Meeting of the
Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee
Date: Wednesday 9 March 2022
Time: 9.00am
|
Venue:
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Council
Chamber
Hawke's
Bay Regional Council
159
Dalton Street
NAPIER
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Agenda
Item Title Page
1. Welcome/Karakia/Housekeeping/Notices/Apologies
2. Conflict
of Interest Declarations
3. Confirmation of Minutes of
the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee meeting held on 10 November
2021
4. Follow-ups
from Previous Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee Meetings 3
5. Call
for Minor Items Not on the Agenda 7
Information
or Performance Monitoring
6. Developing
Ways of Working with Rural Women 9
7. Climate
Action Ambassador and Work Programme 11
8. Update
on IRG Flood Control Resilience Funded Projects 17
9. Ecosystem
Prioritisation Programme Update 25
10. Predator
Free Hawke's Bay Close Out Report 29
11. Update
on the PCA Partial RPMP Review Process 51
12. Discussion
of Minor Items not on the Agenda 55
HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL
Environment
and Integrated Catchments Committee
Wednesday
09 March 2022
Subject: Follow-ups from Previous
Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee Meetings
Reason for Report
1. On the list attached are
items raised at previous Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee
meetings that staff have followed up on. All items indicate who is responsible
for follow up, and a brief status comment. Once the items have been reported to
the Committee they will be removed from the list.
Decision Making Process
2. 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
Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the “Follow-ups
from Previous Meetings”.
Authored by:
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Annelie Roets
Governance Advisor
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|
Approved by:
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Chris Dolley
Group Manager Asset Management
|
Iain Maxwell
Group Manager Integrated Catchment
Management
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Attachment/s
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1⇩
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Follow-ups from Previous Meetings
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|
|
|
Follow-ups
from Previous Meetings
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Attachment 1
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HAWKE’S
BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL
Environment
and Integrated Catchments Committee
Wednesday
09 March 2022
Subject: Call for Minor Items Not on
the Agenda
Reason
for Report
1. This item provides the
means for committee members to raise minor matters relating to the general business of
the meeting
they wish to bring to the attention of the meeting.
2. Hawke’s Bay Regional
Council standing order 9.13
states:
2.1. “A meeting may discuss an item that is
not on the agenda only if it is a minor matter relating to the general business
of the meeting and the Chairperson explains at the beginning of the public part
of the meeting that the item will be discussed. However, the meeting may not
make a resolution, decision or recommendation about the item, except to refer
it to a subsequent meeting for further discussion.”
Recommendations
That the Environment and Integrated
Catchments Committee accepts the following “Minor Items Not on the Agenda”
for discussion as Item 12:
|
Leeanne
Hooper
GOVERNANCE
TEAM LEADER
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James
Palmer
CHIEF
EXECUTIVE
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HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL
Environment
and Integrated Catchments Committee
Wednesday
09 March 2022
Subject: Developing Ways of Working
With Rural Women
Reason
for Report
1. Council has partnered with the
University of Waikato (UoW) to create an Associate Professor in Integrated
Catchment Management.
2. Dr Edgar Burns was appointed to the
role in 2019. Dr Burns has spent the past 18 months gathering information
and intelligence relating to a variety of environmental sociology issues
relevant to Council’s interests.
3. Dr Burns has a series of technical
papers he is preparing and will be bring these at regular intervals to Council.
This is the second report in the technical paper series.
Background
4. Through this item, Dr Burns will make
a case for investigating ways that developing Council’s engagement with
rural women in our region can increase our effectiveness in supporting improved
on-farm environmental practices and climate change readiness.
5. The first two sections in the
technical paper provide historical and social background information about the
shift in gender expectations in recent decades. Widespread professional
education for women is a key part of skill and knowledge development relevant
to dangers of biodiversity loss, environmental deterioration and climate
change.
6. This report can be identified as one
specification of the issue of communication from my previous report, this time
in terms of the environmental contributions and leadership of women.
7. The report suggests Council considers
being more systematic in establishing ways that women can be engaged in the
topics around climate change and rural environmental farm practices.
Discussion
8. Dr Burns will present and discuss
detail of his report.
9. The key issue underlying this report
is the potential crossover between women’s perceptions and priorities to
influence, lead, counter, and contribute to the need to accelerate climate
change readiness and reverse downward environmental measures of erosion, water,
quality, and biodiversity on Hawke’s Bay farms.
10. The technical report (attached) works
through four main sections of:
10.1. the changing world of rural women
10.2. unclear definitions and what women
bring environmentally to HBRC’s focus
10.3. Rural women acting environmentally in
various ways, and
10.4. HBRC working with rural women.
Strategic Fit
11. This work touches on all aspects of
our Strategic Plan and directly connects to our purpose statement that states
we work with our community.
12. Specifically it extends 2020-2025
Strategic plan vision/values: ‘Climate change is at the heart of
everything we do’ by adaptive management to bring our HBRC women
constituents as a group more explicitly into councils goals.
Next Steps
13. Selected next steps are proposed in
the summary of Section 4 of this report.
Decision Making Process
14. 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 Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the “Developing
Ways of Working with Rural Women” report by Dr Edgar Burns.
Authored and Approved by:
|
Iain Maxwell
Group Manager
Integrated Catchment Management
|
|
Attachment/s
|
1⇨
|
Developing ways of working with
rural woman - Dr Edgar Burns
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|
Under Separate Cover
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HAWKE’S
BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL
Environment
and Integrated Catchments Committee
Wednesday
09 March 2022
Subject:
Climate Action Ambassador and Work Programme
Reason
for Report
1. This item introduces the recently
appointed Climate Action Ambassador to Committee members and outlines the work
plan for this new role for early input from the Committee.
Recent
appointment to Climate Action Ambassador role
2. Pippa McKelvie-Sebileau started as
Climate Action Ambassador on 1 February. The role is sitting in the Strategy
& Governance team, but she will work with staff from various Council teams
and external stakeholders.
3. Pippa is finishing her PhD in food
resilience for communities and her background is in Psychology and Public
Health, bringing a behavioural science lens to this work. She is working
part-time in the role while finishing her PhD.
Strategic Fit
4. In the most recent resident survey,
64% of the community consider the Regional Council the main environmental
organisation in the region. However, the range of activities that the Council
undertakes to mitigate and adapt to climate change can be hidden and largely
unknown by the public.
5. ”Climate change is at the heart
of everything we do” has been a strap-line in the Council’s
Strategic Plan since 2017 and has been used in range of community-facing
material. This reflects Council’s activities at the frontline of climate
adaptation such as coastal hazards, flood protection, water security and
drought response as well as climate change mitigation in the form of active
transport, environmental education, and good management practices on-farm,
including afforestation and biodiversity protection.
6. The Climate Action Ambassador role is
the first dedicated staffing resource to climate action and is intended to
enhance the Regional Council’s leadership role in this space.
Background
7. The Government passed the Climate
Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019 and the Council declared a
climate emergency for the Hawke’s Bay region on 26 June 2019.
