In a statement, the council said it had written to the city and district councils, KiwiRail and New Zealand Transport Agency to explain the rules in the Southland water and land plan that apply to gravel extraction around structures in rivers like bridges.
It also confirms Environment Southland’s approach to written approvals when resource consents are required.
"It’s important to be able to clarify our rules as this means those agencies responsible for managing structures in rivers can deal with gravel affecting them with confidence."
Good gravel management supports the resilience of structures in rivers, which was important during times of high river flows and floods and also stopped the gravel moving and causing problems elsewhere.
Ensuring gravel and its impacts were managed was part of Environment Southland’s approach to river management, which aimed to keep river channels clear and to protect and stabilise riverbanks.
Under the rules in the Southland water and land plan, gravel can be removed to support the maintenance of structures without resource consent, providing certain conditions are met.
The letter clarifies when written approvals are required for consent applications.
The council has also confirmed if resource consent is required for gravel extraction, it will consider who the affected parties are and determine who needs to be notified, on a case-by-case basis.
"Our consents team is available to discuss what’s required in any application before it’s lodged and offers pre-application meetings, as well," Mr Horrell said.
— APL
