Agenda of Environment and Services Committee

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Environment and Services Committee

Wednesday 19 June 2019

Subject: Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation - A Regional Response

Reason for Report

1. This report focusses on the regional response to climate change and provides the Council an opportunity to enhance its role as the regional leader with respect to climate change, now and into the future, in light of increasing evidence of the pace and scale of climate change and growing community concern.

2. A stocktake identifies those current Council activities which contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. It includes projects the Council is leading for the regional community, as well as its corporate response to provide climate change leadership by example.

3. The report identifies different actions being undertaken by others in local government across New Zealand, as well as recent Budget 2019 announcements, which may generate new opportunities for this Council to lead or collaborate on into the future.

Background

4. HBRC is the region’s key agency tasked with ensuring the use, development, and protection of natural and physical resources in a way, or at a rate, which enables people and communities to provide for their social, economic, and cultural well-being. It is further tasked with providing for the health and safety while sustaining the potential of natural and physical resources to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of future generations, safeguarding the life-supporting capacity of air, water, soil, and ecosystems, and avoiding, remedying, or mitigating any adverse effects of activities on the environment.

5. Accordingly, as the agency with the greatest overall responsibility for the regional response to climate change, this Council has been active for some years in response to climate change, with responsibilities under the Resource Management Act, in particular ss6(h) and 7(i), civil defence and emergency management, flood protection management, transport and biosecurity.

6. HBRC has commissioned a range of studies on climate adaptation and coastal hazards, supported the Carbon Neutral Hawke’s Bay Project some 12 years ago and commissioned a report by Dr Sean Weaver (2017) on a climate change resilience programme.

7. The Council’s Strategic Plan 2017-2021 includes strategic goals such as:

7.1. By 2025, coastal hazards are being managed to meet foreseeable climate change risks to coastal communities out to 2100

7.2. By 2030, flood risk is being managed to meet foreseeable climate change risks out to 2100

7.3. By 2030, Hawke’s Bay has environmentally sustainable, harvestable water identified and stored or plans to be stored if required

7.4. By 2040, Hawke’s Bay is carbon neutral.

8. The Weaver Report and Strategic Plan informed the development of Council’s Long Term Plan 2018-2028 (LTP), Council’s work programme for the next ten years. This LTP built on actions already being undertaken and introduced some new responses relating to climate change.

9. In recent months, there has been a growing spotlight on climate change, including a demand from young people for more leadership in this arena, and a recognition of the need for government to address adaptation as well as mitigation.

10. Last month (May 2019), Canterbury, Christchurch, Nelson and Kapiti Coast declared climate emergencies as a response to increasing public concern. As this paper was finalised, Auckland also made a declaration.

Stocktake Summary

11. The draft LGNZ report Local Government Climate Change Mitigation Position Paper (2018) identifies two main ways in which local government may respond to climate change: by reducing each organisation’s own emissions and by encouraging efforts to reduce emissions within their own territory or region. The brief stocktake of HBRC activities follows this framework for both mitigation and adaptation responses.

12. In summary, the LTP shows that Council already holds core competencies in climate change actions and is effectively leading work on a number of fronts. However, most often climate change mitigation or adaptation is not the only or key driver for undertaking the activity; rather co-benefits are provided.

Stocktake: Mitigation

13. There are a range of ways in which the Council is leading in mitigating the effects of climate change. The two tables following identify responses in transportation, energy and waste management and biodiversity.

Table 1: Stocktake - Mitigation Actions; Transport

HBRC Role

Activity

Climate Change Benefit

For the regional community

Public transport

· Bus services provided

· Super Gold card

Reduction in

· Vehicle emissions

· Fuel demand

· Regional carbon footprint

Reduction is able to be achieved because of more choice in:

· Transport options

· Fuel types

Cycleways

· Regional network

· Promotion

· iWay

E-vehicles

· Promotion

Driver-Share

· App under development

Rail

· Napier-Wairoa rail line reinstatement

As a regional leader, by example

E-vehicles

· E-vehicles

· E-bikes

Staff

· Promotion of cycling

· Promotion of public transport

Table 2: Stocktake - Mitigation Actions; Energy, Waste & Biodiversity

· Ethical Investment Policy – no fossil fuels

· Reduce, re-use, recycle initiatives

· Emission reporting ( building energy use: under development for air travel, waste, vehicle fleet)

HBRC Role	Activity	Climate Change Benefit
For the regional community	Forestry · Right tree, right place (under development)	Carbon sequestration
	Biodiversity · Wetland enhancement · Riparian planting · Erosion control planting	Carbon sequestration
	Housing · Clean heat, sustainable homes	Reduction in · Energy used · Materials used · Corporate carbon footprint Reduction is able to be achieved because of: · More efficient resource use · Less waste · Alternative practices e.g. more skype meetings
As a regional leader, by example	Buildings · Lighting, heating, materials, skype in meeting rooms & various other operational initiatives
As a regional leader, by example	Practices

14. As an advocate, this Council has recently supported:

14.1. Development of a Zero Carbon Bill

14.2. A clear, coherent and coordinated national policy on climate change mitigation and adaptation

14.3. A Climate Change Commission with an advisory role (not, at least initially, a regulatory role)

14.4. Transition to a low-emissions economy, with a priority focus for innovation, research and development in New Zealand to achieve the 2050 national target.

Stocktake: Adaptation

15. Adaptation to climate change is a critical leadership area for local government. Climate change is a component of all eight of HBRC’s strategic drivers. Whereas with mitigation, central government is often the lead agency through legislation, with adaptation, the regional and local communities are more often leading the way.

16. Tables 3 and 4 below summarise the main projects relating to management of the region’s natural resource base, as well as managing the use and development of natural and physical resources.

Table 3: Stocktake of Adaptation Activities - Natural Resource Base Focus

HBRC Role	Activity	Climate Change Benefit
For the regional community	Water · Irrigation efficiency, efficient allocation & use · Measuring flows & use · Security of supply projects · Regional freshwater security programme in Tukituki & Heretaunga	Natural resources are used in more sustainable ways, recognising climate change effects These actions will enable community wellbeing to be sustained, now and into the future Reduce the adverse impacts of extreme weather events, including droughts, heavy rainfall, wind and new pests and diseases
	Land · Erosion control, including the Hill Country Erosion Fund · Shade, shelter & fodder
	Biodiversity · Riparian planting · Predator-free HB · Pest management · Wetland restoration · Ecosystem prioritisation
	Air · Particulate control · Urban emissions inventory
As a regional leader	Monitor, inform & educate · Climate change predictions · Situation, trends	Good information improves community awareness of climate change effects, and enables individuals & businesses to better manage their own responses
As a regional leader	Regulate · Manage effects of resource use · Set bottom lines	Regional plan controls recognize and minimise the risk of adverse climate change effects, setting the parameters within which development occurs

Table 4: Stocktake of Adaptation Activities - Human Activities Focus

HBRC Role	Activity	Climate Change Benefit
For the regional community	Primary sector · Future Farming · Catchment modelling & management	The regional economy is better able to adapt to likely climate change, thereby sustaining the regional community
	Civil defence · Reduce natural hazard risk · Readiness for hazard events · Reaction to any hazard event · Recovery	Communities within the region are better prepared & able to respond to any climate-related hazard
	Climate-related hazards · Flood protection & drainage, including upgrade of the Heretaunga Plains Flood Protection Scheme · Coastal defences · Coastal Protection Fund (proposed)	Physical defence systems are being provided, with future investment recognising changing climate risks Creation of a regional fund to assist with other future responses
	Development · Clifton – Tangoio Coastal Hazards Strategy · HPUDS · Flood assessment · 3 Waters	Adaptations are made to where and how development occurs, including for housing and infrastructure investments Resources are allocated effectively & efficiently to achieve long term, sustainable regional benefits
As a regional leader	Regulate · RPS - strategic integration of infrastructure · Manage resource allocation & use

17. The Council has taken a leading role in New Zealand, alongside Hastings District and Napier City Councils, by developing the Clifton-Tangoio Coastal Hazards Strategy 2120 as a staged response to considering and responding to climate change effects over the next 100 years. The initial response (over the next 20 years) includes construction of a sea wall along the coast from Clifton, and a range of re-nourishment and control structure activities along the whole coastline. Funding requirements for future adaptations are also being considered. Future steps in the Strategy require identification of the trigger points at which the community must re-evaluate the course of action being used. This process of community engagement is being shared as an example of best practice at a number of national fora, including the recent New Zealand Planning Institute Conference, held in Napier in April 2019.

18. More recently, the Regional Freshwater Security scheme has received significant central government support via the Provincial Growth Fund and will enable the community to accelerate its development of short, medium and long-term solutions for creating greater freshwater security in the face of a less predictable, more volatile climate.

Opportunity: clarifying our current response

19. As the brief stocktake above illustrates, HBRC is undertaking a range of activities which either directly or indirectly contribute to mitigation or assisting communities to better prepare for a changing climate future.

20. As the focus on taking visible actions to address climate change increases across New Zealand, simple ways to make HBRC’s responses more transparent include:

20.1. Elevating climate change considerations in decision-making by identifying any climate change impacts and considerations as a core requirement of any report to Council that requires a decision to be made

20.2. Preparing an annual climate change report; summarising HBRC’s activities in mitigation, adaptation and leadership by example

20.3. Proactively participating in (or leading) a pan-region response to climate change issues and to ensure co-ordination across agencies for regionally relevant mitigation and adaptation actions and for driving public awareness of climate change impacts.

National-level opportunities: Budget 2019

21. The Budget 2019 identifies a number of actions which Government will lead, and which may potentially benefit the region. Table 5 identifies major Budget initiatives and ways that HBRC may gain more leverage for Hawke’s Bay iwi, businesses and community through adopting these opportunities.

Table 5: Opportunities for Further Action Budget 2019

Budget 2019 Activity	Initiative	HBRC Opportunity
Rail & sustainable transport	Green Transport Card Making public transport more affordable for low income households	Continue to build on current Transport programmes to increase bus usage & decrease motor vehicle use
Rail & sustainable transport	Resilient & Reliable Freight Rail System Ensure continued use of rail to support freight & passenger movements & reduce carbon emissions	Continue advocacy to ensure that the Hawke’s Bay rail system remains resilient, & reliable
Meeting the Climate Change Challenge	Advanced Energy Technology Platform	Advocate for test & trial of new energy forms that may be useful for Hawke’s Bay e.g offshore wind, hydrogen, solar, batteries, bio-energy, waste-to-energy
	Agriculture Climate Change Research Platform	Advocate for Hawke’s Bay relevant research, preferably based within the region
	Changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme	Facilitate opportunities for regional business to understand any changes, so they can make more informed business decisions
	Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill Adoption of 5-yearly emissions budgets (to 2050 target) & national climate change risk assessments to inform a national adaptation plan	Update the 2004-2005 regional greenhouse gas inventory to set a new benchmark for Hawke’s Bay region Align Hawke’s Bay regional emissions targets & adaptation programme with national targets & adaptation programme
	Industry Futures	Advocate to enable Hawke’s Bay opportunities to access the Bioresource Processing Alliance & Product Accelerator for co-funding & co-development of new products or processes turning low-value biological waste streams into high-value products
	Global Research Alliance to Reduce Agricultural Emissions	Advocate for Hawke’s Bay relevant research, preferably based within the region
Productive & sustainable land use	Climate Change Commission & government response Supporting more sustainable land use & a low emissions and climate-resilient economy	Align Hawke’s Bay’s programme with any national programme Advocate to ensure the region’s interests and issues are recognized and appropriate action is taken
	Enabling the Transition in Agriculture On the ground advice to farmers & agri-business, providing /upgrading tools to assist local practitioners	Work with all partners to enable the transition Protect high-value food crops Pro-active research on & management of a changing distribution of plants & animals (land use change) associated with a changing Hawke’s Bay climate
	Freshwater & Transition to a Sustainable & Low Emission Economy Support for key institutions & regulation	Work with all partners to achieve the best possible outcome for Hawke’s Bay water users.
	The One Billion Trees Programme Lowering planting barriers for landowners & improving incentives to increase tree planting	Continue to work with all partners to maximise regional benefits from this fund
Transforming the Economy	The Provincial Growth Fund Lifting regional productivity potential	Continue advocacy to ensure Hawke’s Bay benefits in the longer term, co-benefits for climate change possible
Transforming the Economy	Growing a Vibrant & Inclusive Low-Emissions Economy Scaling up Te Uru Rākau to promote growth & sustainability of the forestry sector	Advocate for a greater regional presence to increase the value received from wood & timber resources grown in Hawke’s Bay

Regional and Local Opportunities

22. Some regional, district and city councils have also taken more pro-active steps to mitigate and/or adapt to climate change. These opportunities are included as an attachment to this report, “Snapshot of regional and local opportunities”. The attachment does not provide an exhaustive list of all local government initiatives.

23. It should be noted that in recent times while individual local authorities have taken the move to make climate emergency declarations, no region has made a coordinated declaration across all Councils.

Political Challenge

24. Climate Change is described as an existential problem and it is the nature of its global pervasiveness, uncertain and uneven global impacts and multi-generational timeframes that has made progress to meet the challenge so slow. Some commentators observe that nearly every conversation had in 2019 about climate change was held in 1979 and note that “we have trained ourselves, whether culturally or evolutionarily, to obsess over the present, fret about the medium term, and cast the long term out of our minds.” Even in 1980 the philosopher Klaus Meyer-Abich, lamenting the lack of progress in preventing global warming, somewhat fatalistically observed that adaptation to climate change, “seems to be the most rational political option.”

25. Climate change issues exacerbate the dictatorship of the present. What seems terrifyingly fast on the geological scale is unfathomably long on the human scale. Forcing others to clean up our mess is acknowledged as unfair. But preventing climate change problems requires societies to make costly investments to benefit people elsewhere in the future, thereby “swamping the machinery of morality.” Humankind places much value on the short and medium term, and very little value on the long term. We massively misprice the value of a stable climate – even though it is the platform and assumption behind trillions of dollars of investment in infrastructure, agriculture, national security and urban development. Our modern financial decision frameworks discount the value of investments/decisions whose returns occur deep into the future.

26. However, perhaps now we have the matrix of solutions to prevent catastrophic climate change – but, as Al Gore has stated that historically ‘the central problem has always been that the maximum considered politically feasible still falls short of the minimum required to be efficacious.’ It is a certainty that a generation of politicians will address climate change in a manner consistent with the crisis. The question is: which generation?