8. Following the local election in 2019
and in the lead-in to the Long Term Plan 2021-2031, the Council refreshed its
Strategic Plan to reflect current circumstances and new priorities. In
particular: resilience was added into the vision, climate change is now
reflected all four focus areas and the target was realigned to national
timeframes – By 2025, HBRC is carbon zero and plays a leadership role
in the region’s goal of net zero greenhouse gases by 2050.
9. As part of the Long Term Plan 2021-31,
a new activity of Community Sustainability was introduced focussing on
developing and leading a coordinated community-wide response to reduce the
Regional Council’s and the region’s carbon footprint. This includes
the establishment of a Climate Change Ambassador role funded from the sale of a
portion of the Council’s ‘carbon credits’ (NZUs) from
existing plantation forests.
10. The Climate Action Ambassador will
co-construct plans and coordinate actions towards the Council achieving its
goal of being carbon zero by 2025 and the regional goal for Hawke’s Bay
to become carbon zero by 2050.
11. In addition to the emissions reduction
(mitigation) and offsetting work required to become carbon neutral, the Climate
Action Ambassador will also support climate change adaptation work to build
community awareness leading to resilience (alongside CDEM).
12. 
Three Foci for Climate Action
Ambassador Activities: Reduce
emissions / Offset emissions / Adapt to ongoing changes in climate at the
Council and at the regional level.
13. This workplan proposes to use social
science theory, recognising the role of social identity as a critical pathway
to achieve collective action in response to environmental challenges (Milfont, 2020). The Council already has an existing
base of excellent science and scientists, and the aim of this role is to turn
that science into practicable and implementable localised solutions for our
regional communities. A major assumption of the workplan is that to engage the
community and bring them along for change, we need to propose an alternative
vision for an equitable and resilient future for our communities, and pathways
to achieve this.
14. The workplan will align with both the
amendments to the Environmental Reporting Act to incorporate te ao Māori
and mātauranga Māori, improving the coverage and effectiveness of
environmental reporting and make it more meaningful and useful for Māori,
as well as broader communities, local and central government, and other
organisations.
15. An essential element of this approach
will be to establish community values for the Climate Action Plan, in
partnership with tangata whenua in formal recognition of Indigenous traditional
ecological knowledge and knowledge of cultural landscapes. As part of this
theoretical work, it will be important to investigate alternative models for
systems change and mindset shift regarding our relationship with the
environment. For example, a tuakana / teina model will be discussed (as opposed
to traditional stewardship of the environment models) based on the concept of
reciprocity. In practice, a model recognizing the power of our natural systems
to inform and guide us, means that we need to ensure that our environmental
monitoring systems are designed to learn from and constantly adapt to the
information provided by our natural systems.
Discussion
16. The key milestone in the near term is
to develop a Regional Climate Action Plan by July 2023 with broad
community involvement, support and engagement, which will feed into the
2024-2034 long term plans of the region’s councils. To achieve this, the
work plan has been broken down into 3 inter-related and mutually reinforcing
workstreams.
Workstream
1: Synthesise and communicate what we know about the current state of climate
knowledge, emissions and risk in Hawke’s Bay
17. Collate what we already know.
17.1. Collate and communicate the trends in
HB residents’ attitudes to climate change from various HBRC surveys,
bringing the insights together into a narrative of how residents’ views
are evolving and where the convergences and dissonances lie with regard to our
regional risk profile and emissions.
17.2. Summarise the trends in Statistics NZ
published HB CO2 equivalent emissions profile since 2007,
identifying the domains where the largest emissions increases are happening and
accounting for the role of population growth.
17.3. Use the NIWA Climate Change projected
risk report to distil the scientific information into terms that are
interpretable, meaningful and culturally acceptable to community.
17.4. Collaborating with the Communications
team, these three activities will be combined into an infographic as a
communication tool.
Workstream
2: Deepen our understanding of climate issues in Hawke’s Bay and our
ability to monitor changes through three commissioned reports
18. Procure a Regional Greenhouse
Gas Emissions Inventory (see BOPRC and Waikato Regional Council for examples). While Stats NZ offers
a regional breakdown of GHG emissions across primary industries,
goods-producing industries, services and households, the data is outdated by
the time of publication (2020 data will be released in April 2022), and this
does not give us city-based estimates or more granular categories of emissions.
With the potential for Territorial Authority profiles in this regional report,
we could look for co-funding opportunities for a breakdown of emissions by
locality.
19. Building from the HB regional carbon
footprint, we will commission a Regional Options and Opportunities Cost-Benefit
Analysis to identify the most feasible and impactful opportunities for
innovation in mitigation and adaptation solutions, behavioural change
interventions and further emissions reductions opportunities.
20. Obtain a Regional Adaptation
Risk Profile Assessment to identify community resilience and to
quantify and qualify the risk for those communities, in terms that will
mobilise community engagement and action. This report will go further than the
2020 NIWA report on Climate Change Projects in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s
Bay, to model localised risk and identification of natural sites, services and
people where infrastructure, activities, and community wellbeing may be
impacted. With research demonstrating that communities of higher deprivation
are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards, the risk of
exacerbating existing inequities and creating new and additional inequities due
to differential distribution of climate change impacts need to be identified so
that they may be mitigated.
21. In addition to the three analytical
reports proposed above, we will continue to explore innovative ways to monitor
and report our regional emissions to cement our leadership role.
Two examples include a dynamic carbon tracker by Dot Loves Data which
can provide dashboard estimations of regional emissions with a two-month
latency and an opportunity with the Deep South National Science Challenge to
develop a tool to evaluate well-being impacts in Hawke’s Bay of climate
change adaptation initiatives.
22. This will be combined with a review of
our current reporting on our own carbon footprint to ensure that it is fit for
purpose, engaging and sufficiently sensitive to register the potential impact
of our current interventions. Currently, we report our corporate carbon
footprint quarterly via the Organisational Performance Report and it includes
fleet, travel and energy use across four operating sites. The review will
investigate the feasibility of including waste emissions, indirect emissions
and including more sites.
23. Alongside this work we will
continuously monitor and communicate the national and regional policy
context and responsibilities including the National Emissions Reduction
Plan and the National Adaptation Plan (both due for release in 2022) to keep
Committee members abreast of current thinking.
Workstream
3: Coordinate community engagement and communication
24. In the Council’s Climate Crisis
Survey 2020, the second most important action that residents felt the Council
should be doing to address the impacts of climate change was
‘communication, information, education and public engagement’. There
is a crucial need for the regional council to engage with the public in ways
that promote community aspirations and relate the climate crisis in terms that
are understandable and practicable. Of note, the action ranked of least
importance by residents was ‘support / work with famers and primary
industry’, yet agriculture accounts for 72% of our regional emissions, so
this should become a key area of focus for public education and engagement.
This may include the need for research into local farmers’ attitudes to
climate change, knowledge of actions to reduce emissions and willingness to
make changes to their farm system to be more environmentally sustainable.
