāngata whenua, as does Chapter 14 of the CRPS. 2. Ensuring that Issue Statements include explicit reference to the potential for effects of discharges to air and poor air quality on cultural values and cultural amenity values. Given that Environment Canterbury is seeking to streamline and simplify the document, this is likely best achieved through explicit recognition of cultural effects as one aspect of a larger group of potential effects on localised air quality, rather than a specific issue statement on cultural effects. Examples of issues identified in the relevant IMPs include: The discharge of contaminants to air can have adverse effects on Ngāi Tahu values such as mauri, waterbodies, mahinga kai, marae, wāhi tapu, papakāinga and wāhi taonga (e.g. impact of dust from earthworks on Māori rock art sites, discharges to air affecting air quality at marae, impacts of vegetation burning on a wāhi tapu site, discharges to air that make a mahinga kai site un-usable). The discharge of contaminants to air can have adverse effects on cultural amenity values, including celestial darkness, the ability to see and hear the sea, views of important landmarks, clear views and safe space of high air quality (around marae). IMPs make specific reference to a number of activities that result in discharges to air and the potential for effects on cultural values: Industrial, trade premises activities Vegetation burning Spraying of agrichemicals Spray irrigation using effluent Burning of hospital waste Discharge from crematoria Dust from quarries (including gravel extraction) and earthworks Pesticide/toxic chemical spraying 3. The revised chapter Objectives should align with the issues statements above. For example, the existing Objective AQL1 in the Air Plan could specifically reference adverse effects on a) mauri/life supporting capacity b) cultural values such as mahinga kai, wāhi tapu and wāhi taonga, and c) cultural amenity values, rather than the loss of air as Taonga to Tāngata Whenua. 4. Policy and methods provisions in the revised air plan should provide a framework to control the effects of discharge to on Ngāi Tahu cultural values and cultural amenity values, by: Recognising that there are specific cultural concerns and effects associated with air pollution and discharges to air; May 2013 Page 4

12 Recognising the need to controlling the effects of discharge to air activities on cultural values (sites, resources, cultural amenity values), including how and where such activities can occur and appropriate air quality standards (e.g. deposition of pollution on mahinga kai); Providing for the ability for tāngata whenua to identify particular sites or areas as sensitive for cultural reasons (i.e. culturally-sensitive land use or culturally sensitive receiving environments), with regard to controlling the discharge of contaminants to air and identifying standards for air quality. Examples of policy and method related information in the IMPs reviewed for this report include: Requirement for higher standards of emission controls for crematoria, and the recognition of tangata whenua as an affected party to these consent applications, and that no new crematoria are located near mahinga kai or wāhi taonga sites. (KTKO IMP) Avoiding vegetation burning within, adjacent to or impacting on a wāhi tapu site. There is a need to recognise and specifically provide for cultural amenity values, and that these must not be compromised by poor air quality. Buffer zones recognised around mahinga kai sites. Some activities that create discharges to air may be inappropriate in some areas, including adjacent or near marae or wāhi tapu sites. The use of indigenous plantings to offset the effects of discharges to air from industrial, trade or commercial premises. 5. Methods in the revised air plan should recognise and provide for the role of Ngāi Tahu in regional decision making (more than as an interested party), including but not limited to: Involvement of Ngāi Tahu in developing standards for air quality; The ability of Ngāi Tahu to identify culturally-sensitive environments; Use of Iwi Managements in consent processing; and Ensuring cultural effects are considered as part of applications, including the use of Cultural Impact Assessments for activities that may have a significant impact on cultural values, resources or sites. 6. Rules in the revised Air Plan to clearly link back to the objectives and policies that seek to resolve issues of significance to Ngāi Tahu. This may include using a particular activity status to address and achieve objectives and policy that relate to protecting mauri, cultural values and cultural amenity values from discharges to air. 7. Include text in the Explanations and Reasons associated with particular Issues, Objectives and Policies that explains that there are specific cultural considerations and cultural impacts associated with air and the control of discharge to air activities. May 2013 Page 5