What Next?

27. HBRC may take a more visible climate change lead now by:

27.1. Addressing climate change impacts and considerations as a requirement of every HBRC report requiring a decision to be taken

27.2. Preparing an annual climate change report stating what HBRC is doing with respect to climate change mitigation, adaptation and as a regional leader

27.3. Developing a community engagement plan, including a climate change website page for Hawke’s Bay, enabling information and actions being taken to be communicated more effectively, together with profiling of actions through various communications media

27.4. Continuing to develop how the organisation itself ‘walks the talk’, leading by example

27.5. Considering the benefits of making the sustainable homes funding more flexible to enable innovative solutions to achieve the same outcome (refer to the Flaxmere Solar Farm report to this committee).

28. Staff will investigate opportunities identified within the Budget 2019 to maximise benefits for the region, including building on existing initiatives such as the 1 Billion Trees Programme and for water security.

29. A comprehensive programme of climate change related actions, extending the current broad range of responses, will be developed for consideration by HBRC. A workshop will be scheduled in 2020 to discuss options prior to more detailed costings being prepared for the next LTP 2021-2031.

Considerations of Tangata Whenua

30. Tangata whenua are impacted by climate change. The comprehensive programme of climate related actions will be developed with input from tangata whenua. Should Council choose to lead a Hawke’s Bay wide response, we would expect their active involvement in co-leadership.

31. No consultation has been undertaken with tangata whenua on this matter in preparation of this report. However, it is recommended that this report be referred to the Maori Committee and Regional Planning Committee for discussion on co-leadership.

Finance and Resource Implications

32. There is no change in financial or resource implications arising from this report. However, any broadening of the current work programme into the future will require additional resourcing.

Decision Making Process

33. Council is required to make every decision in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act). Staff have assessed the requirements in relation to this item and have concluded:

33.1. The decision does not significantly alter the service provision or affect a strategic asset.

33.2. The use of the special consultative procedure is not prescribed by legislation.

33.3. The decision does not fall within the definition of Council’s policy on significance.

33.4. The persons affected by this decision are all persons in Hawke’s Bay, including ratepayers, residents, visitors and businesses.

33.5. The decision is not inconsistent with an existing policy or plan.

33.6. Given the nature and significance of the issue to be considered and decided, and also the persons likely to be affected by, or have an interest in the decisions made, Council can exercise its discretion and make a decision without consulting directly with the community or others having an interest in the decision.

Recommendation

1. That the Environment and Services Committee receives and considers the “Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation - A Regional Response” report.

2. The Environment and Services Committee recommends that Hawke’s Bay Regional Council:

2.1. Declares that it recognises climate change to be an urgent and pervasive threat to human and ecological wellbeing.

2.2. Commits to providing an annual progress report in relation to its existing programme of work and additional future programmes relating to climate change.

2.3. Includes climate change as a primary factor for consideration in its decision making processes.

2.4. Commits to developing a comprehensive programme of work in response to climate change, including regional leadership for climate change awareness and action.

2.5. Requests staff develop a programme of community engagement on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

2.6. Directs the Chief Executive to further reduce the Council’s greenhouse gas emissions and report annually on progress within the annual progress report.

Authored by:

Dale Meredith

Senior Policy Planner

Approved by:

Tom Skerman

Group Manager
Strategic Planning

Attachment/s

⇩1

Snapshot of Regional and Local Opportunities

Organisation	Initiative	HBRC Opportunity
Wellington Region	Climate Change Strategy (2015) · Reduce GHG emissions · Manage risks · Improve community awareness	Review Strategic Plan to provide clear focus on HBRC’s strategic approach Highlight LTP work programme re climate change Demonstrate implementation of strategic programme through regular reporting & communications
Waikato Region	Waste Management Strategy Sustainable Agricultural Project Biodiversity Strategy Transport Strategy
Risk mitigation plans	Prepare plans to address specific risks, including for flooding, erosion and water shortage, which identify actions for HBRC, city & district councils, iwi, stakeholders & the wider community Civil defence community action planning may provide a vehicle for community responses
Community care groups	Facilitate groups within specific communities Civil defence actions should be included
Nelson City	Website: How we respond to climate change	Simple graphics to show the HBRC climate-change related work programme (see Figure 1 below)
Corporate sustainability strategy Regional energy strategy Regional soils strategy Regional waste strategy	Co-ordinated and planned approaches to focus both internal and regional community actions, informing the development of future Long Term Plans
Social economic & environmental monitoring	Broader collection of data to inform progress and evaluate impacts of proposals across the well-beings. Include cultural monitoring.
Wellington City	Te Atakura – First to Zero: Blueprint for a Zero Carbon City (draft 2019): (refer to Figure 2 below) · Shaping our plan for a growing city · Getting us moving in all the right ways · Becoming a leader in high performance buildings · Giving shared mobility options a lift · Building a Wellington climate lab · Going for a zero emissions transport fleet	A wide range of initiatives are proposed in this draft, which could be picked up in Hawke’s Bay e.g.: · Bike & scooter sharing · Solar community buildings · Zero carbon parks · Mandating NABERSNZ (or Enviro-mark) · Developing biofuels · Diet change · Sustainable food networks · Product stewardship · Climate certified bonds · Energy management KPIs · Connecting digitally · CarbonZero council
Climate Change Action Plan: Low Carbon Capital (2016) (pre-cursor to Te Atakura above): · Greening Wellington’s growth · Changing the way we move · Leading by example	A range of opportunities are identified which could apply in Hawke’s Bay, including: · Alternatives for sewage sludge disposal · Advocate for lower public transport fares · Advocate for more support to develop biofuels · Use CEMARS certification to measure organisational performance in reducing greenhouse gases
FutureFit: gaming tool or people to assess & reduce their personal carbon profile	Interactive game which could be promoted for personal use in Hawke’s Bay
Climate Change portfolio leader	Councillor nominated to lead climate change matters for the region
Auckland Council	Climate Action Plan Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri (2019) Draft (refer to Figure 3 below) · 11 key moves · 7 climate action outcomes · Action Plan · Measuring progress and indicators Informed by the Auckland Climate symposium (held in March 2019) and an Auckland Climate Independent Advisory Group	A range of opportunities are identified, which could apply in Hawke’s Bay, including: · Developing an interactive plan created by and for the regional community · Hosting a Hawke’s Bay Symposium to bring together agencies and businesses to focus on climate change awareness and actions
Environment Canterbury	Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions: · Head office (solar roof panels, NABERSNZ star rating, ) · Low-carbon transport · Single-use plastic bag ban · Printing efficiency	Benchmarking HBRC’s corporate greenhouse gas emissions, & reporting in future Ideas to build on current HBRC corporate initiatives to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions
Climate change integration programme (under development)	Identify & report on the suite of HBRC projects which contribute towards adaptation or mitigation, providing a more transparent view of climate change initiatives led by HBRC, for the regional community or in leading by example
Regional Climate Change Working Group	Convene a governance group from territorial local authorities and iwi within Hawke’s Bay to lead responses
Bay of Plenty Regional Council	Climate Change Action Plan (to adopt in late Jun 2019 and launch in 2019-20): · BOPRC carbon footprint · Climate change as a consideration in decision-making · Services review · Collaborating with communities to build resilience & responses Climate Change team	Establish a regional climate change community group Establish a Climate Change team Update current policies, projects and plans to reflect current climate change knowledge and best practice Identify regional emissions targets with the community Establish contestable funding for community-led responses Car pool co-ordination

Overview of Central Government's Key Resource Management Related Workstreams

Attachment 1

Overview of Central Government’s key resource management-related workstreams (at 1 June 2019)

Bills

What	Lead Ministry	When
Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill	MFE [weblink1] [weblink2]	Select Committee stage. Submissions close 16 July 2019.	Purpose of the Bill is to establish a framework which New Zealand can use to develop clear, stable climate change policies in accord with the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement is a global effort to combat the effects of climate change by limiting the global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The Bill would set greenhouse gas reduction targets into law and require that future governments continue these efforts into the future. It would also: · set up the Climate Change Commission, an independent body that will advise and support the government to reach the targets, specifically: o reduce gross emissions of biogenic methane within the range of 24% to 47% below 2017 by 2050, with an interim requirement to reduce emissions to 10% below 2017 levels by 2030 o reduce net emissions of all other greenhouse gases to zero by 2050 · create a requirement that the government sets emission budgets every five years that will act as ‘stepping stones’ towards the ultimate goal of zero greenhouse gases by 2050 · create a requirement that the government understands the risk of climate change (for example, rising sea levels) and produces plans to address these which will cover climate change adaptation measures. This bill would be an amendment to the existing Climate Change Response Act 2002, meaning that all of the key climate-related legislation is covered under one Act. In parallel to the Bill, MFE are overseeing preparation of New Zealand’s first national climate change risk assessment (NCCRA). The NCCRA will improve understanding of the nature and severity of the risks and opportunities posed by climate change, and enable action to adapt to climate change to be prioritised through the national adaptation plan. Work to respond to a number of the other recommendations from the Climate Change Adaptation Working Group (not covered in the Climate Change Response Bill) are being overseen by an inter-agency Community Resilience Group led by the Department of Internal Affairs. The CRG’s work has five workstreams: · information to better support decision-making · enhanced use of risk assessment · alignment and adequacy of regulatory frameworks · ensuring effective insurance and risk markets. The potential role of national direction such as a national policy statement to assist councils in the management of risk (natural hazards and climate-related) is part of this work programme.
Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities Bill	Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) [weblink1] [weblink2]	Select Committee stage (for first Bill). Submissions close 11 July 2019. Further Bill to be introduced late 2019.	Legislation was introduced to Parliament on 29 May 2019 to establish Kāinga Ora―Homes and Communities (previously known as the Housing and Urban Development Authority (HUDA)). It will consolidate three existing agencies; Housing New Zealand, its subsidiary HLC and parts of the KiwiBuild Unit. The Bill also sets out the operating framework for Kāinga Ora―Homes and Communities and states that strategic direction will be provided to the organisation through a government policy statement. Once established, Kāinga Ora―Homes and Communities will be “a one-stop-shop with a job description to build modern homes and vibrant communities” says Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford. “It will have a strong social mandate, including being a fair and reasonable landlord and recognising the importance of environmental, cultural and heritage values in urban development.” “Partnerships are critical to the future success of Homes and Communities, which will work alongside local government, iwi, infrastructure providers and property developers,” Phil Twyford said. According to a MHUD factsheet, “Kāinga Ora―Homes and Communities will partner with councils on developments of all sizes. A range of partnership models will be available to enable Kāinga Ora―Homes and Communities and councils to work together on urban development. In the case of specified development projects, Kāinga Ora―Homes and Communities must seek agreement from relevant councils as part of the establishment process. It will also be able to enter into agreements with councils around providing and funding infrastructure and public facilities as part of these projects.” It would appear much of Kāinga Ora’s work would be with city and district councils in their respective urban areas. There may be some involvement from regional councils as providers of infrastructure services and asset managers in those urban areas. Kāinga Ora will be established through two separate pieces of legislation. The Bill introduced in May will bring together the three agencies. A second Bill intended to be introduced later this year will give Homes and Communities its enabling development powers. Following the Select Committee process, the first Bill is expected to pass later this year, with Kāinga Ora–Homes and Communities up and running on 1 October 2019.
Resource Management Act Amendments – Phase One	MFE	Late 2019	A Bill is being drafted, but yet to be referred to a Select Committee and opened for public submissions. Bill largely focusses on reversing changes made through the 2017 RMA amendments, particularly in relation to resource consent decision-making. It will also introduce some changes to assist with technical problems, strengthen the enforcement tools, and provide Environment Protection Agency enforcement function under the RMA.
RMA Amendments – Phase Two	MFE	TBA	Second phase of amendments is not so well developed as Phase One, but it will address some broader issues about the overall resource management system. Details and scope of the Phase Two reforms are not yet available.
Review of Walking Access Act 2008	Ministry for Primary Industries [weblink]	17 May to 2 July 2019 – public feedback from organisations and individuals involved in access to the outdoors.	The Walking Access Act 2008 (the Act) is about providing free access to the outdoors for walking and for types of access that may be associated with walking, such as access with firearms, dogs, bicycles, or motor vehicles. MPI is reviewing the Act and they want to hear views about what’s working well and what could be improved.

Freshwater Package

What	Lead Ministry	When
‘Essential Freshwater’ package (incl NPSFM amendments and new NESs)	MFE [weblink]	Public consultation late July to Sept 2019 (Subject to Ministerial approval)	The work programme's three main objectives to achieve by 2020 are to: · stop further degradation and loss to NZ’s freshwater and achieve improvements within five years · reverse past damage and promote restoration activity to bring NZ’s freshwater to a healthy state within a generation · address water allocation issues – working to achieve efficient and fair allocation of freshwater resources, having regard to all interests, including Maori, and existing and potential new users. Broadly, the package is mooted to feature a number of policy proposals, including: 1. at risk catchments (in two workstreams being national level information and ‘exemplar’ catchments) 2. improving management practices and managing intensification of rural land use (such as regulation of high risk activities, intensification and stock exclusion) 3. allocation frameworks 4. strengthening and clarifying the Te Mana o Te Wai framework for freshwater management 5. Freshwater investments (i.e. use of Crown funding for freshwater projects). 6. Amendments to systems and processes for developing freshwater policy in RPSs and regional plans by 2025. 7. Additional requirements for monitoring, reporting and managing within several new attributes for water quality. These proposals are likely to be delivered principally in the form of a revised National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) and a National Environmental Standard for Freshwater Management (NES-FM). The amended NPS-FM will be the fourth time it has been amended since first coming into force in 2011. According to MFE, the revised NPS-FM is intended to improve regional planning by ensuring all aspects of ecosystem health are managed, and give direction on how to proceed where there is uncertainty. It is also intended to clarify and simplify the NPS-FM. The proposed NES-FM is intended to provide clear and specific direction on resource use, in particular where rapid action is required. Some of the issues being considered in the development of the NES and NPS are: · how to strengthen Te Mana O Te Wai as the framework for freshwater management · how to better provide for ecosystem health (water, fish and plant life) · how we can better protect wetlands and estuaries · ways to control high-risk farming activities and limit intensification · support to improve farm management practices. Alongside this work, government officials are making progress with the mapping of vulnerability, risks and pressures in each catchment across New Zealand. This is likely to be shared as part of the consultation. In addition to the NPSFM and NESFM, the policy proposals will be complemented by some tailored amendments to the RMA for making freshwater planning more agile, plus increased Crown investment in freshwater projects, decision-making support tools and research and supporting water-users to transition to better practices (as announced as part of the 2019 ‘Wellbeing’ Budget). MFE officials have also begun work on a system for allocating nitrogen discharges. As regional councils set limits for nitrogen, a system will be required to allocate who can discharge and how much. Any such system has to provide for new entrants and the development of underdeveloped land. There are a number of complex issues to resolve and MFE advises it will take time to develop a system so councils will be kept informed of this developing workstream.