25. Using “It’s time Canterbury” as a model and working with
the Council’s Marketing and Communications team, a series of public
engagement and education activities will be planned around two pillars:
increasing public education / awareness and co-designing the Regional Climate
Action Plan. Rangatahi and tangata whenua voice will be front and centre in the
co-design process to ensure that we meet our responsibilities of Te Tiriti and
that the action plan is future proof. A public event will be planned to raise
the profile of Climate Action and inform and engage community will be organised
(like the Climathon Waikato or Auckland
Climate Festival ).
26. Building internal capability. In a
2021 survey of Council staff, 70% of respondents (n=63) said they had never
attended any Climate Change workshops or training at their workplace. In
initial engagements with staff, the need for a consistent and cohesive approach
to Council communication has been highlighted by multiple teams. In response to
this, we propose to work with the People & Capability team to offer
tailored communications training (framing, engaging and messaging) to increase
knowledge and awareness of local and international climate change issues, and
build capability in communicating with the public about the work the Council is
doing to mitigate and adapt to climate change. One potential trainer is Common Cause Australia who offer online training on how to
communicate “to motivate pro-social and environmental action that is
widespread, deep and enduring”.
27. Cross-Council collaboration - the
Climate Action Ambassador will work closely with the Climate Change lead from
NCC and the HDC to create collective momentum and shared initiatives towards
public engagement, emissions reductions and reporting. It is intended that this
collaboration will assume responsibility to identify and select up to 10
actions to collaborate on that came out of a joint council workshop between HDC
and HBRC late 2021.
28. Actions are underway to reconvene the
Regional Climate Leaders Forum (NCC, HDC and Airport already onboard) for 2022
with the inclusion of other key businesses and institutions including EIT,
HBDHB, PanPac and Unison to collectively work together to transition to a low
emissions economy and to highlight and champion local businesses already
reducing emissions.
29. The Climate Action Ambassador will
also play a central role to galvanise grassroots community sustainability
initiatives such as the HB Climate and Food Resilience Hub being led by the
Environment Centre HB, Nourished for Nil and Re-Source. Support may take the
form of, for example, seed funding for community initiatives, co-facilitation
or promotion of events.
Feedback
30. Feedback on the skeleton
work plan is invited in discussion at the Committee meeting, or Pippa would
welcome the opportunity to discuss with Committee members individually.
31. In particular, ideas
regarding local stakeholders and networks to engage with are sought so that
Pippa is introduced to people who will be essential as part of the construction
of the regional Climate Action Plan.
Next Steps
32. If the Committee is supportive, the
desktop work will start immediately and the three commissioned reports will be
the priority for this quarter. The two fora proposed, Cross-council and Climate
Leaders, will be launched in the next month and engagement work will begin in
collaboration with various teams already in existence across Council.
33. It is also intended to present this
paper to the Māori Committee on 6 April 2022 to seek their input and
direction in relation to the roles and responsibilities for tāngata whenua
in developing the regional climate change response programme for Hawke’s
Bay.
Decision Making Process
34. 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 Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the
“Climate Action Work Programme” staff report and provides feedback
on the proposed work programme.
Authored by:
|
Pippa McKelvie-Sebileau
Climate Action Ambassador
|
Desiree Cull
Strategy & Governance Manager
|
Approved by:
|
James Palmer
Chief Executive
|
|
Attachment/s
There are no attachments for this
report.
HAWKE’S
BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL
Environment
and Integrated Catchments Committee
Wednesday
09 March 2022
Subject: Update
on IRG Flood Control Resilience Funded Projects
Reason
for Report
1. This report provides an update on the
four projects approved for funding as part of the Crown’s Flood Control
Resilience Funding with the Infrastructure Reference Group (IRG) managed by
Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, formerly
known as the Provincial Development Unit.
Background
2. Council has received IRG funding for a
total amount of up to $19.2m (plus GST, if any) which is a 64% contribution to
four projects.
3. Works commenced on all
four projects in late November 2020.
Discussion
Project
1: Heretaunga Plains Flood Control Scheme (HPFCS) Levels of Service -
$20m
4. The HPFCS Levels of Service project
will review and upgrade sites across the Tūtaekurī, Ngaruroro, Lower
Tukituki and Clive rivers as part of the Heretaunga Plains Flood Control Scheme
level of service review, to increase flood protection across the scheme to a 1
in 500-year event.
5. HBRC co-funding of $7.2 million is
required to match IRG funds of $12.8 million.
6. Physical works at Taradale stop bank
are underway. Cycle trail detours are in place to enable works including tree
removal and specimen tree relocation. Targeted completion for stop bank
strengthening May 2022.
7. Investigations are complete for
Ngatarawa and Roy’s Hill, design optioneering is complete and detailed
design underway for both sites. East Clive and Moteo field investigations
complete, analysis is complete and design optioneering is underway.
8. To date, works completed are:
|
Site
Name & Location
|
River
|
Works Completed to Date
|
Proposed Works**
|
|
Taradale
Stopbank Strengthening (XS 17 - 22 LHS)
|
Tūtaekurī
|
Archaeology
assessment, geophysical testing, Geotechnical investigation, Topographical
survey, Preliminary Design, detailed design, 30% Construction
|
Increase
height of stopbank for overtopping, increased width of stopbank, reduced
slope on river-side
|
|
Moteo
Stopbank Strengthening (XS 43b - 47 RHS)
|
Tūtaekurī
|
Archaeology
assessment, geophysical testing, Geotechnical investigation scoping,
Topographical survey, field investigations, concept design
|
Increase
height at places
|
|
Omaranui
(XS 23-41 RHS)
|
Tūtaekurī
|
Archaeology
assessment, Topographical survey
|
Increase
height of stopbank for overtopping
|
|
Haumoana
Stopbank Strengthening (XS 1 - 4 RHS)
|
Lower
Tukituki
|
Archaeology
assessment, Geotechnical investigation scoping, Topographical survey
|
Increase
height of stopbank for overtopping
|
|
East
Clive Stopbank Strengthening (XS 1 - 4 LHS)
|
Lower
Tukituki
|
Archaeology
assessment, Geotechnical investigation scoping, Topographical survey, field
investigations, concept design
|
Increase
height of stopbank for overtopping
|
|
Pakowhai
Park (XS 15-20 RHS)
|
Ngaruroro
|
Geophysical
testing, Topographical survey
|
TBC
pending output from geophysical testing
|
|
Raupare
Lower (XS 20-27 RHS)
|
Ngaruroro
|
Geophysical
testing, Topographical survey
|
TBC
pending output from geophysical testing
|
|
Ngatarawa
(XS 49 - 51 RHS)
|
Ngaruroro
|
Archaeology
assessment, Geotechnical investigation underway, Topographical survey, field
investigations, concept design, detailed design
|
Height
of stopbank to be increased and slopes to be reduced on both sides
|
|
Roy's
Hill (XS 41 - 44 RHS)
|
Ngaruroro
|
Archaeology
assessment, Geotechnical investigation underway, Topographical survey, field
investigations, analyses and concept design
|
Slope
may need to be reduced on both sides - TBC
|
|
Meeanee
d/s motorway (XS 13-17 LHS)
|
Tūtaekurī
|
Topographical
survey
|
TBC
pending output from geotechnical testing
|
|
Haumoana
Upstream of Blackbridge (XS 4 - 10 RHS)
|
Lower
Tukituki
|
Archaeology
assessment, Topographical survey
|
Increase
height of stopbank for overtopping
|
|
Farndon
Road Erosion
|
Clive
|
Works
scoped for Engineering Panel
|
Scour
protection to Farndon Road
|
**
Subject to outputs from site investigations, geotechnical modelling and any
additional hydraulic modelling
9. Request for Tender was sought for
significant native planting programme to support environmental outcomes at
Ngatarawa and Roy’s Hill. Further, landscape design has been procured to
undertake Public Use of Rivers (PUR) planning in partnership with Waiohiki
marae.
