B-2 – Area 2 - Assessment of Environmental Effects 106 7.5.1.5 Historic and cultural heritage Objective 3.18 of the RPS specifies that sites, structures, landscapes, areas or places of historic and cultural heritage are to be protected, maintained or enhanced in order to retain the identity and integrity of the Waikato Region and New Zealand’s history and culture. A number of policies seek to achieve this objective, and direct that: Tangata whenua are to be provided appropriate opportunities to express, maintain and enhance the relationship with their rohe through resource management and other local authority processes;50 provision should be made for the collaborative, consistent and integrated management of historic and cultural heritage resources;51 and use and development should be managed to give recognition to historic and cultural heritage and to integrate it with development where appropriate.52 The provisions of the RPS regarding the relationship of tangata whenua with their cultural heritage are addressed in Section 9 of the Overarching AEE. With respect to historic heritage, it is noted that most of the methods place the onus on local authorities to give effect to the identified objectives and policies via the amendment and updating of their district plans. That said, Section 5.13 of this AEE notes that activities within Area 2 will affect two registered archaeological sites as follows: the establishment of the Willows SFA will result in the partial removal of the Mataura or Waihi Gold Mining Co. Water Race (archaeological site T13/961); and, a section of the High-Level Walmsley Timber Tramway (archaeological siteT13/963) will be removed by the WRS. A range of mitigation measures (including recording or research and display of heritage features) are proposed as conditions of consent which give recognition to these heritage values and will ensure that an understanding of the values of the area is retained and enhanced. Protection measures will also be put in place to ensure that nearby archaeological remains/features associated with T13/961 – 963 are not inadvertently affected during construction. For completeness, the activities occurring within Area 2 are not considered inappropriate when regard is given to the matters set out in Method 10.3.2. 50 Policy 4.3, Waikato Regional Policy Statement. 51 Policy 10.1, Waikato Regional Policy Statement. 52 Policy 10.3, Waikato Regional Policy Statement.
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