What

Lead Ministry

When

‘Essential Freshwater’ package

(incl NPSFM amendments and
new NESs)

MFE

[weblink]

Public consultation late July to Sept 2019 (Subject to Ministerial approval)

The work programme's three main objectives to achieve by 2020 are to:

· stop further degradation and loss to NZ’s freshwater and achieve improvements within five years

· reverse past damage and promote restoration activity to bring NZ’s freshwater to a healthy state within a generation

· address water allocation issues – working to achieve efficient and fair allocation of freshwater resources, having regard to all interests, including Maori, and existing and potential new users.

Broadly, the package is mooted to feature a number of policy proposals, including:

1. at risk catchments (in two workstreams being national level information and ‘exemplar’ catchments)

2. improving management practices and managing intensification of rural land use (such as regulation of high risk activities, intensification and stock exclusion)

3. allocation frameworks

4. strengthening and clarifying the Te Mana o Te Wai framework for freshwater management

5. Freshwater investments (i.e. use of Crown funding for freshwater projects).

6. Amendments to systems and processes for developing freshwater policy in RPSs and regional plans by 2025.

7. Additional requirements for monitoring, reporting and managing within several new attributes for water quality.

These proposals are likely to be delivered principally in the form of a revised National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) and a National Environmental Standard for Freshwater Management (NES-FM). The amended NPS-FM will be the fourth time it has been amended since first coming into force in 2011.

According to MFE, the revised NPS-FM is intended to improve regional planning by ensuring all aspects of ecosystem health are managed, and give direction on how to proceed where there is uncertainty. It is also intended to clarify and simplify the NPS-FM.

The proposed NES-FM is intended to provide clear and specific direction on resource use, in particular where rapid action is required.

Some of the issues being considered in the development of the NES and NPS are:

· how to strengthen Te Mana O Te Wai as the framework for freshwater management

· how to better provide for ecosystem health (water, fish and plant life)

· how we can better protect wetlands and estuaries

· ways to control high-risk farming activities and limit intensification

· support to improve farm management practices.

Alongside this work, government officials are making progress with the mapping of vulnerability, risks and pressures in each catchment across New Zealand. This is likely to be shared as part of the consultation. In addition to the NPSFM and NESFM, the policy proposals will be complemented by some tailored amendments to the RMA for making freshwater planning more agile, plus increased Crown investment in freshwater projects, decision-making support tools and research and supporting water-users to transition to better practices (as announced as part of the 2019 ‘Wellbeing’ Budget).

MFE officials have also begun work on a system for allocating nitrogen discharges. As regional councils set limits for nitrogen, a system will be required to allocate who can discharge and how much. Any such system has to provide for new entrants and the development of underdeveloped land. There are a number of complex issues to resolve and MFE advises it will take time to develop a system so councils will be kept informed of this developing workstream.

Other NPSs, NESs and Resource Management Regulations

What	Lead Ministry	When
NES for Marine Aquaculture	MPI (Fisheries NZ) [weblink]	Mid-late 2019	Developing a proposed National Environmental Standard for Marine Aquaculture. Consultation with the public and iwi authorities on the proposal occurred in mid-2017. Government departments have developed final policy recommendations which are currently with Ministers for consideration before a Cabinet decision to proceed to drafting the regulations. Potentially a final NES gazetted in late 2019. The initial 2017 proposal aimed to: · address variations and regional inconsistencies in processing replacement permit applications for existing marine farms · reduce New Zealand’s exposure to biosecurity risks · enable better use of space within existing marine farms · improve environmental outcomes.
Review of NES for Human Drinking Water Sources	MFE [weblink]	Cabinet decisions ~July 2019	Partly informed by Three Waters’ review workstream. More information to be revealed in 2019. [Refer separate report on HBRC Environment & Services Committee agenda 19 June 2019 on Three Waters Review]. In short, a Cabinet briefing paper on strengthening the regulation of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater is in progress, with Government decisions expected in July.
National Planning Standards 2019 (Form, Function & Style)	MFE [weblink]	First Set in effect from April 2019. Further sets TBA.	The purpose of the national planning standards is to improve consistency in plan and policy statement structure, format and content. When releasing the first set of planning standards ion 5th April 2019, Environment Minister David Parker said the move would reduce compliance costs and address criticisms that RMA plans are unduly complex. The new planning standards do not determine local policy matters or the substantive content of plans as that remains the responsibility of local councils and communities. Different timeframes apply to different planning standards and different local authorities. · all councils must meet basic electronic accessibility and functionality requirements by May 2020. · regional councils have three years to adopt the standards for their regional policy statements, and ten years for their regional plans (i.e. by April 2022 and April 2029 respectively). · unitary councils have 10 years to adopt the planning standards. · city/district councils generally have five years to adopt the planning standards, with seven years for the definitions standard. A smaller group who have recently completed a plan review have seven years to make changes, and nine years for definitions. If a council undertakes a full plan review within these timeframes the new plan must meet the planning standards when it is notified for submissions. There are also different timeframes for online interactive plans. Regional councils and unitary councils have 10 years to comply with the requirements (i.e. by April 2029).
Review of NES for Air Quality	MFE [weblink]	TBA	The current Air Quality NES regulations came into effect on 8 October 2004. They are made up of 14 separate but interlinked standards. These include: · seven standards banning activities that discharge significant quantities of dioxins and other toxics into the air · five standards for ambient (outdoor) air quality · a design standard for new wood burners installed in urban areas · a requirement for landfills over 1 million tonnes of refuse to collect greenhouse gas emissions. The National-led government had initiated a review of the NES with particular focus on standards for ambient outdoor air quality and domestic woodburners. Officials are continuing assessment of policy options and relative benefits and costs. The Review remains subject to further Cabinet decision-making during 2019-20.
NES for Outdoor Storage of Tyres	MFE [weblink]	TBA	Draft NES was released in 2017 and further revisions are being considered in response to issued raised in submissions. Revised NES potentially in place by end of 2019, subject to Cabinet decision ~July 2019. While the original draft NES placed much of the responsibility for implementation on city and district councils, issues under re-consideration may involve a shift of implementation to regional councils.
NPS for Indigenous Biodiversity [and NZ Biodiversity Strategy]	DOC/MFE [weblink1] [weblink2]	Public consultation late 2019	On 25 October 2018, Associate Minister for the Environment, Nanaia Mahuta, publicly released the Report of the Biodiversity Collaborative Group. Central government has been engaging with Maori, Regional Councils, Territorial Authorities and other relevant stakeholders to test the workability of the draft NPS. Minister has already announced that the NPS will be drafted with a focus on terrestrial biodiversity and not cover marine or aquatic biodiversity. Further policy analysis is being undertaken. Subject to Ministerial approval, expect an opportunity for public feedback on the indigenous biodiversity NPS mid October to mid December. The proposed NPS-IB is likely to recommend identification of Significant Natural Areas, as well as coordinated restoration of land, wetlands and depleted environments. Meanwhile, DOC officials engaged in early 2019 with iwi and stakeholders to understand goals and ambitions for a new strategy for NZ’s Biodiversity. DOC is developing a framework for the new strategy which will ultimately replace the existing NZ Biodiversity Strategy adopted by the Government in 2000. In terms of timing, officials have indicated the Draft Strategy would be released for comment prior to submissions on a draft NPS being invited.

What	Lead Ministry	When
NPS for Highly Productive Land (NPS-HPL)	MFE & MPI	Public consultation July to Sept 2019 alongside proposed NPS-UD (Subject to Ministerial approval)	MFE & MPI officials are working together to develop a proposed NPS for highly productive land. According to MFE (June 2019), “the NPS-HPL would provide councils with greater clarity on how highly productive land (including versatile soils) should be considered in RMA decision-making. The NPS-HPL intends to address the gradual reduction in availability of this resource for primary production, as well as to manage fragmentation and reverse sensitivity effects. The NPS-HPL would initially apply to all LUC1-3 land across New Zealand, however regional councils would be required to undertake a process to identify highly productive land in their region based on a set of criteria. The proposal would provide direction for councils to: · recognise and provide for the full range of values and benefits associated with the use of highly productive land for primary production · maintain the availability of highly productive land for primary production for future generations · protect highly productive land from inappropriate subdivision, use and development. Absolute protection will not always be appropriate. The proposal provides clear direction that urban development should be avoided on highly productive land where better options exist. Councils would be given flexibility to avoid unduly constraints to their urban development objectives. Further work is expected to progress in 2020 to address declining soil health as a result of past and present agricultural practices. This timeframe will allow the Essential Freshwater programme to develop, which will address overlapping issues. This work is likely to focus on: · soil contamination · soil compaction · erosion.”
Proposed NPS for Urban Development	MFE & Ministry of Housing and Urban Development [weblink]	Public consultation July to Sept 2019 alongside proposed NPS-HPL (Subject to Ministerial approval)	A proposed national policy statement on urban development (NPS-UD) is being developed as part of the Government’s Urban Growth Agenda. The proposed NPS-UD would replace the existing 2016 NPS on Urban Development Capacity. The intention is to build on the existing NPS-UDC by strengthening existing policies and broadening its focus. According to MFE (June 2019), the new NPS-UD “should help councils make decisions about creating room for growth, both up and out, in suitable areas. Some of the proposals in the NPS-UD would apply to all urban areas that are expected to experience growth. Other proposals would be targeted only at larger cities. New elements in the proposed NPS-UD include directing councils’ planning decisions to: - support quality urban environments - recognise the benefits of urban development and the needs of all current and future communities - strengthen long-term, strategic (spatial) planning - address a number of the barriers to Māori involvement in council processes and reflect Māori values and interests in urban planning decisions - direct more intensive development, particularly around centres and transport networks. [MFE] are also looking to simplify the evidence-based requirements of the existing NPS-UDC and improve their usefulness for planning.” Under the existing NPS-UDC, Napier-Hastings area is classified as a ‘medium growth’ area. As a consequence of that medium growth status, the NPS-UDC requires monitoring and quarterly reporting on a range of housing and business land development indicators. Past housing and business market indicator monitoring reports are published at www.hpuds.co.nz\resources.
Proposed NPS for natural hazards	MFE	TBA	Understood to be part of the inter-agency Community Resilience Group’s work programme led by DIA. Details are very limited.

Other things of particular relevance…

What	Lead Agency	When
NZ Productivity Commission – Inquiry into local government funding and financing	New Zealand Productivity Commission [weblink]	Draft report released in June 2019. Final report to Government by 30 November 2019.	In June 2019, the Productivity Commission is due to release a draft of its report. The Inquiry’s Terms of Reference describe the scope as: “the inquiry would examine the adequacy and efficiency of the existing local government funding and financing framework. Specifically the inquiry will investigate: [cost pressures; funding and finance models; and the regulatory system], but out of scope are “particular mechanisms for rating of Maori freehold land and Crown land; the valuation system and practices; and substantial privatisation.” In November 2018, the Commission had published an issues paper for this inquiry into local government funding and financing. That issues paper briefly described local government in New Zealand and how funding and financing currently works. It asked questions about current pressure points and ways that councils can manage cost pressures. It invited feedback on options for future funding and financing tools. The Commission is aiming to present its final report to the Government by 30 November 2019.

What

Lead Agency

When

NZ Productivity Commission – Inquiry into local government funding and financing

New Zealand Productivity Commission

[weblink]

Draft report released in June 2019.

Final report to Government by 30 November 2019.

In June 2019, the Productivity Commission is due to release a draft of its report. The Inquiry’s Terms of Reference describe the scope as:

“the inquiry would examine the adequacy and efficiency of the existing local government funding and financing framework. Specifically the inquiry will investigate: [cost pressures; funding and finance models; and the regulatory system], but out of scope are “particular mechanisms for rating of Maori freehold land and Crown land; the valuation system and practices; and substantial privatisation.”

In November 2018, the Commission had published an issues paper for this inquiry into local government funding and financing. That issues paper briefly described local government in New Zealand and how funding and financing currently works. It asked questions about current pressure points and ways that councils can manage cost pressures. It invited feedback on options for future funding and financing tools.

The Commission is aiming to present its final report to the Government by 30 November 2019.

