Site-specific Assessments of Environmental Effects

B-2 – Area 4 - Assessment of Environmental Effects 32 Overall, it is considered that the activities occurring within Area 4 will be undertaken in a manner that promotes the outcomes sought by the relevant statutory planning documents in order to achieve the sustainable management purpose of the RMA. 7.3 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS The National Environmental Standards relevant to Area 4 are discussed in the following sub-sections. 7.3.1 National Environmental Standards for Freshwater The NES Freshwater sets standards to regulate activities that pose a risk to the health of freshwater and freshwater ecosystems. As described in Section 4 of this AEE, should the discharge of water to land and water occur within 100 m of the Favona Wetland, the activity is subject to the standards under the NES Freshwater and may only be undertaken if a resource consent is obtained to authorise the activity. The construction related effects of the Services Trench and how such effects will be managed are discussed further in Sections 5 and 6 of this AEE. 7.3.2 National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil The NES Soil seeks to ensure that land affected by contaminants in soil is appropriately identified and assessed before it is developed. If necessary, affected land will need to be remediated or the contaminants contained to make it safe for human use. For the most part, Area 4 is not located within an area identified as a “piece of land” under the NES Soil. A small area of land, in the vicinity of the Waihi SFA is located within a HAIL Site. The NES Soil is therefore relevant with respect to soil disturbance activities occurring in and around this area of known contamination. The requirements of the NES Soil and the associated effects associated with contaminated land are discussed further in Sections 4.1 and WWLA (2022) report. 7.4 NATIONAL POLICY STATEMENTS 7.4.1 National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management The sole objective of the NPSFM reflects this hierarchy of obligations and states: …to ensure that natural and physical resources are managed in a way that prioritises: (a) first, the health and well-being of water bodies and freshwater ecosystems (b) second, the health needs of people (such as drinking water)

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