Various Definitions from Acts of Parliament
A National Environmental Standard is a set of minimum permissible requirements to maintain the quality of our environment. The standards are set by Central Government. The standards are required to give us clear air to breathe, clean water to drink and clean land to live on. A National Environmental Standard are regulations issued under sections 43 and 44 of the Resource Management Act. Each standard must be enforced by the regional and city / district councils.
A
recognised customary activity, is an
activity carried out under a customary
rights order. A customary rights order may
be made by the Maori Land Court or the High
Court over an area of public foreshore and
seabed under the Foreshore and Seabed Act
2004. Such orders recognise a particular
activity, use or practice which has been
carried out in that area since 1840.
Recognised customary
activities can usually be carried out
without a
resource consent and irrespective
of any
rules in regional or district plans.
However, they must be carried out within the
scale, extent and frequency specified in the
order and in accordance with any controls
imposed by the Minister of Conservation. In
addition, the activity must be carried out
by a member of the group on whose behalf the
order is made or another person authorised
by the holder of the order. They are also
subject to national environmental standards.
An Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) is a report that accompanies every resource consent application. The AEE provides details about the land, ownership, effects on the land and any consultation undertaken. An AEE is similar to an environment impact assessment (EIA).
The fourth schedule of the Resource Management Act identifies what information is required. This is listed below:
(a) A description of the proposal:
(b) Where it is likely that an activity will result in any significant adverse effect on the environment, a description of any possible alternative locations or methods for undertaking the activity:
(c) [Repealed]
(d) An assessment of the actual or potential effect on the environment of the proposed activity:
(e) Where the activity includes the use of hazardous substances and installations, an assessment of any risks to the environment which are likely to arise from such use:
(f) Where the activity includes the discharge of any contaminant, a description of—
(i) The nature of the discharge and the sensitivity of the proposed receiving environment to adverse effects; and
(ii) Any possible alternative methods of discharge, including discharge into any other receiving environment:
(g) A description of the mitigation measures (safeguards and contingency plans where relevant) to be undertaken to help prevent or reduce the actual or potential effect:
(h) identification of the persons affected by the proposal, the consultation undertaken, if any, and any response to the views of any person consulted:
(i) Where the scale or significance of the activity's effect are such that monitoring is required, a description of how, once the proposal is approved, effects will be monitored and by whom.
A redefinition survey is an accurate survey to find the existing boundary pegs, or place new boundary pegs on an existing boundary point. If you are building a new fence, retaining wall or structure close to or on a boundary line a redefinition survey will give you confidence you are building in the right place.