What	Lead Agency	When
The 2019 ‘Wellbeing’ Budget	Treasury [weblink]	30^th May 2019	The 2019 Wellbeing Budget was delivered by the Finance Minister Hon Grant Robertson on Thursday 30 May. Some parts of particular interest to local government regional sector/HBRC include: a) A Sustainable Future: o Support for farmers, growers and councils to make “positive land use changes”. The $229.2 million package invests in projects to protect and restore at-risk waterways and wetlands and provides support for farmers and growers to use their land more sustainably. o provides funding (no $ amount specified) to accelerate actions that improve water quality in at-risk catchments and wetlands. Addresses capability gaps and inconsistent practices across regions regarding rules implementation. This includes support for improving consistency between councils, better compliance and enforcement, better engagement with Māori, and improving scientific knowledge to inform plan development. b) The Provincial Growth Fund (continues) c) Essential Freshwater Work programme – phrased as a non-spending initiative, the website says “In October 2018, the Government launched an Essential Freshwater Work Programme to stop further degradation and loss, reverse past damage and address water allocation issues. These will be achieved through a new National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and a new National Environmental Standard for Freshwater Management, among other things.” d) Sustainable future initiatives part 2 (some have very limited info) o Climate Change Commission and Government response: providing funding ($42.7m operating, $0.4 capital) to establish key institutions and regulations and ensuring the Government has the resources to deliver on its obligations and commitments. o Enabling agriculture transition: funding ($122.2m operating) for: on-the-ground advice to farmers; supporting Māori agribusiness; information, tools and advice to support farmers making change to more environmentally sustainable and higher value production; improving on-farm emissions data and upgrading decision and regulatory tools; and protecting high-value food exports and updating our official assurances system. o Freshwater and Transition to a Sustainable and Low Emissions Economy: $64.3 million operating funding to establish key institutions and regulations. o Reforms to RMA o Strengthening the Integrity of the Environmental Management System: $30.5 million operating, $3.9 million capital. This initiative will enable NZ to better manage economic and urban growth within environmental limits. This will be done through providing funding for comprehensive reform of the resource management system and the improvement of implementation, compliance and enforcement of National Direction (how resources are managed under the RMA).
			e) Meeting the climate change challenge: includes things like ETS changes and the Zero Carbon Bill. f) Unlocking Whenua Māori: investment in an advisory service for Māori landowners to help them develop their land. Hawke’s Bay is not one of the initial focus regions (which are Gisborne/Tairawhiti; Northland/Te Tai Tokerau; and Waikato-Waiariki/Waikato; and Bay of Plenty). g) Supporting Māori Crown relations and Treaty settlements: stipulates operating budget (probably for Māori Crown relations agency - Te Arawhiti) for various activities related to completing Treaty settlements and ensuring Crown land is in a decent state for redress. Also seems an increase in research and development funding across a few areas for transitioning NZ’s economy to more climate change friendly activities and technologies.
‘Environment Aotearoa 2019’	MFE and StatsNZ [weblink]	Report released April 2019	On 18 April MFE released Environment Aotearoa 2019 in partnership with StatsNZ. The report provides a health check on NZ’s environment, identifying the top nine issues that we currently face. The report also contains a section on strengthening the knowledge and reporting system. It suggests more could be done to make better use of the knowledge system – particularly by aligning, coordinating and leveraging efforts across the many organisations involved. MFE’s environmental reporting programme is currently being reviewed by the Parliamentary Commissioner of the Environment. PCE’s recommendations are expected towards the end of the year. MFE’s Marine Environment 2019 report is their next report, due to be released in mid-October with updated data.
National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA) and Interim Climate Change Committee Recommendations	MFE	June 2020	NCCRA MFE are currently developing New Zealand’s first national climate change risk assessment (NCCRA). It will improve our understanding of the nature and severity of the risks and opportunities posed by climate change, and enable action to adapt to climate change to be prioritised through the national adaptation plan. It will provide a national overview of how various hazards and threats may be influenced by climate change, and identify significant risks for New Zealand. The first step towards producing the NCCRA is to develop a framework that enables a broad range of risks to be systematically compared. An expert panel will develop the framework by the end of June 2019, along with guidance materials to help assess climate change risks at a national level. MFE will use the framework to commission the first NCCRA, with work scheduled to begin later this year and completed by the end of June 2020. MFE have indicated that will be working closely with local government as they develop the NCCRA. Interim Climate Change Committee Recommendations Last year, the Government asked the Interim Climate Change Committee (ICCC) to look into how to set up a system to reduce agricultural emissions – focusing on the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), because this is the way all other emissions are managed in New Zealand. The ICCC delivered their recommendations to MFE in April, and the Government is considering its response. MFE says councils are unlikely to be strongly impacted. This is because the focus on the ETS as a policy tool does not involve implementation by councils. However, as the aim is to reduce on-farm emissions, there is a link to regional councils’ work with on-farm environmental management.

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Environment and Services Committee

Wednesday 19 June 2019

Subject: Landscape Scale Ecological Restoration on the Mahia Peninsula

Reason for Report

1. This item updates the Committee on the development of staff considerations about a proposal for an integrated approach to achieving a Te Mahia vision.

Introduction

2. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is currently very active on the Mahia Peninsula. The quantum of work underway and the breadth of things being worked on offers an opportunity to look beyond a project by project approach to what might be achieved through better coordination of work, and integrating the priorities and aspirations of the community into that work.

3. It is important to state upfront that this paper is conceptual. No formal or structured tangata whenua or community consultation has been undertaken to date. True partnerships with tangata whenua in particular are based in the co-creation of ideas and concepts and their development to action on the ground. This approach is also appropriate for the wider Mahia community. This paper is intended to be an exploration of the potential opportunity that exists at Mahia through a more coordinated and qualitative approach to our implementation efforts, where the aim is to achieve multiple, mutually beneficial outcomes rather than in pre-determining the pathway now.

4. Integrated Catchment Management has been used to describe a myriad of catchment based approaches to dealing with land and water issues and trade-offs. There are three broad groupings to the way the title has been used to describe what the integrated bit of the catchment management approach represents. Council staff are working across all three approaches in varying ways, depending on the catchment:

4.1 Integrating both water quantity and quality issues in the planning and approaches used to achieve objectives

4.2 Looking at the catchment-wide range of drivers and issues that contribute to the state and value of our waterways and taking an integrated approach to their management through better targeted and coordinated action, greater investment and improved data

4.3 Taking a more whole of landscape/community view to the management of a catchment, while equally empowering the community through their ability to influence, participate, kaitiakitanga and possibly ultimately own the kaupapa itself.

5. Having a Chair in Integrated Catchment Management, locally based, offers HBRC a significant opportunity to explore and quantify, among other things, the relative advantages and disadvantages of taking different approaches to both our policy setting and our work with communities at a local scale.

Context

6. Mahia has a proud and vibrant community with a proven track record of getting things done and working together on a variety of different kaupapa. The Whangawehi Catchment Management Group (WCMG) is a prime example of this work which continues to set a national benchmark in the way they have worked together to achieve environmental results.

7. There are other great examples too. The organisation and preparation of the Tuia 250 celebrations in December to be held at Mahia, and the speed and efficiency with which the Mahia Maori Committee have been able to collectively coordinate and build the kaupapa across the local marae. The Mahisian Wave Warriors bring significant attention to the issue of suicide in the local community offering a support network and outreach through a shared knowledge of surfing, which extends to their current efforts in fund raising for a local skate park, for all children and families to use.

8. Working with this community requires real collaboration where participation is based on tikanga, and respect and on equal terms. There is a strong desire for kaitiaki and local self-governance of projects like the Whakatipu Mahia.

9. The Mahia Peninsula, or more appropriately Te Mahia-mai-tawhiti, includes the isthmus and coastal villages of Mahia Beach, Oraka, Māhanga and Opoutama. It is an area of rich ecological significance and diversity and is steeped in a deep cultural and contemporary history. From its significance as the actual hook of Maui and the key role Rongomaiwahine Iwi had in the provision of refuge in the histories of other iwi during time of war. Early European arrival and settlement from whaling to fishing and farming and now to its present prominence as the New Zealand’s equivalent to NASA!

Areas of significance and current work

10. There is currently a significant amount of activity occurring across Te Mahia. Figure 1 highlights the location, coordination and different funding sources for on-ground projects over the last 12 months. This work includes:

10.1 The continuation of the Whangawehi Catchment Management Group’s activities and their efforts in building wider land holder support across the Peninsula undertaking environmental works and participating in projects. The WCMG are currently seeking support and funding for the creation of a formal walkway along the Whangawehi River, with interpretative signage and walker facilities.

10.2 At Onenui Station the Freshwater Improvement Fund Project is reducing soil erosion in several smaller catchments on the southern end of the Peninsula. This includes the recent Nga Whenua Rahui covenanting a significant amount of bush and a proposal to do an additional 200 ha. There are also aspirations for the protection of the coastal cliffs and focused predator control for Shore Plover protection.

10.3 Taiporutu catchment work – this collection of Erosion Control Scheme projects was a coordinated effort by members of the Whangawehi Catchment Management Group, five landholders and HBRC to fence and protect 130 ha of the catchment.

10.4 The work with landholders on the western side of the peninsula along Kinikini road in supporting their environmental works and investments. Significant areas of land have been retired from grazing recently, including an additional 55 ha of land for Manuka honey production.

10.5 Mokotahi – with the recent enhancement to the walking track and its most recent prominence as the engagement place of our current prime minister, what role is HBRC likely to have in the longer term management of this popular and iconic public land reserve?

10.6 The wider Mahia isthmus is an area of significant opportunity and challenge for WDC, Department of Conservation (DoC) and HBRC. With the relatively rapid growth in residents and economic activity and the stresses this has created on the existing three water and roading infrastructure, there is a need to balance the demands of the community, while minimising the impact of this growth on the highly unique and valuable ecological and cultural assets all along the isthmus. Work is currently occurring using our Ecosystem Prioritisation Fund to protect a 32 ha of wetland on the isthmus. There is also a significant opportunity to extend the WCMG approach into this area to help work through the range of issues and challenges to enhancing and protecting this area.

11. There are other issues that are currently a concern to the community and the achievement of a wider integrated view for Mahia including:

11.1 The recent fecal indicator bacteria breaches at a number of popular swimming sites at Opoutama, Oraka and Māhanga.

11.2 Vehicle access along the inter-tidal platform from Aurora Point to the Taiporutu stream and the preservation of access to kaimoana for many people who live outside of the takiwa.

11.3 Existing protection of endangered species such as the Shore Plover, (Sand country fauna and flora), and the opportunities eradicating predators from the Peninsula brings with the potential re-introduction of a variety of species.

11.4 Coastal erosion, feral goat predation and the impact of this on the coastal and marine habitat. Eradication of goats in not fully supported by local landholders. A number of existing land owners well remember when goats played a critical role in providing income at times when they otherwise would have struggled to continue financially, thereby enhancing their farm systems resilience.

11.5 The widespread infestation throughout the takiwa of wilding pines, pampas, blackberry, and gorse.

12. Ecosystem Prioritisation - Mahia Peninsula contains over 50 Ecosystem Prioritisation sites, making this peninsula one of the biodiversity hot spots in Hawke’s Bay. Ecosystem types represented include Tawa-kohekohe-titoki-podocarp forest, cliff vegetation, and coastal treeland/ herbfiled/ rockland. All of these ecosystems are classified as “Threatened” with less than 20% of their original extents remaining in the region. Mahia Peninsula supports some of the largest remnants of these ecosystem types.

Figure 1

13. Whakatipu Mahia – is a large scale pest and predator eradication project focused across the Mahia peninsula. It will bring the opportunity to eradicate possums and significantly reduce other predator pests. In addition this multi partner project includes investment in education and engagement, research, and species management alongside key funders Maanaki whenua and DOC. The project has created interest in a broader outcome for the peninsula and offers the potential to create a number of opportunities for Rongomaiwahine, the land owners and broader community of Mahia. It will also complement the range of planting and sustainable land management initiatives on the peninsula.

14. The wider coordination of this effort and these projects to ensure synergies and alignment with both Council’s and the wider communities aspirations for the whenua.

A wider vision

15. Within the Mahia-mai-tawhiti rohe and the wider Te Mahia community there is acknowledgement that there are opportunities and potential for a variety of other projects and initiatives to bring cultural, social and economic benefits to the whanau and community of Te Mahia. Particularly alongside the environmental enhancement work currently in action.

16. As identified in the WDC Economic Development Report – Whakarauora. “There are opportunities that exist in becoming New Zealand’s first sustainable rohe, expressed as Whakaruaora or Regeneration (of the sky, land and water, her people, their authentic traditions and culture)… A region of environmental excellence, biodiversity and community guardianship” (WDC 2019).

17. The are obvious opportunities for a managed and value added approach to the use of the whenua at Mahia which could include;

17.1 Mahia’s obvious potential as a popular tourist destination. With an estimated 15,000 people in the area for New Year celebrations in 2018-19, there is the potential for greater engagement and participation in the local kaupapa with the existing residents, holiday makers and tourists all of whom could become project participants, financial contributors or simply friends (& beneficiaries) of the “Te Mahia vision”. For example Mahia Beach residents have already enquired into how they might help the predator control effort within that community.

17.2 Utilising the momentum and skills of the Whangawehi Catchment Management Group and their brand and reputation (now recognised internationally), to support other local communities on their own pathways to environmental enhancement and protection.

17.3 How the creation of further environmental work, alongside the development of skills and training for whanau in undertaking that work, might enable greater employment opportunities for the local community. From the provision of plants for on-ground works, from locally available sources, to the offering of formal environmental management cadetships in collaboration with other agencies and entities.

17.4 There are multiple opportunities for incorporating matauranga knowledge and learning into the kaupapa and the ability for mana whenua to kaitiaki within their rohe.

17.5 Leveraging off ecological and cultural riches of Te Mahia – from potential kiwi reserves, the marine environment, coastal dunes and wetlands, the Mahia scenic reserve and Whangawehi walkway, the rich cultural history, stories and experiences available to build a greater package of opportunities for visitors to the area.

17.6 How the Te Mahia vision proposition might position itself into the future is a kaupapa in itself. Members of the WCMG are currently investigating how they might leverage off their existing efforts as a contemporary agro-ecological farmers to add value to their products and farming approaches.

Next steps

18. A variety of ideas or views have been put forward as to how a “wider vision for Te Mahia” might be realised. Note, that these have only been gathered from a very small representation of the wider community and include:

18.1 The need to support the community’s desire to manage their own projects for example the Whakatipu Mahia project, and the exploration of potential partnerships and governance arrangements to work collectively on mutually beneficial projects or priorities.

18.2 The incorporation of local schools and marae into the wider kaupapa being a critical feature of any future work and aspirations.

18.3 The use of the Erosion Control Schemes internal Partnerships and Innovation grant fund, to engage support to build a shared vision and understanding of local aspirations.

18.4 To seek clarity on what is important to the community through hui and Wananga.

18.5 To identify key cultural, social, economic and ecological assets of most importance to the community and establish the work required for their enhancement or protection.

18.6 To employ a full time coordinator for the wider Te Mahia work to ensure the work is managed and coordinated

18.7 Look for obvious overlaps and common ground within the different work strands for greater collaboration and opportunity for realising multiple benefits

18.8 Seek further funding for this work. In particular the opportunities that currently exist within the 1 Billion Trees, partnerships fund. That has funding available for catchment group approaches and training and skill development.

18.9 Identify priorities and where best to integrate HBRC actions to optimise investment and benefits accrued from that of Council funding through the development of a wider Te Mahia strategy, the use of our existing data sets and remotely sensed data and regular governance meetings.

Conclusion

19. For the Regional Council there are clearly benefits and potential efficiencies in better coordinating and aligning our existing work streams at Mahia.

20. This item updates the Committee and considers how the work currently occurring on the Mahia Peninsula could be integrated and extended in collaboration with the Mahia community to contribute to a broader vision for Te Mahia. There is an opportunity to leverage other social, cultural and economic benefits, through a more coordinated and considered approach.

21. Any long term vision or aspiration needs to originate from the community first for it to realise its potential, particularly at Mahia. This item is not intended as a template, rather a starting point for korero on the hui and wananga to come.

