As part of the process to create the Tasman Environment Plan, Council is working on an ongoing project to identify the District's special places, and safeguard them for future generations.

We are doing this by outlining Tasman’s outstanding natural landscapes, outstanding natural features, and the coastal environment, and developing rules to help protect them from specific future activities that would impact what makes them so special.

In autumn 2021, we began the process of working with landowners and our communities to make sure that we have the area boundaries in the right place and that future protective controls on activity are sensitive to aspirations. A summary of feedback we received is available on our website.

Updated draft maps with boundary changes will be released in the coming months. So far, we have made close to eighty changes to areas covering private land in response to feedback received. It’s important for landowners to know that before anything is finalised, we will be in touch again on the firmed-up boundaries and proposed policy response for your area.

Senior Principal Planner Stephanie Styles said that when the team met with landowners and stakeholders last year, they talked in depth about what they are doing on their land and what they might want to do in the future.

“We heard from the community that there is strong support for tailoring rules to recognise the differences between the identified areas.

“Areas vary from wide open pastoral spaces like the northwest coast, to deep complex forested valleys in towards Murchison and the Lakes.

“We agree with this approach and will be looking to treat activities differently in different outstanding natural landscape and feature areas,” said Ms Styles.

The team are looking forward to continuing their work with landowners and the community on the Landscapes and Coastal Environment Projects this year.