13 6. Concluding comments Many issues of significance to Ngāi Tahu relating to air are also general issues of regional significance and can therefore be addressed as part of general provisions to control activities that result in the discharge of contaminants to air, and the maintenance of good air quality to protect human health and amenity values. However, there are a number of issues associated with air quality and the discharge of contaminants to air that have a specific cultural dimension, largely due to the potential for cultural effects on Ngāi Tahu values, sites and resources. Ultimately, the updated Air Plan needs to recognise the importance of the air resource to Ngāi Tahu, provide for the role of Ngāi Tahu in the regional management and protection of air, and address the issues of significance to Ngāi Tahu in the region. Following the approach recommended in the 2009 gap analyses prepared for the CRPS review, a mix of both explicit Ngāi Tahu/cultural values references and effective general plan provisions is the best way to achieve this goal. The ability of the Air Plan to address Ngāi Tahu issues of significance will be determined by how well the policies and methods in the plan can achieve outcomes desired by Ngāi Tahu. To this end, it is recommended that the revised chapter be assessed against the following objectives, as identified in Canterbury IMPs (note: not exact wording - summarised from all four IMP): 1. The life supporting capacity and mauri of air is maintained for future generations. 2. Ngāi Tahu are involved in regional decision-making on air quality issues. 3. Sites of cultural significance, including wāhi tapu, wāhi taonga, marae, and mahinga kai are protected from the adverse effects associated with the discharge of contaminants to air. 4. Cultural amenity values are recognised in regional planning documents, and are protected from activities that result in the discharge of contaminants to air. May 2013 Page 6

14 Appendix 1: Review of IMPs, NRRP and CRPS - Issues of significance to Ngāi Tahu related to air IMP Issues of significance - AIR Within scope of Air Plan? 1 Relevant policies 2 How to address in Plan Mahaanui Issue R1: Discharge of contaminants to air can have adverse effects on Ngāi Tahu values such as mauri, mahinga kai, wāhi tapu, wāhi taonga and marae. R1.1 To protect the mauri of air from adverse effects associated with discharge to air activities. R1.2 To require regional council to recognise and provide for the relationship of Ngāi Tahu to air, and the specific cultural considerations for air quality, including the effects of discharge to air activities on sites and resources of significance to tangata whenua and the protection of cultural amenity values. R1.3 To ensure that regional policy enables tangata whenua to identify particular sites and places of cultural significance as sensitive environments, to protect such sites from the cultural and environmental effects of discharges to air. Include objective to protect the mauri of air. Include issue on discharge of contaminants to air and effects on Ngāi Tahu values. Include policy on discharge to air activities and sites and resources of significance to tangata whenua, including wāhi tapu and marae. Some discharge to air activities may have adverse effects on Ngāi Tahu cultural values, including marae and wāhi tapu. Include method to enable tangata whenua to identify particular sites and places as sensitive. Include method to enable the use of indigenous plantings to offset and mitigate discharges to air. R1.4 To support the use of indigenous plantings and restoration projects to offset and mitigate industrial, agricultural and residential discharges to air. 1 = relevant; No = not relevant; potentially = relevant only if global air quality issues are addressed in the Revised Plan. 2 Policies that relate to issues of significance identified as not relevant to the Air Plan are not included in these lists. May 2013 Page 7

