Key draft changes for the future District Plan

Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga and Te Taumutu Rūnanga presented a Sites and Areas of Cultural Significance report to Council for their consideration when drafting new planning provisions for the new District Plan. The Council’s District Plan Committee endorsed the report which will form the basis for further development of draft changes to the current District Plan. Key recommendations from the report include:

• Replacing current definition of wāhi tapu and wāhi taonga with definitions from Mahaanui Iwi Management Plan.

• Introducing a more contemporary approach to identifying and protecting cultural landscapes which results in a broader range of culturally significant sites and areas, with different values (similar to the current Christchurch District Plan). This means moving away from a traditional approach of pinpointing sites on a planning map.

• Introducing the following categories for cultural landscapes:

1. Ngā Tutohu Whenua: cultural landscapes in the district which encompass catchments rather than defined areas or specific sites. It would include the Southern Alps and High Country, Malvern Hills, Canterbury Plains and Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere.

2. Wāhi tapu and wāhi taonga: sites and places that are culturally and spiritually significant to mana whenua history and identity. It would include the following subcategories:

- Silent files: a tool to protect culturally significant sites as it provides a general location of the site, but does not identify the exact site.

- Maunga Tapu/Tūpuna: mountains which are considered to be the most sacred part of a landscape.

- Key Pā/Kāinga/Mahinga Kai sites: several ancestral pa, kainga and significant nohoanga within the district.

- Nga Puna: springs which are tapu (sacred).

3. Ngā Tūranga Tūpuna: refers to larger extents of land within which there is a concentration and broader range of culturally significant sites. It would include: Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere, its margins and associated wetlands; Rakaia River and Taumutu.

4. Ngā Wai: represents water. It would include selected waterbodies and their margins:

- Ngā Awa: major rivers and their tributaries within the district.

- Ngā Roto: lakes within the district.

- Ngā Hāpua: lagoons within the district.

- Ngā Repo: wetlands within the district.

• Introducing new objectives, policies and rules that achieve the desired outcomes for the integrated management of cultural landscapes, including appropriate engagement with local Rūnanga.