Decision Making Process

22. Staff have assessed the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 in relation to this item and have concluded that, as this report is for information only, the decision making provisions do not apply.

Recommendation

That the Environment and Services Committee receives and considers the “Landscape Scale Ecological Restoration on the Mahia Peninsula” staff report.

Authored by:

Nathan Heath

Catchment Manager (Wairoa/Mohaka)

Campbell Leckie

Manager Catchment Services

Approved by:

Iain Maxwell

Group Manager Integrated Catchment Management

Attachment/s

There are no attachments for this report.

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Environment and Services Committee

Wednesday 19 June 2019

Subject: Catchment Management and Erosion Control Scheme update

Reason for report

1. This item provides an update to the Committee on the Catchment Management team’s key outputs achieved in the 2018-19 financial year and work planned for the 2019-20 year.

Background

2. The Long Term Plan for 2018-28 has put us on a clear path to plant more trees, lose less soil to waterways, target cleaner water and a healthier marine environment and better biodiversity.

3. The Hawke’s Bay Afforestation Programme is an HBRC initiative that seeks to help address three of the four focus areas of the HBRC Strategic Plan 2017-2021, being; water quality / safety and certainty of supply, healthy and functioning biodiversity, and smart sustainable land use. This programme is intended to incorporate both commercial and non-commercial activity designed to control soil erosion within the Hawke’s Bay Region.

4. The programme allows for the provision of grant funding through the Erosion Control Scheme (ECS) non-commercial activity. Investigation of the commercial viability of the larger fund (Right Tree, Right Place Afforestation project led by HBRIC) is still in development.

5. The Hawke’s Bay Afforestation Programme aims to plant not less than 2000 ha per annum. Whilst it is anticipated that most of that planting will be achieved via commercial mechanisms, the ECS aims to contribute to that target by providing attractive and readily obtainable incentives for controlling erosion in those areas not suitable (or not desired) for commercial afforestation.

6. Council has committed $30m over 10 years

Y1	Y2	Y3	Y4	Y5	Y6	Y7	Y8	Y9	Y10
1.5M	2M	3M	3.3M	3.3M	3.3M	3.4M	3.4M	3.4M	3.4M

How do we deliver this?

7. Catchment Management’s primary role is to work with landowners on highly erodible land and establish erosion control plans then assist landowners apply for grant funding through the Erosion Control Scheme to complete any mitigations outlined in their plans.

8. The team’s success is to be measured on the amount of additional hectares of highly erodible land planted in trees (target of 2,000 ha per year), and kilometres of riparian margin protected annually to reduce sediment, nutrient and / or bacterial contamination of water (target of 100km per year).

9. Over the past year there has been significant change with our Catchment Management team created requiring staff structural changes, a new grant policy and the development of internal operational procedures and tools to meet these ambitious targets and make a real difference in our environment. In addition we have also sourced external funding to maximise this opportunity (Hill Country Erosion Fund and 1 Billion Trees Fund).

10. Additionally, as Council will commit significant investment into works on the ground, we are seeking innovative ideas and partnerships that will also contribute to accelerating change. Therefore as part of the grant policy an Innovation and Strategic Relationships Fund was created to allow us to partner with others and to incentivise external parties to come forward with proposals that support Councils vision.

11. Further to the above we have conducted a North Island wide Poplar and Willow pole review and conducted a ‘health check’ of our nursery. The purpose of this is to better understand the North Island pole production requirements in order that strategic consideration of nursery development can occur. We want to be able to better understand the ability of north island pole nurseries to upscale production, and to identify potential efficiency gains across the regions to do so.

Reorganise the team

12. The reorganisation provided the staff structural adjustments by splitting the existing Land Management team into three zones to better service our communities. Land areas in the three zones are shown in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. Regional Map of Catchments and Zones

13. The Land Management staff that pre-dated the creation of the Catchment Management Team were a team of 11 staff. Now the Catchment Management team is a team of 20 staff, which will increase to 27 by 2023 with our LTP provisions and additional resourcing through the Hill Country Erosion Fund. This meant some staff were promoted, some relocated and additional staff recruited to fill the resourcing gaps that existed. Naturally, this transition took time as staff revised their focus from previous years and developed new working relationships.

14. Our current structure.

Southern Coasts / Tukituki	Mid-Hawke’s Bay	Northern: Wairoa/Mohaka
Catchment Manager	Catchment Manager	Catchment Manager
Team Leader	Team Leader	Team Leader
1 Senior Catchment Advisor 2 Catchment Advisors	1.8 Senior Catchment Advisors 1 Catchment Advisor	2 Catchment Advisors
Administrator (part time)	Administrator (part time)	Administrator (part time)
	Project Manager -Environmental Hotspots
	Water Management Advisor (part time)
	Technical Advisor (Water Information Systems)

Policy

15. The ECS Policy was signed in July 2018 by Council. This provided direction on what Catchment Management were to deliver. The ECS has been established with the intention of achieving its stated objectives at both scale and pace. The policy has been specifically structured to drive early uptake but allow for prioritisation as demand meets or exceeds supply.

ECS Operating Manual

16. This manual provides the operational and administrative processes and procedures required for Council to manage the ECS grant funding. Following this, staff were needed over several months to collectively define how to deliver this scheme, from purposeful engagements through to producing Erosion Control Plans with mitigations for landowners and applying for grant funding through our scheme. An operating manual was required to provide clarity to staff on processes, roles and responsibilities to ensure consistency in the delivery of the scheme.

17. In October 2018, an interim operating manual was produced. This is when staff started hitting the ground knowing they had big targets to meet come June 2019, although at this stage no supporting tools had yet been developed. Although now we have some tools in place they are still in their infancy, and some are simply interim tools to get the job done and to enable satisfactory reporting.

ICT Tools

18. Staff continue to work with the ICT team on long-term solutions to improve efficiencies that will provide improved management and visibility of the ECS investment. Background development of new tools and processes have and will continue to take significant time to provide these benefits in the longer term.

Engagement Strategy

19. A well-structured engagement and marketing strategy is critical for this programme to successfully connect with landowners across the region. Understanding attitudes towards environmental business practices, current behaviours, future intentions and motivators are key success factors. This is currently being established.

External Funding

20. The HCE Fund is a partnership between Regional Councils, erosion-prone land owners and MPI. It aims to protect vulnerable hill country in our most erosion prone regions through implementing sustainable land management practices. It is managed by Te Uru Rakau in MPI and is part of the One Billion Trees programme. The total value of this project over 4 years (2019-2023) is $10million, of which MPI are contributing $5Mil. The fund consists of additional staff, works on the ground, monitoring, and capability building within HBRC and externally for advisors and landowners. The HCE is strongly tied to the ECS as the focus of the work is the same and the funds will be administered simultaneously.

Erosion Control Scheme - Planning and prioritising for the region

21. Approximately 252,000 hectares of Hawke’s Bay hill country has been identified through SedNet modelling as being at high risk of erosion. These results are used as a guide for assisting staff to identify potential areas of highly erodible land. These results have been split into the three zones to help with planning and prioritisation of their work.

22. Land eligible for funding under this scheme must:

22.1 Fall within the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council boundary or fall within a catchment that directly contributes sediment into the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council boundary

22.2 Have, or be likely to have, an average sedimentation yield rate of 1000 Tonnes/km²/Yr or greater

22.3 Have an Erosion Control Plan in place that meets pre-established HBRC requirements.

23. Catchment Managers may exercise discretion in treating areas of land that are not identified by SedNet as having a high risk of erosion, but can reasonably be expected as being so, using an alternate and recognised means of assessment.

Table 2. Risk of sediment loss, based on SedNet

24. As per the above map and table, although the Mid-Hawke’s Bay area has the largest land area, the North/Wairoa zone has the largest area of erodible land based on our SedNet modelling. While properties in the North are larger and fewer than in the other two zones.

25. While SedNet shows less erodible land in the South than in the Mid-Hawke’s Bay zone these results should be treated with caution. A land use capability analysis shows more erodible land in the South, and other tools give different results. As mentioned above, SedNet provides us with ‘good initial guidance’ of priority areas to visit. Other erodible areas will exist outside of those defined by SedNet. This is why on-farm engagement to identify issues and solutions at the farm or paddock scale is important.

26. The ECS, led by ICM’s Catchment Management teams, is enabling targeted tree planting and other erosion control tools to be delivered on highly erodible land that is agreed in partnership with landowners. The ECS is a key tool for the ICM teams to engage with and support landholders with land at high risk of erosion.

27. The table below provides expected outcomes from the scheme as it develops. Quantification of these outcomes cannot be reliably provided at this early stage of the scheme as too many assumptions would have to be made on the likely mix of future works. Appropriate monitoring will be set up to provide assessment of whether outcomes are being met.

Measuring Success: Erosion Control Scheme –Target Outcomes

28. We have identified short-term, medium-term and long-term qualitative outcomes for this scheme to be successful. We are currently reviewing our existing monitoring programme to assess our ability to measure progress to ensure outcomes are being met.

29. Long-term (20+ years) outcomes.

Improved Fresh and coastal water regionally
Indicators	· Reduction in Sediment - improved overall clarity and improved habitat indicators · Reduction in water temperature · Increase in MCI (bugs)
Improved Soil Conservation regionally
Indicators	· Increased ha’s of un-vegetated, erodible land under tree cover or % of catchment under cover · Soil health improvements through ha’s of reversion and GMP · Soil Quality
Increased Biodiversity and protected Ecosystem sites regionally
Indicators	· Increase in area of indigenous ecosystems · Improved condition of indigenous vegetation under management – as measured by one or more of the following; a) increase in diversity and density of seedlings and saplings, b) reduced in density and diversity of plant pests, c) where exotic species are dominant in given tiers of forest or given site (e.g. wetlands), increase in dominance of native plant species in those tiers/sites. · Connectivity between indigenous ecosystems are improved, enhanced, or restored as measured · Increase in MCI (bugs) and/or Ecosystem Health score (developed by Sandy and other RC)

30. Medium-term (10 years) outcomes.

Reduced concentration of sediment in streams where ECS works have occurred
Indicators	· Reduction in Sediment · Reduction in water temperature · Increase in MCI (bugs)
Reduced concentration of e-coli in streams where ECS works have occurred
Indicators	· Swim through Summer - Reduction in presence of e-Coli
Increase in land use change incorporating more land cover
Indicators	· Increase in farm woodlots or erosion protection plantings · Land with new vegetation as a result of ECS works (ha)
Increase Biodiversity from ECS scheme areas.
Indicators	· Improved condition of vegetation – Indicators [Bio 1 and 3] above could be used for medium term outcomes. · Regular presence of indigenous fauna

31. Short-term (5 years) outcomes.

Increased targeting of ECS works to highest erosion risk areas
Indicators	· Location of ECS planned, committed and actual works
Increased riparian protected areas
Indicators	· Riparian planted waterways (m) · Stock exclusion from waterways (m)
Increased land cover
Indicators	· Increase in farm woodlots or erosion protection plantings · Land with new vegetation as a result of ECS works (ha) · Stock exclusion from high risk of erosion land (fencing km)

Increased landowner engagement and commitment to treating erosion
Indicators	· Increasing enquiries specifically about the ECS · Increase in grants committed and spent · Number of landowners who have funding approved through HCEF, 1BT funding schemes.
Added protection to Ecosystem Prioritisation sites as a result of ECS works
Indicators	· Number of priority ecosystem sites that ECS is working on · Area of indigenous vegetation that has been fenced (excluding Ecosystem Prioritisation sites)
Increased Landowner awareness of priority Ecosystem sites
Indicators biodiversity	· Number of Ecosystem Prioritisation sites that ECS is working on · Number of landowners who engage with HBRC to protect priority ecosystems.
Improved means of monitoring biodiversity
Indicators	· Development of a National / Regional Biodiversity Monitoring programme · Funding allocated towards an agreed monitoring programme

Points of Note

32. The target outcomes depicted here are those that HBRC intend to monitor and Indicator. A wide range of benefits beyond what HBRC intend to monitor are expected from this scheme.

33. Italics text depicts current metrics reported to Council. It is anticipated that advancements will be made with monitoring technology increasing efficiencies and HBRC’s ability to monitor at a greater scale.

34. This scheme aims to deliver additional land cover in moderation. The objective is not to blanket cover the landscape but to build resilience in farming environments.

FY18-19 What We Achieved. Erosion Control Scheme Regional Outputs FY18-19

Applications

35. As at 7 June 2019, we have approved 70 Erosion Control Plan applications. Please note Year’s two and three are indicative only.

	Year One	Year Two	Year Three
ECS Budget FY18-19	$1,500,000	$2,000,000	$3,000,000
Scheme	Planting Seasons	Planting Seasons	Planting Seasons
Council’s Grant Fund (up to 75%)	$1,382,523	$397,875	$157,666
Landowner Contribution (25%)	$511,984	$132,625	$52,775
Erosion Control Plan Project Costs Total	$1,894,507	$530,500	$210,441
Council’s total expenditure
Grant Fund (up to 75%)	$1,382,523	$397,875	$157,666
Strategic Relationships & Innovation Funds (up to $350k)	$35,000	TBC	TBC
Establishment Costs	$280,996	-	-
Total	$1,698,519

36. Poplar and willow pole sales from the nursery for soil conservation work have shown a large increase this year. Last year 9000 poles were sold outside of the region. This year all 28,000 3m poles have been sold within the region. These sales were also locked in 2 months earlier than usual. These poles are expected to protect 560ha of land.

37. There are currently 50,000 Riparian plants ordered through the Riparian Plant Programme – this is a 50% increase from last year.

Innovation and Strategic Relationships Fund ($350k p.a. maximum)

38. This fund is available to Council to support the objectives of the ECS. This financial year we have used the majority of fund to cover our scheme establishment’s costs, which include project management, our communications and landowner engagement strategy and minimal legal advice to be a cost of $280,996.

39. We have contributed the following external parties using this fund:

39.1. Manuka Farming - Report on Honey Supply Chain $15,000

39.2. SFF Grazable Shrubs project – HBRC contribution $15,000

39.3. EKOS - Carbon Management Services: Hawke’s Bay Restorative Forest Carbon Programme Pre-Feasibility Assessment and Roadmap Sean Weaver $5,000.