10. HBRC have committed to deliver eight
stop bank strengthening projects over the three-year period through IRG funded
works. Further, by undertaking integrity investigations of similar or higher
priority sites in tandem, HBRC provides confidence in the resilience of our
flood protection assets and thus achieve the objective of increasing climate
resilience of HPFCS systematically. Should these investigations lead to
physical work requirement, this will add to the following list.
|
Year
|
Committed Projects
|
|
1
|
Taradale
Stop Bank (earthworks, stop bank upgrade, PUR)
|
|
2
|
Moteo
Stop Bank (berm improvement – groynes or strategic planting; earthwork
requirement being assessed as part of design)
|
|
2
|
East
Clive (stop bank upgrade required following overtopping assessments; landfill
on riverside presented additional challenges)
|
|
2
|
Ngatarawa
– Berm improvements (Native planting programme)
|
|
2
|
Roys
Hill – Berm improvements (Native planting programme)
|
|
2/3
|
Clive
River @ Farndon Road (erosion protection - potentially sheet piling)
|
|
2/3
|
Omarunui
(stop bank upgrade required & archaeological complications being worked
through)
|
|
3
|
Haumoana
(stop bank upgrade required & archaeological complications being worked
through)
|
|
3
|
Pakowhai
Park (earthworks, stop bank upgrade, PUR)
|
|
3
|
Haumoana
upstream of Blackbridge (earthworks, stop bank upgrade)
|
11. FY 20-21 expenditure was $832k against
a projection of $944k.
12. The estimated value of FY 2021-22,
2022-23 and 2023-24 planned works is $10.68 million, $4.62 million and $3.9
million respectively. In 2021-22 this includes stop bank strengthening
construction works on two sites (Taradale and East Clive), detailed design of
five sites (based on results from geotechnical investigations), commencement of
investigative work on further six sites.
13. FY 2022-23 planned works includes stop
bank strengthening construction works on at least further four sites, detailed
design of two sites (based on results from geotechnical investigations) and
completion of environmental enhancement of 5 sites.
14. FY 2023-24 planned works includes stop
bank strengthening construction works on at least further two sites and
completion of environmental enhancement of 3 sites.
Project 2: Upper Tukituki Gravel
Extraction Flood Control Scheme - $8 million
15. The Upper Tukituki (UTT) Gravel
Extraction project will seek opportunities to subsidise extraction and
transportation of gravel from this scheme with a focus on competitive tendering
and supporting the local economy. Gravel extraction is required to
maintain existing nameplate capacity of 1:100 level of protection within this
scheme. As a consultation topic in the 2020 Long Term Plan, Council agreed to
fund the HBRC co-contribution of $2.88m from the UTT scheme through a long term
loan allowing the project to proceed.
16. A Request for Tender (RfT) was sent to
23 contractors, all of whom had pre-qualified through the Registration of
Interest (RoI). The tender included a volume of 116,700m3 gravel
available for extraction, split between the Tukipo and Makaretu Rivers.
17. HBRC Received a total of four tender
submissions. Through the tender evaluation, two preferred contractors were
selected, with approximately half the available material being awarded to each.
18. Tender acceptance letters have been
sent to each. Extraction has been started by one, and expected to start with
the other in early March.
19. It is planned for the next tender
round to be sent to market in March.
20. A Chilean Needle Grass survey was
carried out from the confluence of the Waipawa and Mangaonuku Rivers to
approximately 3.3 km downstream. No Chilean Needle Grass was identified in the
survey area. The current restriction on gravel extraction is planned to be
eased, allowing some extraction to occur in this area with minor restrictions
on end use. Awaiting on formal exemption notification from HBRC bio-security
21. To date, HBRC has completed:
21.1. Gravel material testing programme -
results were made available to all tenderers as part of the ROI.
21.2. Prioritisation of key reaches –
Determined on the following criteria: Freeboard (related to 100 year flood
risk), Average annual flood risk (related to availability), Lateral erosion
risk. This allows extraction to focus on areas which are critical to the flood
protection of the UTT scheme.
21.3. Availability of gravel – based
on prioritisation, data provided as part of ROI to tenderers and shall assist
with programming. This data has also been shared with local contractors, upon
request, following the last public meeting.
21.4. Identification of additional access
– HBRC Schemes Team assisting with landowner discussions for critical
access.
21.5. Request for Information from industry
– 17 submissions received relating to cost for extraction and
transportation. This data will underpin the project’s rationale for
reasonable subsidised costs, specifically relating to transportation of
material.
21.6. Public meetings with both ratepayers
and contractors to provide updates on project status. Contractor representation
at public meetings was attended by small and medium sized local businesses as
well as larger businesses from out of the region. HBRC have also met on site
with a small local contractor to better understand their business and how they
might support any potential Chilean Needle Grass (CNG) studies.
21.7. Assessment of known archaeological
assessment sites – Working with New Zealand Archaeological Association
(NZAA) to map known sites on HBRC GIS with buffer zones based on site type.
21.8. Liaison with HBRC Biosecurity and
AgResearch to scope a testing programme to manage CNG within the UTT scheme.
Works are likely to benefit out with this programme and external funding is
being considered to achieve successful outcomes.
22. FY 2020-21 expenditure was $298,000
and FY 2021-22 costs are estimated at $1.7 million.
23. In FY 2022-23 costs for gravel
extraction are estimated at $6.02 million.
Project 3: Upper Tukituki Flood Control Scheme SH50/Waipawa
Erosion - $1 million
24. This one-year project provided
engineered erosion protection works on the right and left bank of the Waipawa
river, immediately upstream of SH50 bridge.
25. To complete the project, HBRC Works
Group installed 75 precast concrete akmon units on the left bank of the Waipawa
river, carried out earthworks to cut and fill gravel to form the new river
channel, including excavation, carting and shaping approximately 70,000m3
of gravel, and installed 3,166 lineal metres of rail irons and 8,100 lineal
metres of wire rope to form permeable groynes on the left and right banks.
26. An independent ecological impact
assessment undertaken at the site concluded that the completed project has
resulted in an overall net positive effect on biodiversity.
27. The planting of 4,700 pole trees in
the berm area and a further 1,000 native trees was undertaken in partnership
between Kaitiaki Rangers (Waiohiki Marae) and Works Group. Training and
upskilling was provided to the Kaitiaki Rangers on this collaborative project
which has received positive feedback from Kānoa due
to HBRC fulfilling its social procurement outcomes to engage and upskill
Māori/Pasifika businesses.
