Policy 14: Restoration of natural character

Promote restoration or rehabilitation of the natural character of the coastal environment, including by:

1. identifying areas and opportunities for restoration or rehabilitation;
2. providing policies, rules and other methods directed at restoration or rehabilitation in regional policy statements, and plans;
3. where practicable, imposing or reviewing restoration or rehabilitation conditions on resource consents and designations, including for the continuation of activities; and recognising that where degraded areas of the coastal environment require restoration or rehabilitation, possible approaches include:
1. restoring indigenous habitats and ecosystems, using local genetic stock where practicable; or
2. encouraging natural regeneration of indigenous species, recognising the need for effective weed and animal pest management; or
3. creating or enhancing habitat for indigenous species; or
4. rehabilitating dunes and other natural coastal features or processes, including saline wetlands and intertidal saltmarsh; or
5. restoring and protecting riparian and intertidal margins; or
6. reducing or eliminating discharges of contaminants; or
7. removing redundant structures and materials that have been assessed to have minimal heritage or amenity values and when the removal is authorised by required permits, including an archaeological authority under the Historic Places Act 1993; or
8. restoring cultural landscape features; or
9. redesign of structures that interfere with ecosystem processes; or
10. decommissioning or restoring historic landfill and other contaminated sites which are, or have the potential to, leach material into the coastal marine area.