Meeting of the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee
Date: Wednesday 1 July 2020
Time: 9.00am
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Venue: |
Council Chamber Hawke's Bay Regional Council 159 Dalton Street NAPIER |
Agenda
Item Title Page
Information or Performance Monitoring
13. Lincoln University 2019 Survey - Public Perceptions of NZ's Environment: 2019 3
14. Heretaunga Plains Flood Control Scheme Level of Service Review Update 39
Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee
Wednesday 01 July 2020
Subject: Lincoln University 2019 Survey - Public Perceptions of NZ's Environment: 2019
Reason for Report
1. This item provides the Committee with an analysis of the views expressed by Hawke’s Bay-based participants in the 2019 Lincoln University survey of Public Perceptions of New Zealand’s Environment.
Executive Summary
2. Lincoln University has been surveying New Zealanders’ perceptions of the State of the Environment since 2000 using a survey questionnaire constructed around a Pressure-State-Response model. A postal survey was undertaken biennially until 2010 and since then has been conducted triennially and by electronic means.
3. The attached report is drawn from the results of the ninth survey undertaken in 2019, but for Hawke’s Bay regional respondents only. The full 2019 results for New Zealand can be found here.
4. In 2019 Council staff requested that Lincoln University provide Hawke’s Bay specific data from its survey in order to better understand how Hawke’s Bay residents perceive the state of the environment and the way it is being managed. Presentation of the University’s report to Council has been delayed by the disruption related to Covid-19 and is now attached to this report.
5. The report suggest that overall there is a high degree of similarity between respondents from Hawke’s Bay compared with the rest of New Zealand in terms of their perceptions of the state of the New Zealand environment. The respondents had similar responses to questions about levels of knowledge about the environment, their view of the standard of living in New Zealand, the overall state of the New Zealand environment, and on whether New Zealand’s environment is ‘clean and green’. However, there are some differences in the Hawke’s Bay specific responses.
6. In terms of environmental state (measured in the survey by examining availability and quality), as with the rest of NZ, Hawke’s Bay respondents considered the state of air and our natural environment compared to other developed countries to be very good. Rivers and lakes rated poorest by both sets of respondents with more people considering them to in bad or very bad states than in good or very good.
7. In the context of management (or response) to specific environmental issues, Hawke’s Bay respondents were particularly negative. Notably, over 60% of respondents considered farm effluent and runoff to be badly or very badly managed – this level is around 15 percentage points more than for the rest of New Zealand. In a consistent thread, Hawke’s Bay respondents were particularly negative about management of rivers and lakes, and of groundwater (nearly 50% of respondents for both reporting these resources to be poorly or very poorly managed. Respectively the rest of New Zealand respondents were around 40 and 30%. This finding appears unsurprising given the high profile of freshwater management issues in Hawke’s Bay.
8. A further aspect of response examined was around pro-environment behaviours. Hawke’s Bay respondents reported a higher level (around 15 percentage points) than the rest of New Zealand in terms of reducing or limiting their use of freshwater, again consistent with the regional focus on water management issues. Notably, Hawkes Bay respondents were less likely to use public transport or to participate in natural environment restoration or similar projects.
9. Lincoln University also explored pressures on the environment by asking respondents to choose activities they thought were having the most impact on each resource examined. The pattern that emerged for Hawkes Bay largely mirrored the rest of New Zealand picture. Farming as one of the three main causes of damage to fresh waters scored less for Hawkes Bay respondents (37.7%) than for other New Zealand respondents (around 43%).
10. Some caution is necessary around the representativeness of these findings, given the relatively small sample population of 55 Hawke’s Bay residents. Lincoln University consider that “on a population basis the sample size here is of a similar or the same proportion to that found for other regions which were all covered by survey. To this end we can be reasonably confident the findings reported here are consistent with the entire survey which has a margin of error of 3% at the 95% confidence interval.” Staff note that the Hawke’s Bay sample, relative to the regional population, was weighted more heavily toward females, over 50s, lower income levels, and New Zealanders of European descent. Participation in the survey is likely to be biased toward those who have an interest in environmental matters.