28. Project completion was completed at a
total value of $1.25 million.
29. HBRC collaborated with stakeholders
and community to prepare a short video highlighting the project, its challenges
and successes. This has been endorsed by Kānoa and has received fantastic
feedback through River Managers SIG. (Full length video to be played during
EICC meeting)
30. A closedown report for this project
shall be prepared for IRG End of February. Following receipt of this, no
further reporting shall be provided to Council for this project.
Project
4: Wairoa River, River Parade Erosion - $1 million
31. This one-year project programme will provide
steel sheet piled erosion protection works on left bank of the Wairoa River.
32. Geotechnical investigations, design
optioneering and preliminary design and detailed of the proposed sheet pile
wall have been completed and the physical works contractor has procured the
necessary steel sheet piles. Unfortunately, the COVID Delta outbreak has
postponed the start date from mid-September to early November 2021.
33. The relocation of the Wairoa District
Council watermain has been completed in collaboration with Wairoa District
Council
34. The proposed steel sheet piled wall is
73 lineal metres with 12 metre screw anchors which are drilled below the
existing River Parade Road.
35. Estimated project completion value of
$1.15 million due to additional costs associated with procurement of sheet
piles.
36. The local civil engineering
contracting company Lattey’s Civil and Precast have been appointed to as
main contractor with Wairoa based QRS providing sub-contracting services
relating to civil works.
37. Planting of the upstream riverbank
with the appropriate trees and bush will provide stability to the rivers edge
whilst also contributing to the biodiversity of the river. This will allow safe
access for the public to the river’s edge and popular whitebating (Inanga)
area.
38. HBRC have been engaging with local
groups Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust, Wairoa Reserves Board –
Matangirau (WRB) and Wairoa District Council to identify the aspirations and
requirements of this project on the cultural values to the region. HBRC are in
the process of undertaking a cultural impact assessment of the local Iwi
groups, as well as an assessment of environmental impacts on the fish, birds
and plants of the river and surrounding area.
39. Project at 90% completion with sheet
pile wall and screw anchors installed. Earthworks and slope stabilisation
underway with planting and grassing to be complete in April. Option analysis of
cultural expression between Tatau Tatau, WRB, HBRC and WDC to be finalised.
40. FY 2020-21 expenditure was $98k, and
FY 2021-22 costs are estimated at $1,052M.
Social Procurement
41. Schedule 3 of the funding agreement
details Social Procurement Outcomes (SPO’s) which are to be met as part
of the agreement. In order to meet our contractual obligations, HBRC have
propose the following initiatives:
41.1. Collaboration with Waiohiki
Marae’s Kaitiaki Rangers, investment in nursery and upskilling of staff
41.1.1. Opportunity to upskill whanau from
other Marae
41.2. Engagement contractors who employ
staff through Ministry of Social Development’s (MSD) mana in mahi and
Hastings District Council’s redeployment programme
41.3. Networking through MSD to identify
Māori/Pasifika businesses
41.4. Upskilling and training contractors/consultants
through tender training workshop which includes implementation of tender
training workshop. Session 1 was a pre-requisite for subsequent drop-in
sessions for one-on-one support with third party provider:
41.4.1. Invitation of suitable contractors
through existing tenders, MSD, MBIE, consultants, contractors.
41.4.2. Acknowledgement of skills gap within
industry
41.4.3. Record of attendance/feedback forms
41.4.4. Further sessions one-on-one to support
specific tenders
41.4.5. Upskill tier 3 contractors
41.4.6. Provide better engagement within our
region for Local Authorities, private sector and Regional Council
41.4.7. Encourage better competition in the
market
41.5. Partnering with Eastern Institute of
Technology – environmental science, biosecurity, film & photography.
Project study opportunities, project support, work experience, planting
assistance
41.6. Mates4Life suicide awareness and
prevention programme. Linking up contractors/consultants with mental health and
wellbeing programmes
41.7. Highlighting mental health &
wellbeing with our contractors in a drive to include this at toolbox talks
alongside health and safety. Incremental changes to the status quo
41.8. Embracing and implementing
recommendations from cultural assessments. Seeking support from Hapu to assist
with artwork, storyboards, planting etc
41.9. Establishing partnership agreements to
dedicate project resources to upskill and train staff. This includes
contractors, consultants and client organisations whereby a continual
professional development style of record keeping is maintained in a simple,
manageable, cost effective way.
Collective Outcomes – National
Progressive Procurement Toolkit
42. HBRC’s procurement team have
recently developed a progressive procurement toolkit in collaboration with
Height Project Management. It is modelled on the Sustainable Outcomes Toolkit
(May 2019) developed by Auckland Council Healthy Waters and Height Project
Management which covers the following key areas, often referred to as the
“four pillars”:
42.1. Environmental – preventing and reversing
environmental degradation
42.2. Economic - building a diverse and prosperous
local economy
42.3. Social – shared and equal opportunity
for community prosperity
42.4. Cultural – finding opportunities to
genuinely partner with mana whenua.
43. The IRG programme and associated
social outcomes have been discussed at a national level amongst the River
Managers Special Interest Group (SIG). Each of the regional councils are
responsible for meeting their respective SPO’s and have agreed that as a
collective group there are benefits to collaborating to provide a number of
national SPO’s. HBRC’s progressive procurement toolkit has been
socialised with other regional councils with the intent of implementing a shift
change in procurement to not only include SPO’s but the other three pillars
(Environmental, Economic and Cultural).
Decision Making Process
44. 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
Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the “Update on IRG
Flood Control Resilience Funded Projects”.
Authored by:
|
Tim Jones
Project Engineer
|
Harry Donnelly
Project Engineer
|
|
Priya Karanjai
Project Engineer
|
Martina Groves
Manager Regional Assets
|
Approved by:
|
Chris Dolley
Group Manager Asset Management
|
|
Attachment/s
There are
no attachments for this report.
HAWKE’S
BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL
Environment
and Integrated Catchments Committee
Wednesday
09 March 2022
Subject:
Ecosystem Prioritisation Programme Update
Reason
for Report
1. This item provides an update on the
Ecosystem Prioritisation Programme and associated Jobs for Nature projects.
Executive Summary
2. The Ecosystem Prioritisation Programme
budget this financial year is $300,000 which is primarily dedicated to deer
fencing and undertaking pest control at sites of high biodiversity value.
3. Alongside this, two ‘Jobs for
Nature’ projects were also successful in receiving funding, being the Private
Land Fund and the Porangahau Freshwater Improvement Fund, resulting in an
additional $730,000 going towards protecting and enhancing Ecosystem
Prioritisation sites this financial year.
4. In securing these additional funds,
$200,000 of matched funding was redirected from the HBRC COVID Recovery fund.
This was pivotal in the success of obtaining these additional funds.
5. This has resulted in five Ecosystem
Prioritisation sites totalling approximately 287ha to be protected through deer
fencing and pest plant and animal control this financial year. Four of these
sites are large and challenging and wouldn’t have been possible to fence
without the additional funding from Jobs for Nature.