15 Issue R2: Protection of cultural amenity values such as celestial darkness R2.1 To support the use of light suppression or limitation measures to protect celestial darkness in some areas. R2.2 To require that regional council recognise and provide for the relationship of Ngāi Tahu with air, and the specific cultural considerations regarding air quality, including cultural amenity values. Air plan to recognise that there are cultural amenity values, and include issue identifying the need to protect cultural amenity values such as celestial darkness, clear views of important natural features such as a mountains, and safe and quality air around marae. R2.3 To require that local authorities recognise that some discharge to air activities may have particular adverse effects on Ngāi Tahu cultural values, including marae and wāhi tapu. Issue R3: Climate change could have significant impacts on the relationship of tāngata whenua to ancestral lands, waters and sites of significance. Potentially R3.4 To support the reduction of emissions as a response to climate change, including but not limited to urban planning to reduce emissions, use of solar water heating and similar measures to reduce energy use, and improved farming practices to reduce emissions. R3.5 Climate change legislation associated with forests and carbon credits should promote, encourage and reward the protection and restoration of indigenous forest. Issue R4: Māori have an interest in the right to access and allocation of radio frequencies. No KTKO Issues - GENERAL Discharges from industrial or trade premises adversely affect local and ambient air quality and can affect papakainga and mahinga kai. 1. To require earthworks and discharges to air consider the impact of dust and other air-borne contaminants to health, mahinga kai, cultural landscapes, indigenous flora and fauna, wāhi tapu and taonga. 2. To encourage early consultation with Kai Objectives in air plan to reflect: The need to protect the life supporting capacity and mauri of air; and The need to protect cultural values and sites from inappropriate discharges to air. May 2013 Page 8

16 Agrochemical spray drift has the Tahu ki Otago in the development of air Air plan to acknowledge that there are cultural potential to cause adverse effects on research proposals. impacts associated with air pollution and human health and non-target 3. To require cultural assessments for any discharges to air. neighboring areas. The cultural impacts of air pollution and discharges to air are poorly understood and seldom recognised. Discharges to air can adversely affect human health and can be culturally offensive. Motor vehicle emissions have serious cumulative effects that call for the adoption of high emission control standards. Insufficient data has been collected and distributed about the effects of air discharges. Depletion of the ozone layer and high levels of solar radiation Impacts of increased aircraft traffic and resultant noise pollution Emissions from domestic fires in built up areas prone to inversion layers National priorities for carbon credits can often be detrimental to local and district values and disadvantage private landowners. Potentially No Potentially discharges to air, including agrochemical. 4. To encourage reduced vehicle emissions. 5. To promote the planting of indigenous plants to offset carbon emissions. 6. To promote clean forms of domestic heating. 7. To discourage the location of any new crematoriums near mahinga kai or wāhi taonga sites. 8. To require that Kai Tahu ki Otago be an affected party to reconsenting of existing crematoriums. 9. To require higher standards of emission controls for crematoriums. 10. To discourage burning of vegetation within, adjacent to, or impacting on a wāhi tapu site. 11. To require light suppression techniques are used for any new subdivisions and replacement lighting. Include issue statements on: Discharge of contaminants to air and effects on Ngāi Tahu values, including mahinga kai, wāhi tapu, Maori rock art (dust from earthworks), celestial darkness and other values. Note crematoriums as an issue of particular significance with regard to impact on mahinga kai and wāhi taonga. Includes issue on impacts of discharge to air (including discharges from home heating) on human health. Include policies and/or methods to provide for: The need to assess cultural effects of discharge to air methods, and that CIA may be required. The use of indigenous plantings to offset and mitigate discharges to air. Avoiding/discharging burning of vegetation within, adjacent to or impacting on a wāhi tapu site. Light suppression to protect celestial darkness Consider specific issues and policy re: crematoriums. Issues WĀHI TAPU New crematoriums not located near mahinga kai Discharges from crematoriums, if located in close proximity to mahinga kai and wāhi taonga are spiritually offensive. Vegetation burning on or adjacent to or wāhi taonga sites. KTKO as affected party for reconsenting of existing crematoriums. Higher standards of emission control for crematoriums. wāhi tapu sites can have adverse May 2013 Page 9