Beyond ECS: Other Catchment Management Regional Outputs for 2018-19

Activities	Outputs	Outcomes
Balance Farm Environment awards	Participation and contribution in all judging teams, encouraging entrants, organising group, awards evening, winner’s field-day and sponsorship.	Promotion and greater awareness of farming exemplars, case studies and integration of environmental, economic, human, community and economic aspects of sustainable farming
Strategic relationships and Primary industry liaison	Support to select and set up Beef and Lamb, Patoka monitor farm Joint winter grazing, good practice campaign with Beef and Lamb and other councils. Participation in Fonterra Big Day Out Meetings and communication with Fonterra on 50 catchments project Input into central government policy development in relation to intensive grazing practices (3 meetings)	Consistent messaging across primary industry groups and HBRC on environmental issues and solutions. Promotion of on-farm environmental work and careers to high school students 3 Hawke’s Bay Catchments selected by Fonterra for contribution of investment. Desired development of policy that is practical, enforceable and targeted to the issues.
Research	Dryland Eucalypt Managing Annual clovers in dryland Smart tools and tips for irrigators	Development of resilient solutions for dryland farm systems. Key messages to overcome barriers to uptake of good irrigation management
Overseer nutrient budgeting model	Participation in national regional council Overseer workshops x4. Hosted one in Napier. Contributed feedback to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment report on Overseer (3 interviews and provided written material)	Provided feedback to influence Overseer development priorities that will be targeted to the needs of users to help manage nutrient issues.
MPI 1 Billion Trees Workshops	Participated in workshops	Leveraging other funding streams outside HBRC to achieve increased work.
Carbon Farming Workshops	Organised 1, contributed to one	Greater awareness of opportunities among landowners. Increased planting for multiple benefits.
Development of background tools, systems and processes to support the ECS	This has required a high level of time input over the past year	Staff time is used more effectively to deliver outcomes and meet targets
Hill Country Erosion Fund Application	Secured $5 million in funding over the next 4 years	Boosted activities and resources across the region for Erosion control

Lessons learnt and opportunities for improvement

40. In many areas there has been a high level of enquiry about funding schemes. Initial eligibility has been broad to drive uptake. Staff time has been absorbed in dealing with these enquiries. We need to manage general communication and promotion to enable us to get to priority target areas. The communication strategy work will help achieve this.

41. Increased subsidy levels have not usually resulted in increased orders of space planted trees for soil conservation, due to farm system constraints. There is a maximum area which can be locked up from grazing in any year to allow for tree establishment. It has however, been successful at attracting interest from a greater number of people this year.

42. Catchment Management have a target for 100km of riparian protection. The Erosion Control Scheme (ECS) allows for funding riparian work in areas where enough erosion is present. In erodible areas, staff time spent developing an Erosion Control Plan (ECP) can include recommendations for riparian planting and access to funding.

43. Catchment Management have run a riparian plant programme again this year to provide plants at a reduced cost to landowners for any riparian work, including for reasons other than erodibility. Future growth of this scheme will require the logistical time requirement to be handled by the Riparian business unit once established. There is currently no additional staff time left for landowner engagement on riparian issues in areas that are not erosion priority areas. Staff anticipate that Government announcements relating to the Essential Freshwater programme will influence our role in this area. We are waiting for these to be confirmed before considering what, if any, further investment is required in this area. There is work currently underway to examine options for native plant procurement across HBRC activities.

44. As an interim measure and to pilot landowner engagement on riparian issues, the Mid-HB team will hire a contractor to promote this work in a section of the Karamu.

45. Completion of supporting tools for the ECS and development of business units to handle the logistics of supply are still required to reduce the administrative burden on staff and further increase efficiency. This will still take time in the 2019-20 year. However business needs have been clearly identified and several strands of work are underway to address these.

46. To improve prioritisation, we will look to break funding allocation into two funding rounds to ensure ECP funding applications can be assessed against each other for appropriateness and value. This will be particularly important as the fund reaches maximum subscription levels.

47. To maximize benefit from the tools and data at our disposal to ensure we are looking to protect existing and identified council and community investments e.g. ecosystem prioritization sites, QE11, especially where they overlap SedNet areas.

48. Erosion is the current focus and will be the reason staff go out to a site, however landowner engagements could focus on identifying opportunities to maximise water quality improvement across the range of Sustainable Land Management activities. The activity(s) providing the greatest water quality benefit could be identified and targeted in order of priority, even if that turns out to be an activity other than erosion. A new policy and funding may be investigated to include those additional works.

Health and Safety options for around-farm transport needs further investigation of alternatives to help minimize the risks to staff. This is currently under review.

49. Future thought needs to be given to potential development of other packages of funding to address gaps that exist between the ECS and sources of funding for works other than erosion control which exist within and outside HBRC.

Zone update: Northern/Wairoa

Present Context

50. The boosting of staff numbers in the Wairoa office has certainly benefited our ability to get more work done on the ground. Our greater presence in the community has also resulted in a significant increase in demand from a variety of groups for advice, support and to deal with issues. This increased community demand has put significant pressure on staff to balance the needs and workloads of delivering on the ECS and supporting the community.

51. Wairoa is a unique part of the country. At 63%, the Wairoa district has the highest proportion of the population that are Maori in New Zealand. With the recently signed deed with Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa, 6 different Iwi, 38 marae and a number of different entities and trusts. It has been a big but rewarding job in building relationships with tangata whenua. The challenge for Council going forward will be how best to engage and consult tangata whenua on their issues and aspirations at a local level. There are often multiple Maori entities who have a stake or interest in many of the natural assets in the district and seeking support from mana whenua can be complicated. Tangata whenua have strong aspirations to be actively involved in any catchment planning process and for matauranga māori to be incorporated into the planning and decision making. Failure to address this is likely to challenge the legitimacy of resulting plans by the community.

52. Wairoa is currently going through a bit of resurgence and there is a significant sense of optimism in the community, with the recent treaty settlement and economic development report leading to a number of opportunities for the town being discussed and considered. Equally there has been significant increase in the communities concern for the state of the Awa. The Wairoa waste water system upgrade, the legacy effect of the Waihi dam, concerns around forestry slash, and streambank erosion threatening number of urupa and marae, have also resulted in a strong and vocal voice seeking action for addressing these issues.

53. Wairoa’s comparative advantage is in its natural and cultural capital and there are multiple sites throughout the district that have significant ecological and cultural value. There is an acknowledgement by the community that our work in the hill country controlling erosion is critical to the long term improvement in the state of the districts waterbodies. There is also an expectation by the community that HBRC will also start addressing the other issues as well such as the faecal indicator bacteria exceedances at a number of swimming sites in the summer (Opoutama, Wairoa River, Oraka, Nuhaka). Indeed in the recently completed Economic Development report highlights that the restoration and protection of these assets and the incorporation of tangata whenua kaitiaki aspirations and matauranga into their restoration has the potential for realising significant socio-economic benefits for the community.

Erosion control scheme

54. Staff have done really well this year to achieve the targets that they have. With a relatively inexperienced team, dealing with the legacy effects of our previous roles, the challenges of relocating and housing the additional staff in the office and the often competing demands on our time as described above. We lost Erica Smith in April to Te Uru Rakau in Southland, and have 2 additional staff members joining the team to support the delivery of the ESC over the next 3 months. We did benefit significantly from work undertaken particularly by an external contractor project manager, for environmental projects, Nicolas Caviale-Delzescaux in the Taiporutu catchment on Mahia Penninsula in enabling us to get several large projects underway relatively quickly.

55. Through the Hill Country Erosion Fund we will also have an additional staff member who will be based in the Gisborne District Council office but will work exclusively in the Hangaroa and Mangapoike catchments (2 sub-catchments of the Wairoa river, that are in the Gisborne District). ECS funding will also be made available to landholders in this area. We are also currently looking at extending our existing network of people able to provide support to the ESC locally by having “approved providers” also able to design erosion control plans and create projects, and sub-contracting some of this work out. This approach has advantages around flexibility and allows trusted people within the community to broker our work.

56. There is certainly a pattern emerging in the district with landholders preferring to undertake smaller more localised projects (comparatively larger than those of the Central and Southern zones). These are taking a long time to administer both as we improve staff capability in providing appropriate soil conservation advice but more so from landholders changing their minds or considering other approaches, resulting on some properties being visited more than 5 times to get works underway.

57. Wairoa has the greatest area of highly erodible land in the region with over 30% of the district identified through SedNeT as yielding 1000T of sediment per km². There is certainly an expectation by staff and the community that Wairoa should receive a significant proportion of the current funding available to address the districts erosion problem. Naturally this will be realised by the willingness or not of landowners to engage on the issue and take the funding opportunities in front of them. The community acknowledge there is an erosion issue and more could be done to reduce the sedimentation problem.

58. There is however significant concern within the community that the current drivers of the carbon price, the prospect of the emissions trading scheme, the perceived incentives for afforestation currently available and the issues of addressing districts erosion problem are leading to the loss of what is regarded a prime agricultural land to broad scale forestry. Over the last 9 months 7 farms totaling 10,000 ha have gone into forestry or as a carbon investment. The communities concern is that if this continues to go unchecked the impact on employment, the town and its services will again further decline. Wairoa has had waves of afforestation efforts over the last 50 years, and the town has not been able to capture the associated benefits from forestry for employment given the relatively transient nature of the forestry industry around Wairoa at the moment. With only 1 forestry gang residing in the town. Companies tend to favour using gangs from outside of the district and logs are taken elsewhere to be milled or shipped, yet Wairoa is left with the roading damage, water quality issues and slash associated with forestry harvesting.

59. There was a widespread suspicion amongst landholders that the ECS is contributing to this afforestation through the grants and incentives, and it has taken time to differentiate the grants purpose from those promoting broadscale afforestation.

60. The team is currently working with a group of concerned landholders and an external consultant to better understand and quantify the communities concerns around afforestation, but equally to progress the conversation of what is the right tree, for the right place for Wairoa? Through our Whakaki Pilot project (discussed later), we are also working to better quantify the impact and costs associated with non-afforestation approaches to addressing the erosion problem and what social, economic and cultural benefits could also realised through the quantum of work required to address the issue.

Activity and Projects for the 2018-19 Financial

61. Part of Catchment Management teams function in Wairoa is to better integrate Council activity to optimise our collective time and resources. This has no doubt bought a number of additional benefits for HBRC, particularly with regards to our relationship with Wairoa District Council. Our involvement is outlined in the table below.

HBRC Integrated Catchment Management Support

Compliance team

· Retaining wall fencing in Wairoa river

· Application of effluent at Blucks Pit Road

Asset Management

· Nuhaka River Road realignment

· Matiti Marae repatriation

· Iwitea Culvert replacement

· Wairoa Playground retaining wall

· Hine Rauiri stream opening

· Whakaki (Rahui channel) opening

· Tuahuru marae drainage

· Manutai marae streambank erosion

· Ruataniwha marae – streambank erosion

· Wairoa River cultural impact assessment

Biodiversity & Biosecurity

· Meeting with Biodiversity team and WDC re: Ecosystem prioritisation

· Whakatipu Mahia project team

Harbourmaster

· Safety beacons at Mahia Beach

· Complaint around large ships anchouring in local mataitai.

· Mataitai marker restoration

· Tuia 250

Policy

· 2 x Outstanding Freshwater Bodies planning meetings

· Initial conversation on Catchment planning in Wairoa and Mohaka Plan Change

Science

· Periodic water sampling

62. Increased staff presence has also resulted in a significant increase in our community engagement and involvement in local issues and projects. A significant proportion of this is outside of normal working hours and staff have been generous in their support of these events. In addition to a number of the activities outlined earlier in this report, staff have engaged with the following stakeholders.

Primary Sector

· Ravensdown Fertiliser meeting – July

· Beef & Lamb – working together and direction & research proposal for Whangawehi Catchment (Nov)

· Wairoa Federated Farmers sub-branch AGM – May

· AgResearch (Sustainable Farming Fund Project – One Winter, Two Springs)

· Wairoa A& P show exhibitors

· East Coast Farming Expo exhibitors

· Fonterra Big Day Out planting day support provided in Wairoa.

Government

· Presented to Environment Southland Councillors on use of systems thinking in Catchment Management (Dec).

· Wairoa District Council – at least weekly contact

· Te Uru Rakau & MPI – regular discussions about 1BT program, Hill Country Erosion Control Fund project and local 1BT projects.

Community

· Whangawehi Catchment Group

· Nursery opportunities meeting (Sep)

· Sustainable Homes meeting (Feb)

· Wairoa Community Ngahere Nursery AGM (Aug)

· School planting day – Wairoa riverbank (Aug)

· Meeting with Wairoa Native Plant Growers/Nurseries (Aug)

· Maori Carbon Foundation Hui (Sep)

· School camp – talk to children – Taiporutu Stream (Dec)

· Mahia Beach Clean-up – Seaweek (Feb)

· Presentation at Wairoa Sea Week Expo (Mar)

· Wairoa College – SHMACK kit & Mohaka catchment presentation (Apr)

· Ohuka Discussion Group meeting

· McRae Trust AGM

· Tree Focus Group Meeting

CRI/National Bodies

· One Billion Trees working group meeting (August)

· Our Land & Water (OLW) National Science Challenge – Presented at the Next Generation Leadership forum (August)

· Policy Implementation workshop – Manaaki Whenua (August)

· AgResearch & Te Tumu Paeroa – Discussion around Taikura Nuku (Sep)

· Presented at the OLW National Collaboration workshop (Feb)

· Poplar & Willow Trust

· National Science Challenge: DSC Seminar #8 | Climate-resilient Māori forestry and agriculture (Jul)

· MPI Mahia meeting (Mar)

· Attended International Rivers Symposium with Whangawehi Catchment Group and visited Landcare Groups in Southern NSW, North East Catchment Management Authority & local Farmer groups

· Farm Planning Meeting at Bay of Plenty Regional Council

· Farm Forestry field days.

63. As mentioned earlier, there has been a significant amount of engagement with tangata whenua in the Wairoa district over the last 10 months. This has been important in building trust and better channels of communication with Council. There is no doubt that there is a requirement for significantly more effort with this work, in particular in the consultation of tangata whenua in a number of different issues and opportunities to do with catchment planning.