6. A further two sites (87ha) will be
fenced through the Ecosystem Prioritisation Programme, in partnership with the
Erosion Control Scheme and Open Spaces, alongside six existing sites receiving
maintenance pest control.
7. There is also an additional $100,000
from MfE going towards pest plant and animal control within the Porangahau
catchment. The focus area for this spend is the Porangahau dune system and is
primarily being led by the Porangahau Catchment Group with support from council
staff.
8. On top of this, staff have also been
delivering a $1,044,000 Te Uru Rakau funded 1 Billion Trees native planting
programme, in partnership with QEII and Landcare Trusts. This additional
funding into the region has supported 42 groups in planting approximately 72ha
in native plants across Hawke’s Bay last season and will support a
further 61 groups this season to plant approximately 102ha.
Strategic Fit
9. Biodiversity is one of the four
priority focus areas in the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan: Healthy, functioning
and climate-resilient biodiversity. Kia ora, kia āhei, kia mārohirohi
ā-āhuarangi hoki te rerenga rauropi.
10. There are four strategic goals.
10.1. By 2020, regional priority locations
for ecosystem restoration - including in the coastal marine area - have been
identified.
10.2. By 2030, key species and habitat
(sites) are prioritised and under active restoration. Source: HB
Biodiversity Strategy, 2015-2050 and Action Plan 2017-2020
10.3. By 2050, a full range of indigenous
habitats and ecosystems, and abundance and distributions of taonga species are
maintained and increased in every catchment in Hawke's Bay. Source: HB
Biodiversity Strategy, 2015-2050 and Action Plan 2017-2020
10.4. By 2050, Hawke's Bay is predator free
in line with NZ 2050 target. Source: PF2050
11. Climate change also impacts
biodiversity. With many of our lowland ecosystems reduced to small, fragmented
remnants with poor connectivity, they, and the species that live within them,
are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change such as drought,
fire, heavy rainfall and sea level rise. Most of these sites have been
identified as Ecosystem Prioritisation sites.
12. Other plans that feed into
Council’s biodiversity programmes are Hawke's Bay Biodiversity Strategy,
Hawke's Bay Regional Pest Management Plan and the Asset Management Ecological
Management and Enhancement Plan. These plans have provisions or programmes that
help protect and enhance Ecosystem Prioritisation sites.
13. The Te Mana o te Taiao - Aotearoa New
Zealand Biodiversity Strategy 2020 was launched in August 2020. An
implementation plan for this strategy is currently being drafted, which the
regional sector is feeding into. The National Policy Statement for Indigenous
Biodiversity is due to go to cabinet mid-2022. Kotahi will see the Regional
Policy Statement and Plan updated to give effect to the NPSIB and NPSFM. It
will do this by including objectives, policies and rules which protect
wetlands, give effect to Te Mana o te Wai, enable restoration projects and
implementation of the Hawke’s Bay Biodiversity Strategy, and require
territorial authorities to identify and protect SNAs. These should encompass
almost all Ecosystem Prioritisation sites, affording more protection to these
sites.
Background
14. Indigenous biodiversity in New Zealand
is in crisis. Around 4000 species are currently threatened or at risk of
extinction. Many species continue to decline or are just hanging on. This
includes biodiversity in the Hawke's Bay region, which has lost 77% of the
original indigenous forest that once covered the region. Half the remaining
forest types are categorised as threatened, with the greatest losses being
lowland forest types.
15. Council has a range of programmes that
help protect and enhance biodiversity, one of these being the Ecosystem
Prioritisation programme. This programme was initiated in the 2018-2028 LTP
with a focus of securing remaining high biodiversity remnants in Hawke's Bay
from extinction. The main works undertaken are deer fencing, pest plant and
animal control and planting. It involves working closely with a large number of
external agencies and stakeholders, such as QEII Trust, the rural sector and
land occupiers.
16. Ecosystem-based site prioritisation is
a step forward in addressing biodiversity decline, focussing on sustaining,
protecting, and improving a full representation of native species and habitats.
Taking this prioritised focus put council in a strong position to leverage
funding from Central Governments Jobs for Nature programme.
Discussion
17. The following sites have received
funding through the Ecosystem Prioritisation programme this financial year.
17.1. Birch Hill – Porangahau catchment. This is
a 28.5ha remnant (MF21 - Tawa, kaimahi, rimu northern rata, black beech forest)
is classified as naturally rare with less than 3,000ha in the Hawke’s Bay
Region. For the region,
this is a relatively large forest remnant, especially of its habitat quality,
and will be one of the largest protected black beech remnants on private land
in HB. To add further
context, this remnant is situated in the Eastern Hawke’s Bay ecological
district. This district comprises of 211,200ha and sadly only has 1.1% primary
forest left in the entire district. It is considered, once an ecosystem drops
below 20% remaining, local species extinction rapidly accelerates.
Unfortunately, of the 1.1% that remains in the district, the majority are small
in size and many are in average to poor condition, due to stock, pest animals
and pest plants. Given this remnant is in relatively good condition due to the
landowners protecting it, it makes this remnant even more valuable to the
region. Species such as falcon, whitehead, red crowned kakariki and long-tailed
bats are present.
17.2. Motumokai Bush - Porangahau catchment. This is a 17ha
tawa titoki podocarp remnant (WF3) which is chronically
threatened in Hawke’s Bay. This
site represents important habitat for native birds and plants, containing sixty
five recorded native plants including Northern rātā (extremely rare
in HB) and Pukatea (uncommon in HB). It has a dense canopy of old growth forest
which is rare in lowland Hawke’s Bay.
17.3. Puahanui Bush – Tukituki catchment. This
130ha remnant is considered the largest, most intact, and diverse lowland
forest left in Hawke’s Bay. The area has been a Wildlife Refuge since
1960 and in 2000 became legally protected with a Department of Conservation
covenant. The forest contains a diverse flora of over 140 species, including
stands of large totara, matai and kahikatea which are aged at well over 600
years old and may be up to 1000 old. This forest also provides habitat for NZ
wildlife, including flocks of up to 30 kereru and core roosting and breeding
areas for long tailed bats (Threatened – Nationally Critical).
17.4. Gillies Bush – Southern Coast catchment.
This 32ha old growth Tawa, titoki, podocarp forest (WF3) is one of the last
forest remnants left on the seaward face of the Maraetotara plateau. Although
61 species of native plants have been recorded within this remnant, there is a
complete lack of understory or ground cover due to browsing animals. Trees
continue to die through exposure to storms and drought and are currently not
being replaced through regeneration. Deer fencing this site will significantly
improve its biodiversity values. Gillies Bush spans across to two land owners
of whom both are strong advocates for protecting this remnant and will involve
both Nga Whenua Rahui and QEII.
17.5. Pakuratahi Bush – Waikari catchment. This 80ha
remnant is classified as MF1 - Tōtara tītoki forest which is acutely
threatened in Hawke’s Bay. Council, alongside QEII, have formed a
partnership with Pan Pac to protect and enhance this remnant. There are good
specimens of mature podocarp, rare this close to Napier. Pan Pac aspire to allow
public access through walking tracks containing signage displaying the cultural
and biodiversity values of this remnant. Discussions are also underway to
create a second protected population of kakabeak (Threatened – Nationally
Critical) within this site once it has been deer fenced.