11. The Lincoln survey does not have a focus on climate change. Council staff have commissioned local research provider, SIL Research Limited, to undertake a comprehensive and representative sample of Hawke’s Bay residents on climate change issues, which will help inform the design of a community engagement programme on climate change and associated interventions for the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan. Survey results are expected in September.
Decision Making Process
12. 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.
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That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the “Lincoln University 2019 Survey - Public Perceptions of NZ's Environment: 2019” staff report.
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Authored & Approved by:
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James Palmer Chief Executive |
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HB Perceptions of NZ Environment Report June 2020 |
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Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee
Wednesday 01 July 2020
Subject: Heretaunga Plains Flood Control Scheme Level of Service Review Update
Reason for Report
1. This item provides an update to the February 2020 report where staff provided background information and a project outline to review the current level of protection of 1 in 100 year (1 %AEP) to a new level of protection 1 in 500 year (0.2% AEP).
Executive Summary
2. In February 2020 staff presented the Heretaunga Plains Flood Control Level of Services project delivery plan and milestones with intention to provide Council with regular project updates.
3. A budget of $20M over 10 years was provisionally allocated in the 2018 LTP however through the further work we have identified that this is unlikely to be sufficient funding for the upgrade of the whole scheme.
4. A Project Team was established with the full time Project Manager committed to delivering this project.
Background
5. The Heretaunga Plains Scheme covers the low-lying historic river plains of the Tūtaekurῑ, Ngaruroro, Clive and lower Tukituki Rivers. It provides protection against frequent flooding to most of Hastings, Flaxmere, Havelock North and Napier urban areas. The area directly benefiting from the Scheme covers approximately 39,000 hectares with a population of around 110,000 people living within the scheme boundary.
6. A survey of the general public undertaken in 2008 identified that the community consider flooding hazard to be in the top three most important threats in Hawke’s Bay (earthquake and tsunami being the other two). The survey also identified it as the top issue where Council should allocate greater resources.
7. Through the 2015 LTP process, HBRC noted that Level of Services will be reviewed over time but no further specific consultation was carried out in 2018-2028.
8. The 2018 LTP consultation document “Facing our Future,” listed some major infrastructure projects for next 30years. The project Heretaunga Plains Scheme named in this document states “Improve flood carrying capacity from a 1 in 100 year event level to a 1 in 500 year level, in response to climate change.” No further consultation with public has been carried out since the Facing the Future document (2018-2028 Consultation document) was released.
Discussion
9. March 2020 - Presentation to Māori Committee.
10. July 2020- Hydraulic Modelling – will indicate what effects the protection 1 in 500 flood event means for existing assets. 75% completed.
11. Asset Condition Assessment - Assessing the performance of the flood protection assets where the assessment method and frequency is aligned to risk to the community. To date we have completed the assessment for the Tūtaekurῑ River and assessment for remaining assets in the Scheme will follow this year (2020). 75% completed.
12. September 2020- Refined 3 year project plan with activities and budget expenditure for discussion with council.
13. Iwi communication – Hui with key Iwi groups to discuss future planning and identify significant cultural sites potentially impacted by the upgrade work.
14. December 2020- Refine 10 year plan with some high level engineering options and budgeting.
15. March 2021- Preliminary Design and Economic Analysis – Preliminary/concept design work and economic analysis from engineering optioneering work.
16. July- 2021- Council Report with findings and recommendations.
Next Steps
17. Milestone chart attached.
Decision Making Process
18. 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.
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That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the “Heretaunga Plains Flood Control Scheme Level of Service Review Update” staff report.
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Authored by:
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Martina Groves Acting Regional Asset Manager |
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Approved by:
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Chris Dolley Group Manager |
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HPFCS Level of Service Review Project |
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