17 effects including damage to sites, impacts on tapu of the site. Impact of odour on wāhi tapu sites. Ensure that Air plan recognises role of Ngāi Tahu in management of the air resource. Issues MAHINGA KAI Clean air is important to the health of mahinga kai Issues CULTURAL LANDSCAPES Impact of urban settlement and discharges to air on the visibility of cultural landscape features including the moon, stars and rainbows. Dust and the impact on people s health and traditional Māori rock art. Te Poha (Kaikoura) Discharges to air and impacts on waterways, wāhi tapu (e.g. contaminants can be corrosive), mahinga kai, indigenous biodiversity. Specific discharges to air identified: vegetation burning, spraying of fertilizer and effluent (spray drift), burning of hospital waste, increased vehicle emissions as a result of increased tourism. Impacts on human health as a result of poor air quality Lack of monitoring of cumulative effects of discharge to air activities. Unacceptable levels of dust in the air from some areas, including quarries, gravel extraction and sawmills. Cultural impact of airborne diseases. Difficulty of measuring, assessing No 1. To avoid to the discharge of contaminants that may threaten the life supporting capacity of air. 2. To avoid adverse effects on plants, animals, water and soil as a result of discharge to air activities. 3. To require that any activity resulting in the discharge of contaminants to air evaluate and propose measures to prevent adverse effects on human health. 4. To require that consent authorities and applicants assess proposed discharge activities with regard to cumulative effects, Ngāi Tahu cultural values and Ngāi Tahu indicators for air quality. 5. The setting of regional air quality standards must recognise and provide for sections 6, 7 and 8 of the RMA. 6. Consultation and communication regarding Ensure issues, policies and methods effectively identify and address the potential effects of discharge to air activities on human health. Include issue on protecting the life supporting capacity of air. Include issue that discharge to air activities may have specific cultural effects. Recognise specific values (cultural amenity) associated with air views of landmarks, natural quiet, celestial darkness, ability for sound to carry naturally, ability to breath uncontaminated air, ability to see and smell the sea, clean rain. Include policies and/or methods to address cultural issues associated with the impacts of discharge to air activities, including: Best practice application rates and practices for May 2013 Page 10

18 and communicating the value of clean air. Use of highly scientific, technical jargon for addressing air quality issues, and insufficient time for discharge to air consent applications to be in plain language, in addition to highly technical reports, to enable the Rūnanga to make informed decisions. 7. Best practice to be used for all top dressing top dressing/ground application of agrochemicals to avoid or minimise spray drift and effects on waterbodies and groundwater; Requirement for a buffer zone of at least 50 m from the riparian area of a waterbody. runanga and other organisations to respond to high technical applications for discharge to air activities. Industrial activities that discharge contaminants to air, and impact on residential areas. Appropriate duration of consent for discharge to air activities. or ground based application of agrochemicals to minimise spray drift. Consideration must be given to wind direction, best practice application rates, and proximity to groundwater and surface water resources. 8. Depending of the scale and location of discharge, to require a buffer distance of at least 50 m from the area determined to be riparian be observed when discharging chemicals or fertilisers near a waterbody, with the potential to increase this distance if there is insufficient natural riparian buffer zones. 9. The duration of consent to reflect the potential risk of the activity to air. 10. Industrial discharges (e.g. sawmills and Appropriate duration of resource consent duration reflecting risk. Robust monitoring of air discharge consents. Plain language summaries of highly technical applications to be provided to runanga. The use of indigenous plantings to offset and mitigate discharges to air. burning of treated timber) must show that emission rates of potentially harmful contaminants do not constitute a hazard to the community. 11. To require robust monitoring of discharge to air consents, to detect non-compliance with consent conditions and best practice. Not compliance must result in appropriate enforcement action to discourage further non-compliance. 12. To support and encourage the use of indigenous species to offset and mitigate industrial discharges to air. May 2013 Page 11