17.6. Lochinvar remnant – Mohaka catchment. This
project comprises of deer fencing two small remnants that contain the
Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable Pittosporum turnerii. This shrub is
surviving in two small (total area 3ha) grey scrub remnants on the margins of a
frost flat. Pittosporum turnerii is confined to the central North Island, from
southern Pureora to the Ruahine Range where there are believed to be fewer than
400 adult trees left. Although this project is small in size, it has national
significance. This project is being undertaken in partnership with the
Catchment Management team.
17.7. Whittle Bush – Tutaekuri catchment. This
84ha Kahikatea, rimu forest (MF11-4) is classified as chronically threated and
was purchased by council’s Open Spaces team in 2020. The Biodiversity,
Catchment Management and Open Spaces team have been working collectively to
fence this remnant. The ecological values of this remnant are considered high,
as the area provides several habitat types for various native fauna, as well as
complex vegetation systems. The remnant also provides a key stepping stone for
flight paths of bird and bat species within the Kaweka Ranges, Balls Clearing
and the Whirinaki Conservation Park.
18. The key and reoccurring challenges
council has faced in delivering these projects has been increased costs of
material, particularly deer netting and posts, difficulties in securing
material resulting in delays, difficulties in procuring fencing contractors due
to the volume of work currently available in this market and the difficult
nature of fencing these challenging sites which often require specialty
equipment. Despite these challenges, five out of the seven projects are
underway and on track to be completed by this financial year. The two remaining
projects should be underway in March but may not be completed within this
financial year.
Next Steps
19. This is year one of three for the
funding from Jobs for Nature. The focus for year two for the Private Land Fund
will be on deer fencing approximately six Ecosystem Prioritisation sites that
are existing QEII remnants to protect them from damage caused by increasing
feral deer numbers across the region.
20. The focus for year two for the
Porangahau Freshwater Improvement Fund will be deer fencing two old growth
forest remnants within the catchment.
21. Staff will also deliver the final year
of the Te Uru Rakau 1Billion Trees native planting programme, in partnership
with QEII and Landcare Trust.
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 Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the
“Ecosystem
Prioritisation Programme Update”
staff report.
Authored by:
|
Mark Mitchell
Team Leader
Principal Advisor Biosecurity Biodiversity
|
|
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 Integrated Catchments Committee
Wednesday
09 March 2022
Subject:
Predator Free Hawke's Bay Close Out Report
Reason for Report
1. This report fulfils a contractual
milestone with PF2050 for a “Comprehensive close out report on Cape to
City, Poutiri Ao ō Tāne and Whakatipu Māhia consolidating all
the pest management, research, education, cultural, habitat and project
management learnings across the decade of the projects. This includes a strong
focus on the innovation, eradication and social context.”
2. Council has invested considerably in
Predator Free Hawke’s Bay (PFHB) over the last 6-8 years. This investment
is due to conclude at the end of this financial year. The Predator Free
Hawke’s Bay Close Out report provides a summary of activities over
that time and some of the key conclusions, to ensure learnings are captured in
a way that is useful to other predator free projects, and to provide a solid
platform for future regional predator eradication.
Executive Summary
3. The Predator Free Hawke’s Bay
Close Out report is a comprehensive summary of activities undertaken over
the last decade of the Predator Free Hawke’s Bay project. The report has
been peer reviewed by James Buwalda (Strategy and Innovation), and the review
confirmed that it meets the contractual milestone with PF2050 Ltd.
4. A companion report to this report is
proposed to be co-written by staff and James Buwalda to specifically address
key benefits from the investment and the key lessons to be considered for
future predator free investments.
Strategic Fit
5. The PFHB programme has evolved on from
HBRC’s successful PCA programme, utilising large-scale possum control as
a springboard into the wider suite of predator pests. While possums are a
predator, including the wider suite of predator pests in large-scale predator
control is a critical part of Council’s ability to deliver on its
biodiversity ambitions and outcomes on behalf of the community.
6. Predator control sits within the RPMP.
The RPMP plays an important role in achieving both the Biodiversity and Land
strategic outcomes and goals in the HBRC Strategic Plan 2020-25.
7. Pest management sits within a
biosecurity framework for the Hawke’s Bay region, which includes the
RPMP, the Hawke’s Bay Biodiversity Strategy and the HBRC Strategic Plan.
Neighbouring Regional Pest Management Plans and national legislation, policy
and initiatives have also influenced this Plan.
Background
8. In 2010 Council became involved in
Poutiri Ao ō Tāne as a partner in the project, with an initial
investment of $40K annually over three years. This investment was intended to
determine if it was possible to significantly reduce the cost of large-scale
predator control in farmland. In 2014 after successfully demonstrating a
reduction in costs of predator control, Council alongside other partners and
philanthropists committed to five years of expenditure in the Cape to City
programme. In 2017 Council applied for and was granted funding for a possum
eradication project on the Māhia peninsular. These three projects Poutiri
Ao ō Tāne, Cape to City and Whakatipu Māhia represent over a
decade’s worth of investment by Council and other partners into predator
control.
9. A contractual milestone with PF2050
Ltd required a comprehensive close out report. This report was completed by the
team in November 2021 and peer reviewed by James Buwalda of Innovation
Strategy. The scope of the review was to:
9.1. Determine if the close out report met
the contractual milestone
9.2. Determine if the research and science
associated with the technical reports and drawn on in the close out report is
based on robust evidence and methodology.
9.3. Determine if the conclusions based on the
management learnings and social context outlined in this report are reasonable
and understandable?
9.4. Determine if the outcomes sought at
the start of the project were delivered in part or in whole? Where they were
not, what was learned from that.
10. The report, Executive Summary and the
peer review are attachments to this paper.
Discussion
11. Staff will outline in a presentation
to Council key aspects of the report.
12. The peer reviewer commented on various
aspects of the report including:
12.1. The historical context of internal and
external influences that shaped the projects, noting that these have driven
changes
12.2. Research and science, and the
extensive publications that came from research associated with the projects,
and the assurance that these peer reviewed publications give that the science
is based on acceptable methodologies
12.3. Outcomes sought and delivered, and the
significant array of achievements and outcomes from the practical application
of large-scale predator control to community engagement, partnerships with
Māori and novel tools and technologies.
13. The peer reviewer found that the
report meets the requirements of the contractual milestone and that there was
additional value that could be crystalised from the report by a companion
document that highlights specific value outcomes, return on investments, and
potential future value. Staff note that the intention of the report was to be
comprehensive (which has been achieved) with key learnings framed in a way to
reach a wider audience. Specific audiences will require framing appropriate for
that audience, as in the case of potential investors (as highlighted in the
peer review).
14. The peer review also points out the
importance of highlighting the value to potential investors from these kinds of
projects. Over the eight years of projects, HBRC invested $5.2M (averaged to
$650k per annum) with a total project investment of just under $19M –
illustrating the value of leveraged funding to increase the scale of impact and
overall benefits. All the activities discussed in the report were delivered
with HBRC’s investment leveraging that of other partners.