64. The tangata whenua engagement since 1 July 2018 and outcomes of that engagement are outlined below.

Organisation or entity	Purpose/Participants	Outcomes or follow ups
Wairoa District Council Maori Standing Committee	Representative from the 9 takiwa	Attend monthly meetings and present regular updates with follow ups from previous meetings.
Wairoa Taiwhenua Inc.	All members	Several meetings to discuss Outstanding Water Bodies Plan and Afforestation. To update on tangata whenua engagement and local activities.
Tātau Tātau O Te Wairoa	Representatives of TTOTW, including Leon Symes (Chair), & Apiata Tapine	Awa restoration discussions and affected party approval for Whakakī Freshwater Improvement Fund consent
Waikaremoana Tribal Authority	Waikare Kruger – General Manager	Have followed up several issues and organised for a HBRC sustainable homes representative at the Whanau Hakinakina day
Māhia Māori Committee	Representatives of the 6 Marae	Regularly attend meetings and provide updates on HBRC activities and local issues like Tuahuru drainage, Māhanga Hine Rauiri stream opening, installation of water safety beacons at Mahia Beach through Kaiuku marae, repair and painting of mataitai markers, inter-tidal platform signage and brochures. On the Tuia 250 organising committee.
Ngāti Pāhauwera Development Trust	Several discussions with representatives of the Raupunga community water supply committee and Putere Lakes & Te Awaawa stream project teams (Bonny Hatami & Theresa Thornton) and have met with Kuki Green to discuss wider catchment issues and direction.	Commissioning drone work to look at where and what the issues are within the Raupunga water supply catchment. Staff are working with landholders to reduce erosion along lake edge. There is a community day planned for the Putere Lakes in July.
Rongomaiwaihine Iwi Trust	Moana Rongo (Iwi Chair) on multiple occasions.	To discuss local issues, HBRC activity, nursery opportunities and as part of the Whakatipu Mahia Project team and other forum.
Wairoa Waikaremoana Maori Trust Board	Michelle McIlroy and Dean Whaanga	Have had on-going conversations around the establishment of nurseries and supporting planting initiatives with local Marae.
Whakakī Lake Trust	Attend regular Lake Trust Meetings and have had multiple engagements with Iwitea & Whakakī Marae at a variety of hui	Discussions regarding Whakakī Freshwater Improvement Fund Proposal, Whakakī Catchment Pilot Project, Whakakī Catchment Group work & Whakakī Hotspot project.
Marae visited: · Huramua – support to Mātiti Urupā repatriation · Tuahuru – drainage issues affecting the Whare kai and Mataitai marker repair. · Kaiuku – water safety beacons at Mahia Beach & Onepoto & Whale jawbone Pōhiri. · Māhanga – The opening of the Hine Rauiri river mouth and wider catchment issues · Whakakī – FIF Project & PGF project · Iwitea – FIF Project, PGF project, drainage issues · Manutai – streambank erosion issues near the marae. · Have visited other marae through various forum including - Tawhiti-A-Maru, Putahi, Ruawharo, Putere & Waipapa-a-Iwi Marae

Other Northern/Wairoa Catchment work

65. Staff have been involved in several significant catchment initiatives and projects locally that have occupied a significant proportion of our time.

Whakaki Catchment

66. The Freshwater Improvement Fund (FIF) Project – staff have been heavily involved with this project. From regularly meeting with the community and tangata whenua to help progress of the project itself. A co-design process was undertaken for a better understanding of local issues and aspirations. Staff have also had a major role in helping obtain the consents required for the project.

The Whakaki Pilot Project

67. A collaboration between Wairoa District Council, HBRC and the Ministry for Primary Industries was initially developed to look at the afforestation options within the Whakaki Catchment. Unfortunately no one in the community wanted to plant pine trees, so the project has had to pivot to now taker a wider view of how to address the erosion issues. With the recent awarding of an additional $100,000 of PGF funding. The project is now looking at better quantifying the costs and alternatives for erosion control, while equally considering what additional social, cultural and economic benefits might be derived from that work. Nearly 5,500 ha of the Catchment now has a farm plan. Through Catchment meetings alternatives and options will be discussed and an economic assessment proposal developed for tender later in the year. The fund is also helping support the development of a Cultural Impact Assessment around Lake Whakakī where the FIF project is likely to impact on.

Hotspot work

68. Staff have supported a significant body of work around Lake Whakakī over the last 2 years. This has been reported to the Environment and Services Committee in detail.

Mahia Peninsula

69. Much of this work is outlined in the “Wider view for Te Mahia” paper presented to the E&S Committee at the 19 June meeting. Our involvement includes; Support to the Whangawehi Catchment Group administration and events, participation in the Whakatipu Mahia Predator Free Project. The Catchment scale protection of the Taiporutu stream. The on-going issues at Mahanga beach around drainage, flooding, Hine Rauiri stream openings, wetland protection and concerns around sewage discharge. Discussions are also occurring around the extension of a “Whangawehi Catchment Group” approach to the wider Mahia Isthmus to protect the high ecological value of this area. Work is currently underway looking at protecting a significant area of wetlands in the area.

Raupunga

70. Staff have been working with the community to better understand where the sediment is coming from within the water supply catchment. A large area forestry has recently been harvested with more to come in the not too distant future. We have commissioned some drone work to allow access to some of the more isolated sites. We will be bringing key stakeholders together once the issues are better understood to establish a plan for reducing soil loss.

Putere Lakes

71. Staff have meet with member of the Ngati Pahauwera Development Trust on a number of occasions to help support the work underway around Lake Putere. We are participating in the proposed community day in July. Staff have spent time working with landholders around the lakes to offer ECS grants for additional erosion control.

Northern/Wairoa Priorities and Projects for the 2019-20 Financial Year

72. ECS targets for the year: Staff have estimated that they will be targeting the completion of 85 Erosion Control Plans this year. This is contingent on several factors, including the recruitment and induction of staff to do the job, their time being managed to ensure they can be done, and external contractors being engaged to assist as required. 85 Erosion Control Plans equates to approximately 750 - 1,250 ha of land protected in the district based on the average size of projects in 2018-19.

73. With an increase in staff numbers, and the additional need to safely and securely store equipment further extension to the Wairoa office is planned. This will allow staff to work under the same roof and not have to brave the elements to use the office facilities.

74. Joining the Northern HB team over the next 3-4 months includes Abby Miller, who replaces Erica Smith and commences work with the team in June. An additional staff member for the Wairoa office and GDC offices will also be employed through the HCEF. Staff will require training and induction but will significantly boost our ability to get out on farms more. The GDC employee will also require induction into HBRC processes and systems as well.

75. A staff symposium between WDC and HBRC is being planned for July. This will enable staff with common work areas to hear what each other is up to and their priorities for the year. With the aim of improving the channels of communication between the relative council teams.

76. A community “catchment symposium” is being planned for later in the year. A number of members of the community have asked that an event be held that enables them to better understand the state and issues of the whenua and awa of the district, what work is occurring or being planned to occur to address some of the challenges and includes matauranga aspects. There is interest in holding Wananga on the following day to consider the direction ahead. A small steering committee is being formed, including tangata whenua, land holders, WDC and HBRC to discuss how to prepare and organise the event.

77. The team will continue to work with the community in the development of an “Integrated Catchment Management Plan”. However with all statutory planning being brought forward via the Freshwater reforms, there is a need to better coordinate any plan development in Wairoa. With a small but diverse population, coordination of korero and hui will be important to avoid frustration and confusion. What form or function the “Integrated Catchment Management Plan” is to take is yet to be established. From a community perspective they are more interested in a restoration plan for the lower Wairoa awa, other waterbodies in the district & the wider whenua.

Awa Restoration Proposal for Wairoa

78. The Whakarauora – The regeneration of Long Water, Economic Development report describes the Wairoa rivers “as an area of environmental excellence, biodiversity and community guardianship” being the long term outcome of greatest significance to the district.

79. The lower Wairoa River or Te Wairoa Hōpūpū Hōnengenenge Mātangi Rau is of particular concern to the Wairoa township. There are a number of marae and sites of high cultural significance along this stretch of the river that have been included in the cultural impact and asset risk assessment currently being undertaken by Councils Asset Management & Tangata whenua relationships teams. Mahinga kai access and health are of concern.

80. Alongside WDC waste water improvements and river bank enhancement in town there is a desire for further work to occur upstream to further help reduce faecal indicator bacteria levels in the poplar swimming areas in town.

81. Local nurseries & marae are keen to play an active role in the restoration efforts, and there is a strong belief in the Whangawehi Catchment Group mantra “Ki te ora te wai, ka ora ai te katoa – if the waterway is healthy everything will survive” locally. For Wairoa this aspiration and belief is that with the improving health of the river will come an improvement in the health and wellbeing, mana and mauri of the community.

82. Discussions have been held locally already with WDC and some tangata whenua groups around the potential for an integrated restoration plan for Te Wairoa Hōpūpū Hōnengenenge Mātangi Rau. This would also require significant support and coordination with local land owners (of which there are many). It is hoped that options for this work will be discussed at the Catchment symposium later in the year.

83. This is a significant project, well worthy of a concerted approach involving multiple parties and teams within council. The Wairoa river is a particularly challenging environment to undertake works and planting. Frequent flooding and streambank erosion make the job a challenging and as is evident in the district now, poorly designed approaches can create liabilities for the community into the future. The Northern HB team will bring further information on this proposal at a future date.

Zone update: Mid-Hawke’s Bay

Present Context

84. The Mid Hawke’s Bay zone has the largest land area of the three zones (see table 1) and has 86% of the population (130,500 of a total 151,000 people). It is the only zone with a growing population, and it generates most of the wealth of the region.

85. Based on SedNet it has more potentially erodible land than the southern zone (refer Table 2.) but only 30% of the at-risk land area of the Northern zone. The comparison with the south should be treated with care, as a land use capability (LUC) based assessment gives a greater erodibility risk picture in the south.

86. There are 4885 properties in the region over 4ha and 2364 in this zone. There are approximately 395 properties over 4ha within this zone which Sednet identifies as over the 1000T/km2 high sediment loss threshold.

87. The three catchments in this zone with the highest proportion of erodible land area are Esk, Central coast and Ahuriri (15, 15 and 10% respectively). There is a natural alignment and synergy between the hotspot project work in Tutira and Ahuriri and an erosion control focus in these areas.

Priorities and time

88. The clear priority is to deliver on the targets for 2000ha of land under cover and 100km of riparian protection. The focus in the initial couple of years is the “standing up” of the Erosion Control Scheme to help in the delivery of these targets.

89. Longer term we need to be prepared to deal once again with the greater complexity of wider catchment issues and plan implementation of processes involving landowner engagement to reduce losses from land which affect water quality. Such issues include streams in which lack of shading and high temperatures are the key issue.

90. The reorganisation following the long term plan has resulted in catchment staff being redistributed to the Northern and Southern zones and a reduced number of staff available for landowner engagement now based in Napier. However this zone has not had a large focus on erosion control in the last 5 years as resources of the wider team were heavily drawn into the Tukituki work.

91. For most of the past year there has been one staff member devoted full time to focus on landowner engagement for the erosion control scheme. We have recently recruited another catchment advisor to join this work. As mentioned, there is also overlap between hotspot areas and erosion control areas. Another catchment advisor has been fully occupied in the Tutira and Ahuriri hotspots. Following recent changes to bring the Hotspot Environmental Project Manager role into the team, there are now two people in the team working on the Hotspot projects of Tutira and Ahuriri.

92. The team also includes two people working in Water Information Services.

93. The Erosion control scheme work is a smaller proportion of the overall focus of work in this zone compared with other zones. This paper focuses largely on the erosion control work.

Mid-Hawke’s Bay Future context

94. TANK and Mohaka catchments are within this zone. The development of the Mohaka plan and stakeholder engagement will require catchment management time input in the year ahead.

95. The draft TANK implementation plan suggests 27 work responsibilities for the Mid-Hawke’s Bay catchment management team. 17 to lead and 10 to partner in. Only three of these action areas relate to erosion. The rest range from increasing riparian planting for shade benefit, to developing templates for operating and managing catchment collectives. It is acknowledged that this plan is in draft and is highly likely to change following the final policy position and with greater implementation practitioner input.

96. Once the TANK plan has worked through the submission process and reached its final form it will need a properly resourced cross council implementation team to ensure success. It is beyond the resources of the existing catchment management team to meet current implementation expectations. Liaison with catchment collectives and designing templates for operating and managing these will be a large task on its own. Potential numbers of catchment collectives are unknown, but could easily be 50 groups. We anticipate that much of the work supporting the collectives will be borne by the primary sector bodies.

97. One initial piece of work that can be started in 2019-20 will be to advance a plan for riparian work in the Karamu catchment. A contractor will be employed for this as staff time resources are occupied in erodible areas.

Expected Outputs for 2019-20

98. Two catchment advisors will be focused on the delivery of erosion control works within erodible areas. We will aim to make initial contact with all 395 landowners within the zone identified by SedNet as having some area of high erodibility. This will be the start of the engagement “funnel” which eventually identifies and secures work on the ground.

99. Target number of Erosion control plans will total 70. This will occupy more than 70-85% of their available time leaving a small proportion of time available to administer projects and respond to general enquiries. This approach will necessitate a targeted focus to prioritise SedNet defined areas. Areas outside of this will have a lower priority for time investment unless there is a definite erosion issue that meets the ECS policy erosion threshold level. This also means that Catchment advisors will only be able to act as the connectors and brokers of solutions within areas of high erodibility rather than in all issues across the zone.

100. There has been a high level of unsolicited enquiry, expectation and demand for the Erosion Control scheme and for funding and advice outside of the SedNet defined areas and the scope of the scheme this year. In the Mid-HB zone, this has been a barrier to getting to the places that we need to target and check.

101. The ability to “triage” enquiries will be necessary in this zone to get to the places that will give the greatest results for the money invested. This is not so much of an issue in the North where there is a greater proportion of erodible land across the zone.

Te Waiū o Tūtira Project

102. Approximate 2019/20 Budget $1,435,250. Councillors are reminded that this project sits within the work of this team. The hotspot work is reported on separately in greater detail elsewhere.

103. The 2019-20 budget for the Te Waiū o Tūtira Project will focus on a number of key deliverables some of which have rolled over from year 2 of the project. It is anticipated the Lake Tutira Integrated Catchment Plan will be endorsed by the Governance Group and presented to the community for comment. Four FEMP’s have been completed of a possible 24 targeted landowners while discussions with the remaining landowners is underway and will continue in the coming financial year.