19 Global atmosphere issues Policies under Issue Cumulative impact of farming Potentially 1. To support and encourage efforts to reduce If the Revised Air Plan is to include global air quality practices, deforestation and vehicle emissions on global air quality and carbon dioxide levels. Effects on human health as a result of increased solar radiation. Sea level rise and impact on coastal areas. Potentially No emissions of greenhouse gases. 2. To work with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to contribute the views of Ngāti Kuri to tribal and national scale climate change policies and processes. 3. Any government climate change legislation must recognise and provide for the Treaty of Waitangi. 4. To support and encourage the use of indigenous species and restoration projects to address global atmospheric issues. 5. Climate change legislation associated with forests and carbon credits should promote, encourage and reward the restoration and sustainable use of indigenous forests. 6. To support community-based education about the risks to human health associated with increased solar radiation. issues, then the following issues should be reflected as issues of importance to Ngāi Tahu: Cumulative impact on land use practices on carbon dioxide levels; Cumulative impact of vehicle emissions on carbon dioxide levels; Effects of increased solar radiation (reduction in ozone layer) on human health. 7. To support and encourage sustainable transport initiatives that decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and non-renewable sources of energy, and address local and global impacts on the environment, human health and our communities as a result of carbon dioxide emissions. Amenity values Low flying helicopters and noise (e.g. during a pōwhiri) Air pollution and potential to impede views of maunga, coastline, and No No Policies under Issue In some areas, Te Rūnanga o Kaikoura may recommend light suppression or limitation, and/or height restrictions on buildings, to protect amenity values, Recognise specific values (cultural amenity) associated with air views of landmarks, natural quiet, celestial darkness, ability for sound to carry naturally, ability to breath uncontaminated air, ability to see and smell the sea, clean rain. May 2013 Page 12

20 other landmarks Cumulative impacts on amenity values as a result of increased transport (e.g. planes, vehicles, helicopters) as Kaikoura grows as a tourist destination. Lights from offshore boats and impact on celestial darkness Unacceptable duration and/or intensity of odours generated from discharges to air (e.g. spray irrigation of effluent). Impacts on visual amenity values from increased development and subdivision (e.g. height of buildings), and infrastructure such as transmission lines. no including celestial darkness. 2. Best practice must be used with regard to the spraying of effluent in farming activities (e.g. minimise odour, consider wind direction). 3. Particular odorous activities may be inappropriate in particular areas, including adjacent to or near sites of significance (e.g. marae, wāhi tapu, urupā). 4. Any new development that may have high visual impact on the natural or cultural landscape may be encouraged to use suitable screening devices, such as indigenous plant species and cultural materials, to protect natural and cultural landscapes. Include policies/methods to address cultural issues associated with amenity values, including: Light suppression Include policy on discharge to air activities and sites and resources of significance to tangata whenua, including wāhi tapu and marae. Some discharge to air activities may have adverse effects on Ngāi Tahu cultural values, including marae and wāhi tapu, and may therefore be inappropriate. Kati Huirapa Spraying of pesticides or other toxic chemicals in or near rivers, lakes, sea or other natural waters. Discharges of harmful contaminants 1. Discharges of harmful contaminants into air which threaten the life supporting capacity of air, land and water should cease. All harmful contaminants removed from air into air which threaten the life supporting capacity of air, land and water discharges. Chapter 2 of the CRPS Discharges of contaminants to air, and effects on mahinga kai sites, wāhi tapu and other sites of significance. Poor air quality and effects on community health and well-being. Visual impacts of contaminants in air. Air plan will require policies, methods and/or rules that ensure: Air quality is maintained for humans, animals and plants. Mahinga kai areas, wāhi tapu sites, and other sites of cultural significance are not compromised by poor air quality. Specific cultural considerations are recognised and provided for when developing air quality May 2013 Page 13

21 standards (e.g. Maori health, deposition of air pollutants on mahinga kai sites or marae). Chapter 4 Localised effects on cultural (and other) Chapter 4 contains a number of provisions to Chapter 4 of the RPS sets up a good framework for of CRPS the values caused by discharges of contaminants to air (with list of sources) address issues of significance to tangata whenua relating to discharges of contaminants to air: ensuring that issues of significance to tangata whenua are reflected in the Air Plan. Objectives that recognise the importance of good air quality to tangata whenua, and that certain discharges (e.g. crematoria) may be inappropriate if located near to marae or wāhi taonga. Policies that address issues of significance to Ngāi Tahu, including spray drift of agrichemical sprays and the potential effects on water, and recognition of the relationship between discharges to air and culturally sensitive receiving environments. Methods that identify the need to consult and work with Ngāi Tahu as tangata whenua to manage ambient air quality and set standards. May 2013 Page 14