15. HBRC as a co-investor alongside others
enabled the following outputs and outcomes:
15.1. 35,000ha of predator suppression and
15,000ha of possum eradication
15.2. Benefits for bird species through
increased fledging and other terrestrial biodiversity recovery
15.3. Internationally recognised
conservation achievements such as the return of migratory seabirds to the
Maungaharuru Range
15.4. A significant contribution to national
research in biosecurity, biodiversity, and ecological restoration with ~70
research reports of which ~45 are published in peer review journals
15.5. Community and engagement outcomes,
particularly from work with EIT, the AirNZ Environment Trust and
Ōtātara Outdoor Learning Centre
15.6. Opportunities for hāpu to
exercise kaitiakititanga, reconnect to the whenua, and to build capacity and
capability to take on restoration projects themselves.
Next Steps
16. Staff will be working with James
Buwalda to prepare a concise summary alongside staff outlining the benefits
from the investment and the key lessons to be considered for future predator
free investments.
Decision Making Process
17. 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 Integrated Catchments
Committee receives and notes the “Predator Free Hawke’s Bay Close Out Report”.
Authored by:
|
Natalie de Burgh
Biodiversity Officer
|
|
Approved by:
|
Iain Maxwell
Group Manager
Integrated Catchment Management
|
|
Attachment/s
|
1⇩
|
Predator Free Hawke's Bay Executive
Summary
|
|
|
|
2⇨
|
Predator Free Hawke's Bay Close Out
Report 2022
|
|
Under Separate Cover
|
|
3⇨
|
Peer Review - Predator Free Hawke's
Bay Close Out Report
|
|
Under Separate Cover
|
|
Predator
Free Hawke's Bay Executive Summary
|
Attachment 1
|
HAWKE’S
BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL
Environment
and Integrated Catchments Committee
Wednesday
09 March 2022
Subject: Update on the PCA Partial
RPMP Review Process
Reason for Report
1. This item provides an update on the Possum Control Area (PCA) programme
Partial Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP) review process.
Executive Summary
2. The PCA programme is a foundational
biosecurity programme that delivers significant region wide biodiversity and
other benefits. It is also a platform for future predator free Hawke’s
Bay ambitions.
3. There are a range of ways that any
transition to large scale possum contracts could be phased, delivered, or
funded. However, ensuring that the PCA programme will meet its levels of
service long term will require significant additional investment. This is
irrespective of whether delivery of possum control transitions to HBRC managed
large scale contracts or remains with the current occupier responsibility model.
Strategic Fit
4. The PCA programme sits within the
RPMP. The RPMP plays an important role in achieving both the Biodiversity and
Land strategic outcomes and goals in the HBRC Strategic Pan 2020-25.
5. Pest management sits within a
biosecurity framework for the Hawke’s Bay region, which includes the
RPMP, the Hawke’s Bay Biodiversity Strategy and the HBRC Strategic Plan.
Neighbouring Regional Pest Management Plans and national legislation, policy
and initiatives have also influenced this Plan.
6. All programmes sitting within an RPMP
are required to have clear measurable outcomes, which are specified within the
monitoring section. This monitoring section is integrated into the
Biosecurity Annual Operational Plan, which goes to council for approval prior
to each financial year. The Operational Plan sets out the operational delivery
for each programme and the monitoring and reporting requirements. Staff
report to council annually (November) on the progress of the Operational Plan.
7. Failing to achieve the RPMP objective
and council Level of Service Measures for the PCA programme could affect
achieving the strategic outcomes and goals in the HBRC Strategic Pan 2020-25
for Biodiversity and Land Background.
Background
8. Council has agreed to undertake a
partial review of the RRMP for the PCA programme to provide a policy platform
for large scale HBRC managed contracts in the future.
Biosecurity Working Party
9. The partial plan change process has
been underway for 5-6 months and includes the creation of a Biosecurity Working
Party BWP to provide guidance for staff during the process.
10. Cr Will Foley has been
appointed as chair of BWP. The BWP has met twice, once to establish
procedural matters and elect the chair and again to consider the policy development
process, the engagement process, the appointment of an independent expert and
the draft policy proposal.
11. At the November EICC meeting, staff
noted that independent expert advice to the BWP could provide valuable support
for BWP discussions, following which, at the December BWP meeting staff were
asked to assess 2-3 potential candidates and recommend a preferred candidate.
An email to the BWP in January 2022 presented the biographies of two
candidates. The BWP subsequently supported contracting John Simmons and
he has
recently been engaged to support the BWP.
12. An engagement process and
timeline for the plan change proposal is being developed for external
partners/stakeholders that staff will deliver. More details on this are
in the following section.
Consultation
and Engagement
13. Public consultation on the change of
mode for possum control delivery is required under Section 70-72 of the
Biosecurity Act 1993. Whether Council is satisfied that sufficient consultation
on the proposal has taken place is a judgement for Council to make. Previous
RPMP review processes have included consultation with key stakeholders and the
broader interested community have had access to the proposal with sufficient
explanation around the changes to provide informed feedback. Section 72 of the
Biosecurity Act is provided as an attachment.
14. Staff have had initial conversations
with the Ministry for Primary Industries, Federated Farmers, OSPRI and Beef and
Lamb to outline broadly the issues and proposed approaches. These discussions
were positive with general support for the potential change to possum control
– albeit with the caveat that there was a lot of detail still to be
worked through. Additional key stakeholder consultation is proposed through March
and April 2022 with public consultation proposed to begin about late May.
Next
steps
15. Recent changes in staff have created
capacity issues and have precipitated a change in the timeframes to work the
partial plan change process through the required steps. Staff had
originally set an arbitrary date to conclude the process as 30 June 2022.
This had reflected the desire to match a change in the RRMP to a change in
operational delivery of possum management. Given recent council decisions
to implement any changes through the 2024-34 LTP and the recent staff
departures, the timeframe will need to be moved to 30 October 2022 to allow
staff to adequately meet the requirements set out in the Biosecurity Act to
complete the process. This requirement has been communicated to the BWP.
16. For the balance of the current LTP
additional land areas will be added to our PCA monitoring programme to ensure
that problem areas of high possum numbers are identified and landowners
encouraged to manage them prior to any new programme beginning. This will
be fully funded within existing budgets.
17. A continuation of the discussion on
who pays for the future delivery of the revised PCA programme will be addressed
in the broader council revenue and financing policy review. This broader review
will begin in the next 4-6 months.
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.
Recommendation
That
the Environment and
Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the “Update on the
PCA Partial RPMP Review Process” staff report.
Authored by:
|
Lauren Simmonds
Project Manager - Biosecurity Review
|
|
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 Integrated Catchments Committee
Wednesday
09 March 2022
Subject: Discussion of Minor Items not
on the Agenda
Reason for Report
1. This document
has been prepared to assist Committee Members note the Minor Items Not on the
Agenda to be discussed as determined earlier in Agenda Item 6.
