Forestry and logging
Forestry and logging usually involve the creation and maintenance of tracks, sometimes involve the disturbance of large volumes of soil and, by their nature, involve vegetation disturbance. On steep land, these activities can cause slips, increase sediment run off and accelerate erosion. Soil disturbance and vegetation clearance are controlled in the Regional Soil Plan.
Our regional rules about vegetation disturbance apply only to steep, erosion prone land. The terms vegetation disturbance, soil disturbance, and erosion prone land are all defined in the Regional Soil Plan.
Note that territorial authorities may have rules in their district plans restricting vegetation clearance on non-erosion prone land.
Rule 3 of the Regional Soil Plan permits vegetation disturbance on erosion prone land, subject to conditions specified in the rule.
Rule 4 of the Regional Soil Plan requires a land use consent for vegetation disturbance on erosion prone land if the conditions in Rule 3 cannot be met. This is a restricted discretionary activity.