Minutes of Hawke's Bay Drinking Water Governance Joint Committee

1. Welcome/Apologies/Notices

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and Hinewai Ormsby opened with a karakia.

Resolution:

DWG1/20 That the apologies for absence from Monique Davidson, Mayor Alex Walker, Shane Walker and Ngahiwi Tomoana be accepted.

Watkins/Hazlehurst

CARRIED

2. Conflict of Interest Declarations

Anna Lorck declared an interest as the Labour Party candidate for the Tukituki Electorate.

3. Confirmation of Minutes of the Hawke's Bay Drinking Water Governance Joint Committee meeting held on 13 February 2020

DWG40/20

Resolution

Minutes of the Hawke's Bay Drinking Water Governance Joint Committee held on Thursday, 13 February 2020, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and correct record.

Hazlehurst/Apatu

CARRIED

Call for Minor Items Not on the Agenda

Recommendations

That Hawke’s Bay Drinking Water Governance Joint Committee accepts the following “Minor Items Not on the Agenda” for discussion as item 10

Topic	Raised by
Water Services Bill - First draft available	Garth Cowie

Proposed Submission to HBRC Plan Change 9

The Chair introduced the item, with discussions traversing:

· Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc. has not decided whether they support the submission drafted by the Joint Working Group (JWG) for the Governance Committee to approve.

· Liz Lambert noted that the only kaupapa for which the Committee has the mandate to submit on is the provisions relating to drinking water, including objectives, policies and rules for managing drinking water source protection

· The TANK Stakeholder Group supported the recommendations made by the JWG in 2018 in respect of drinking water source protection.

· The Joint Working Group considered the provisions and chose to prepare a submission supporting the drinking water provisions

· Only those who make submissions are eligible to speak to the Hearing Panel considering the TANK Plan change

Mayor Craig Little and Cr Denise Eaglesome-Karekare arrived 10.12am

· The Committee supports the proposition of Source Protection Zone mapping based on the HBRC model and the ability to refine the zones as new information becomes available

· Feedback and comments received today will be incorporated into the submission and circulated to members to consider and give feedback prior to lodging by 14 August 2020

· A presentation of the mapping system to the next meeting was requested

· Agreed in principle that the submission should be lodged with amendments from today incorporated

DWG41/20

Resolutions

That the Hawke’s Bay Drinking Water Governance Joint Committee:

1. Receives and considers the “Proposed Submission to HBRC Plan Change 9”staff report.

2. Agrees that the decisions to be made are not significant under the criteria contained in Council’s adopted Significance and Engagement Policy, and that Council can exercise its discretion and make decisions on this issue without conferring directly with the community or persons likely to have an interest in the decision.

3. Approves the lodging of the proposed submission to TANK Plan Change 9, including the amendments agreed at the meeting, to the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

Hazlehurst/Ormsby

CARRIED

Joint Drinking Water Working Group Work Plan Update

Liz Lambert gave an update on the February 2020 version of the work plan. Discussions traversed:

· Most of the original actions arising from the Havelock North Board of Inquiry have been completed as prioritised and are being continually monitored and updated

· Focus of work plan is now on sharing information/knowledge and skills across agencies to fill knowledge gaps

· Development of a Joint Emergency Response Plan where drinking water access is lost or interrupted has been added as a high priority focus

· The JWG will be reviewing any new and amended requirements received from Central Government on the management of drinking water

· It was suggested that the quantity of water supply be added as a high priority item in the work plan.

DWG42/20

Resolutions

That the Hawke’s Bay Drinking Water Governance Joint Committee:

1. Receives and considers the “Work Plan Update” staff report.

3. Approves the changes to the work plan for implementation by the Joint Drinking Water Working Group.

Eaglesome-Karekare/Ormsby

CARRIED

Groundwater Quality and Communications

Liz Lambert introduced Iain Maxwell, Group Manager Integrated Catchment Management and Janine Barber, Principal Groundwater Quality Scientist, who gave a presentation on the Central Hawke’s Bay Managed Aquifer Recharge feasibility study. Discussions covered:

· During lockdown, a concern was raised through media reports implying that nitrates in groundwater in Ruataniwha had increased significantly over recent years, arising from misinterpreted information on a table in the HBRC commissioned Managed Aquifer Recharge pre-feasibility study

· The concern was raised in relation to elevated nitrate levels in one shallow groundwater monitoring well

· NZ Drinking Water Standard Maximum Acceptable Value Nitrate 50 mg/L is equivalent to Nitrate-Nitrogen 11.3 mg/L (g/m3 is equivalent to mg/L).