104. Two staff involved in water information also sit within the team. Key activities are outlined in table 2.

Table 2. Mid-Hawke’s Bay: Summary of main activities for the 2019-20 year

Activities	Outputs	Outcomes
Erosion control scheme	· 70 Erosion control plans in priority sediment loss areas · 175ha of land under cover	Reduced sediment loss to water
Ballance Farm Environment awards	Participation and contribution in all judging teams, encouraging entrants, organising group, awards evening, winner’s field-day and sponsorship.	Promotion and greater awareness of farming exemplars, case studies and integration of environmental, economic, human, community and economic aspects of sustainable farming
Strategic relationships and Primary industry liaison	· Support to select and set up Beef and Lamb, Patoka monitor farm · Joint winter grazing, good practice campaign with Beef and Lamb and other councils. · Participation in Fonterra Big Day Out · Meetings and communication with Fonterra on 50 catchments project · Contributions as required to national conversations on practical policy development	· Consistent messaging across primary industry groups and HBRC on environmental issues and solutions. · Desired development of policy that is practical, implementable and targeted to the issues.
Research	· Dryland Eucalypt · Managing Annual clovers in dryland · Smart tools and tips for irrigators	· Development of resilient solutions for dryland farm systems. · Key messages to overcome barriers to uptake of good irrigation management
Overseer nutrient budgeting model	Participation in national regional council Overseer workshops.	Influence Overseer development priorities that will be targeted to the needs of users to help manage nutrient issues.
Tutira FIF Hotspot project	· Deliver on FIF project milestones · 16 Farm plans will be completed next year to bring the total completed to 24	Reduction in sediment and nutrient losses into catchment.
Ahuriri Hotspot	Engage with 11 landowners for on-ground works	As above
Development of background tools, systems and processes to support the ECS	This has required a high level of time input over the past year
Hill Country Erosion Project	Secured $5 million in funding over the next 4 years	· Key deliverables to support the ECS in 2019/2020 are: · A project manager, two new Catchment Advisors (one based in Gisborne) , and one research tech will be hired (we will contribute a Catchment Advisor and admin/management support) · 25 Erosion Control Plans, 5 Farm Environment Plans, 10 sediment monitors installed · 3 Soil conservation erosion workshops for advisors, 1 workshop HBRC staff around Maori capability, 3 Farmer/landowner focused workshops around erosion and trees on farm · 44ha poles and 6ha of reversion as part of GDC/HBRC Joint catchment project · 393ha trees (poles, natives, and other exotics) and 56ha of reversion in the rest of the Hawkes Bay
Water information services	· Engage with Horticulture sector and water user groups via Hort sector-HBRC liaison meetings and other forums as required several times per year · Provide information and advice to Tukituki Surface water consent holders managing to the 2018 minimum flows · Work with industry to highlight the requirement for training to build capacity for evaluations and work with partners INZ to coordinate suitable training · Irricalc water use model specified in proposed TANK plan; investigate and implement calibration to HB conditions. · Work with other councils on combined messaging for water use efficiency · Visit and work with 100 water users to ensure understanding and use of flow meter data for good decision making and compliance.	· Industry capacity for irrigation system evaluation increased to lead to greater efficiency of use. · Greater baseline understanding of the need for water use efficiency and solutions to achieve this.

TANK

105. Work within the Ahuriri hotspot area will continue with engagement and on-ground works ongoing with 7 landowners. 4 more landowners will be added to this in the next year out of a total of 17 in total to work on from an erosion perspective. Wetland and riparian work are included in this project.

106. We will employ a contractor to visit 50 landowners in the Karamu catchment in targeted areas to drive riparian planting for shade and other benefits. Dependencies will be the set-up of the riparian business unit to provide plants at a reduced cost. We will also explore the potential for partnerships to provide added benefits and incentives to landowners. These may include Fonterra, “Trees that count” and 1BT fund farmer applications.

Zone update: Southern/Tukituki

Present Context

107. The Southern zone has the smallest land area of the three zones (see table 1), but has 8.1% of its area listed as erodible, a similar number when compared with the Central zone.

108. There are 17,131ha of SedNet prioritised erodible land in the Southern Zone. There are 1795 properties in the Southern Zone over 4ha. The spread of these properties across the three major catchment areas are:

108.1 Porangahau – 224

108.2 Southern Coast – 155

108.3 Tukituki – 1416

109. Each of these three main catchment areas are made up of a number of sub-catchments:

109.1. Porangahau – 5 sub-catchments

109.2. Southern Coast – 11 sub-catchments

109.3. Tukituki - 17 sub-catchments.

110. The three sub-catchments with the highest proportion of erodible land area are: Blackhead Coast, Waikaraka and Mangakuri (37, 19 and 15% respectively). All three of these sub-catchments are in the Southern Coast catchment.

111. That said, the catchment with the largest identified area (ha) of erodible land is the Tukituki at 9,368ha, with Porangahau 3,904ha and Southern Coast 3,860ha.

Tukituki Southern Coasts team

112. Over the last year the Southern Zone team has been coming together as a team, while contributing to the establishment and implementation of the ECS.

Southern/Tukituki timeline for 2018-19 staff recruitments and appointments

Date	Activity
July 2018	Land Management team restructure, 2.5 FTEs are now based out of Waipawa
Oct 2018	Catchment Manager recruited
Nov 2018	Team Leader appointed from existing staff
Nov 2018	New Catchment Advisor recruited
Jan 2019	Part time Office Administrator recruited
Jan 2019	0.5 Catchment Advisor leaves for maternity leave
February 2019	The Catchment Advisor 100% involved in Farm Environment Management Plan (FEMP) provider certification, began working on the ECS full time
March 2019	Maternity leave Catchment Advisor replacement recruited

113. Staff have begun working in allocated work areas, these are based on local knowledge, existing relationships, logical boundaries and whether they live in one of the local communities. The reason for working this way is to ensure staff get to build and enhance relationships, know the issues, the opportunities and the lie of the land.

114. It also allows those landowners within these areas to establish and maintain those relationships with a single council representative, with who they can use as an initial point of contact for anything relating to the HBRC. Communication across council teams is extremely important under the Catchment Management model.

Southern/Tukituki Future context

115. Follow through, complete and close off existing engagements to more closely focus on identified priority sites across the zone.

116. Direct contact with those landowners in high priority SedNet areas to initiate discussion around erosion control measures.

117. Continue with staff work area approach to get ownership of the issues, and to build consistent relationships within local communities and Iwi.

118. The Tukituki priority catchments/sub-catchments are in this zone and an implementation plan for Plan Change 6 is currently in discussion with council staff and stakeholders. Staff will continue to support and resource the sub-catchment approach as required.

119. The Southern team will be actively involved with ongoing plan implementation work. The exact detail of this is yet to be worked through and is to an extent contingent on the engagement that is occurring with the CHB community through the Tukituki Taskforce.

120. An effective cross council implementation team could be one option to assist implementation and would be best sited at a Southern HBRC office. This is currently being considered and the thinking developed internally.

121. Work closely with Client Services to ensure the required plant and labour supply is appropriate to meet current and future demand.

122. Work closely with Council, the communities, Iwi and other partners across the zone and in particular:

122.1. Aramoana, to foster community engagement and education to help implement erosion control on targeted land adjacent to the Te Angiangi Marine Reserve

122.2. Lake Whatuma, to finalise the management approach of the lake and agree on an inclusive management plan going forward

122.3. Tukituki priority catchments for plan change 6 implementation

122.4. Tukituki taskforce, on water quantity and security of supply

122.5. Porangahau Estuary, to continue erosion control, stock exclusion and riparian planting projects that impact on the estuary.

123. Look to promote and enhance work with the primary sector and their industry reps.

124. Create closer working relationships with Enviro school’s management and staff to engage with schools in priority areas.

125. Look to better utilise the Councils Waipukurau site for ECS Programme activities in conjunction with the Works team based on site.

126. Catchment groups are likely to be part of the bigger implementation picture, which can achieve good community engagement and outcomes, but can also be resource hungry.

Southern/Tukituki Expected Outputs for 2019-20

127. The Southern’s three catchment advisors and a proportion of the Team Leaders time will be focused on landowner and community engagement, the completion of ECP’s and the delivery of erosion control works within the identified erodible areas and priority catchments. As stated above, there is an expectation that the Southern catchment team will be part of the broader Tukituki Plan implementation team, the extent and nature of the involvement is currently under discussion.

128. The targeted number of Erosion control plans for the Southern team next year will total 105; requiring a large amount of individual landowner engagement focused on the ECS. The trade-off is that this will allow minimal time for staff to be involved in catchment and community project work and responding to general enquiries.

129. Prioritising effort through an ECS will be necessary to get to the places that will give the best erosion control outcomes for the money invested.

Southern/Tukituki Summary of main activities for the 2019-20 year

Activities	Outputs	Outcomes
Erosion control scheme	· 105 Erosion control plans in priority sediment loss areas and priority catchments · 263ha of land under cover	Between 70 and 90% reduction in sediment loss for those erodible land areas under active control.
Ballance Farm Environment awards	Participation and contribution in all judging teams, encouraging entrants, awards evening, winner’s field-day and sponsorship.	Promotion and greater awareness of farming exemplars, case studies and integration of environmental, economic, human, community and economic aspects of sustainable farming
Strategic relationships and Primary industry liaison	Participation at events, meetings and workshops	· Consistent messaging across primary industry groups and HBRC on environmental issues and solutions. · Desired development of policy that is practical, implementable and targeted to the issues.
MBIE Advisory Board for Irrigation Efficiency	Irrigation control systems that improve productivity, minimize wasted water and reduce negative environmental impacts	Better use of the water resource, improved environmental outcomes
Farm Forester of the Year	Stakeholder engagement, staff upskilling and participation at meeting and events	Farm Forester of the year awarded at A&P Primary Sector Awards March 2019 and associated field day undertaken May 2019
Sustainable Farming Fund Catch Crops Governance and Technical Advisory Group	Techniques for reducing sediment and surface flow losses of winter grazed forage crops	Improved productivity with reduced environmental harm
Development of background tools, systems and processes to support the ECS	A range of tools to assist ECS implementation	More efficient and effective use of resourcing
Plant and Food Research QT Nitrogen Steering Committee	Quick test mass balance tool for assessing N applications in arable and vegetable production systems	Better N management decisions
Advisory Group for FAR flux meter network evaluation	Research for measuring and managing diffuse nutrient losses from cropping systems	Reduced environmental risk Better information to inform the Overseer crop model
Don’t Muddy the water	Provide defensible, robust figures on the effectiveness of key erosion and sediment control measures on cultivated land.	Better retention of soil on farm
Papanui Focus Group	Provide support and advice	Achieve Papanui Strategy outcomes
Land Managers Group (LMG)	Attend and contribute to bi-annual meetings, share information	Contribute to National projects and represent HBRC in discussions with other Regional Councils.
HB New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management (NZIPIM)	Increased capacity and capability of rural professionals. Networking opportunities	Rural professional extension based activities and networking opportunities
Hawkes Bay Rural Business Network Committee	Participation in professional development through networking and learning	Better outcomes from improved learning and sharing of ideas
Beef and Lamb Hawkes Bay Monitor Farm Advisory Committee	Community groups identify key issues impacting local production and farm performance and select a farmer and facilitator. The group then develops and implements a business plan and 3-4 year monitoring plan	Monitor farms draw on local expertise, planning and community collaboration to improve farm production and make a big difference to profits. Success on a single farm provides other local farmers with a wealth of practical and proven information to take home and use
National Environmental Standards - Production Forestry (NES-PF)	Year one review of the NES-PF. A practical and user friendly national standard that works for everyone.	Better environmental outcomes from the forestry industry. Better implementation of the standards.
HB Farm Forestry	Attend meeting and events, build relationships, provide input and improve knowledge	Better overall skill set and information sharing
Aramoana	Community engagement Agreed management plan in place Critical mitigations identified and actioned Stock exclusion Erosion mitigation	Engaged community Reversion of site Improved habitat for adjoining Te Angiangi Marine Reserve through reduced sediment loading Reduced erosion
Lake Whatuma	Management decision made Management plan agreed on	Inclusive and manageable approach to the ecological protection and enhancement of Lake Whatuma

Decision Making Process

130. Staff have assessed the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 in relation to this item and have concluded that, as this report is for information only, the decision making provisions do not apply.

Recommendation

That the Environment and Services Committee receives and notes the “Erosion Control Scheme Update” staff report.

Authored by:

Dean Evans

Catchment Manager Tukituki/Southern Coasts

Nathan Heath

Catchment Manager (Wairoa/Mohaka)

Brendan Powell

Catchment Manager (Central)

Jolene Townshend

Programme Manager ICM Group

Approved by:

Iain Maxwell

Group Manager Integrated Catchment Management

Attachment/s

There are no attachments for this report.

Sustainable Homes Hub Page	3,163	41.78%
Replacing-your-woodburner	873	11.53%
Double-glazing	755	9.97%
Insulation-and-ventilation	740	9.78%
Solar	500	6.61%
Good-wood	441	5.83%
Water-storage-and-septic-tanks	268	3.54%

VTR Type	2018-2019 Actual Volumes	2018-2019 LTP Budget $000	2019-20 Forecast Volumes	2019-20 LTP Budget $000
Double Glazing	24	137	86	495
Water Storage	11	79	41	285
Septic Tanks	4	59	14	211
Clean Heat 6	165	362	594	1,302
Solar PV	15	67	54	241
Solar HW	3	15	9	53
Ventilation	84	264	302	949
Total*	305	982	1098	3,536

GENERAL SUBJECT OF THE ITEM TO BE CONSIDERED	REASON FOR PASSING THIS RESOLUTION	GROUNDS UNDER SECTION 48(1) FOR THE PASSING OF THE RESOLUTION
Potential Acquisition of Land at Lake Whatuma	7(2)(i) That the public conduct of this agenda item would be likely to result in the disclosure of information where the withholding of the information is necessary to enable the local authority holding the information to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations).	The Council is specified, in the First Schedule to this Act, as a body to which the Act applies.

GENERAL SUBJECT OF THE ITEM TO BE CONSIDERED	REASON FOR PASSING THIS RESOLUTION	GROUNDS UNDER SECTION 48(1) FOR THE PASSING OF THE RESOLUTION
Forest Harvest Procurement, Tūtira and Tangoio Forests	7(2)s7(2)(i) That the public conduct of this agenda item would be likely to result in the disclosure of information where the withholding of the information is necessary to enable the local authority holding the information to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations).	The Council is specified, in the First Schedule to this Act, as a body to which the Act applies.

Topic	Raised by