· Prior to 2014, the sampling wells numbered eight and during 2014-16, five more were added to the sampling programme

· The groundwater monitoring data indicates localised nitrate levels impacted by immediate land use activities and not pervasive throughout the aquifer

· With Farm Environment Management Plans, landowners have to manage their nutrient losses and the resource consents will restrict practices that result in high levels of nitrogen leaching into ground and surface water.

DWG43/20

Resolution

That the Hawke’s Bay Drinking Water Governance Joint Committee receives and considers the “Groundwater Quality and Communications” staff report.

Lorck/Apatu

CARRIED

Feedback on Submission on Taumata Arowai Bill

Liz Lambert introduced the item, which was taken as read, noting a typo in paragraph 11.5 “We had sought reference to the potential for Taumata Arowai to use a delegated enforcement agency and also saw the need for them to participate in and support drinking water collaboration groups within each regional council region”.

DWG44/20

Resolution

That the Hawke’s’ Bay Drinking Water Governance Joint Committee receives and notes the “Feedback on Submission to Taumata Arowai Bill” staff report.

Ormsby/Hazlehurst

CARRIED

Three Waters Update

Toni Goodlass provided a verbal update on the Hawke’s Bay Three Waters Programme with discussions covering:

· Regional workshops with Territorial Authorities and tangata whenua members of the HBRC Regional Planning and Māori committees are under way – to discuss the key outcomes of the regional 3 waters service delivery review

· The report will be formally adopted by Hawke’s Bay Councils in September 2020 after which it will become a public document

· The Department of Internal Affairs visited Hawke’s Bay to discuss Central Government’s proposed approach to three waters service delivery and timelines

· Councils will decide whether to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Central Government as the way forward.

DWG45/20

Resolution

That the Hawke’s Bay Drinking Water Governance Joint Committee receives and notes the verbal “Three Waters Update” report and presentation.

Hazlehurst/Watkins

CARRIED

10.

Discussion of Minor Items Not on the Agenda

Topic

Raised by

Water Services Bill:

· Submissions on the Bill will be after the National Election

· TAs to work through to consider potential implications on future delivery models

· Another piece of work on the New Standards, not included in the Bill, will commence later this year

· Changes to other legislation, i.e Building Act, which directly link to the standards and obligations to supply sufficient quantity of safe drinking water

· The Bill also lays out a number of duties including registration required by water users and supply of essential information to the regulator

· Obligation to notify the regulator when there is an unforeseen risk or hazard (new offences to take action against water suppliers/ individuals and/or agents) with a fine of up to $10,000 for not providing the required information

· All CCOs or TAs will have to become authorised water suppliers within 5 years

· Source Management Risk Plans will require sharing across TAs

· RMA reform will include new obligations for monitoring and safe drinking water supply

· Of particular interest is the “multi-barrier” approach

· Decision to add chlorine to disinfect the reticulation system lies solely with the Chief Executive of the Regulator, can be revoked at any point in time and needs to be reviewed every 5 years

· Collection of information to assist National reporting on wastewater, in particular wastewater flows from plants

· More info can be found at https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_93442/taumata-arowai-the-water-services-regulator-bill or http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2019/0202/latest/LMS294345.html

Garth Cowie / Craig Thew/ Dr Nick Jones

Hinewai Ormsby offered a karakia to close the meeting.

Closure:

There being no further business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 11.47am on Monday, 3 August 2020.

Signed as a true and correct record.

DATE: ................................................ CHAIRMAN: ...............................................