Minutes of Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee

1. Welcome/Karakia /Apologies/Notices

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and specially welcomed members from the public. Pieri Munro opened the meeting with a karakia.

Resolution

EICC109/22 That the apologies for absence from Councillor Rick Barker and Dr Roger Maaka, be accepted.

Ormsby/van Beek

CARRIED

2. Conflict of Interest Declarations

There were no conflicts of interest declared.

3. Confirmation of Minutes of the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee meeting held on 9 March 2022

EICC110/22

Resolution

Minutes of the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee meeting held on Wednesday, 9 March 2022, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and correct record.

Taylor/Williams

CARRIED

Follow-ups from previous meetings

The item was taken as read.

EICC111/22

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Follow-ups from previous meetings.

van Beek/Lambert

CARRIED

Call for minor items not on the Agenda

Recommendations

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee accepts the following Minor items not on the Agenda for discussion.

Topic

Raised by

Te Wairoa river bar:

· Update requested on progress made Wairoa River bar opening

· HBRC continue to regularly monitor the bar and work with the local contractor

· Certain conditions must be met for successful opening of the river mouth

· HBRC Asset Management team staff regularly check in and report back to local iwi/hapu, and Liz Palmer will supply an up-to-date contact list

· There is a condition in the WDC wastewater discharge requiring installation of a permanent camera to monitor the Wairoa river mouth and report on the discharge regime

· Assessment and investigations into a permanent opening were done in the 1980s and concluded that it was not a viable option/investment at the time. Estimated costs to re-examine options are at least $100k

· NIWA was commissioned by Gisborne District and HBRC to report on the likely impacts of Climate Change on the two regions which concluded that there will be more significant rainfall and events with increased flood risk, potentially a 50% increase by the end of the century.

· HBRC committed to reviewing all river/flood protection schemes in its 21-31 LTP to understand the impacts of climate change, with priority areas for that work being Napier urban waterways, Hastings and the Wairoa River.

· First point of contact for any concerns is Nathan Heath, HBRC’s Relationships Manager based in Wairoa.

Liz Palmer, Tātau Tātau o te Wairoa

Feral Goats

· Concerns were raised about the huge population of feral goats in Mahia

· HBRC is re-vegetating land on Mahia Peninsula through the Erosion Control Scheme, and active pest management of goats and deer is an integral part of the project.

· Goats are also noted in the Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP) and classified the same as deer as a site-specific animal to control

· HBRC does not do widespread control, but instead works in partnership with Department of Conservation in and around reserves.

Cr Jacqueline Taylor

6.	Guardians of the Ruakituri River presentation
	This item was withdrawn.

Mahia Predator Control presentation

The presentation, delivered by Terence Maru from the Rongomaiwahine Iwi Trust, covered a variety of projects currently being undertaken, the Trust’s Strategic Plan and future direction.

EICC112/22

Resolution

That the Environment & Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Mahia predator control presentation.

Foss/Tapine

CARRIED

Marae Riparian Protection Works presentation

Katarina Kawana presented riparian protection works, awa restoration, fencing, pest control and native nursery projects currently being undertaken. The Wairoa awa restoration project has evolved from concern for the river and its kaupapa is to raise awareness of the environment, the flora and fauna and restoring the mauri of the awa.

EICC113/22

Resolution

That the Environmental and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Marae riparian protection works presentation.

Foss/Tapine

CARRIED

Integrated Catchment Management response to recent flood events In Wairoa

Iain Maxwell introduced the item and staff, who provided an update on the response to recent flooding events. Discussions traversed:

· 2 significant rain events in March had significant impacts on the region including damaged infrastructure

· Immediate response during and following the flood event was making phone calls to farmers with a wellbeing focus

· Photographs show the extent and scale of the damage

· HBRC is in discussions with landowners/farmers about a longer-term recovery plan that considers options to future proof against the next extreme weather event

· Staff are prioritising storm-affected areas for pole planting and planting programmes will be developed on affected properties

· The Wairoa Community Development Trust coordinated the Connecting Rural Wairoa initiative where over 400 parcels of kindness were delivered to rural households

· HBRC will continue to support the coordinated recovery, working closely with the Wairoa District Council who is the lead recovery agency, which will remain active for years to come once the formal recovery has concluded.

· Funding to assist farmers with recovery will be led by the Ministry for Primary Industries

· Future Farming Trust was set up for drought resilience, but could potentially broaden the scope to build resilience to rain events.

EICC114/22

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Integrated Catchment Management response to recent flood events in Wairoa staff report.

Williams/Foley

CARRIED

The meeting adjourned at 11.15am and reconvened at 11.32am.

10.

Update on IRG Flood Control Resilience Funded projects

Chris Dolley introduced the item and provided an update that highlighted:

· Physical works to strengthen the Taradale stop bank have commenced and are targeted for completion in May 2022. The Moteo upgrade is scheduled to begin this coming winter.

· Upper Tukituki gravel extraction has started with the next tender round delayed due to flooding.

· The River Parade sheet piling works have been completed, however, there has been minor damage to the site that will require clean-up prior to landscaping.

· Chillean needlegrass area has been reduced and a map of the area was distributed.

EICC115/22

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the “Update on IRG Flood Control Resilience Funded Projects”.

van Beek/Taylor

CARRIED

11.

River Managers Special Interest Group Business Case

Chris Dolley provided an update on work being undertaken by the regional council sector to obtain ongoing $150m per annum central government funding for flood protection and river management schemes. Discussions noted:

· A business case was prepared back in 2019 and presented to central government, but to date no commitment made to provide any funding

· A January 2022 supplementary report, drawing on case examples from 2021 and updating the 2019 business case, has been submitted to central government

· An increased level of investment in flood protection infrastructure is required to meet the demands of environmental and climate change challenges

· Without central government investment, communities will face even longer lead times in implementing programmes to mitigate the significant issues of climate change and improve resilience.

EICC116/22

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the River Managers Special Interest Group Business Case staff report and also notes the Regional Council Sector work seeking to obtain ongoing central government co-investment in flood protection and river management schemes.

Ormsby/van Beek

CARRIED

12.

Air Quality Compliance with National Environmental Standards for Particulate Matter

Dr Kathleen Kozyniak presented an assessment of the likelihood that Hawke’s Bay’s urban airsheds and rural towns will be able to consistently meet existing air quality standards, and whether these could comply with the proposed new standards. Discussions noted:

· Meeting the PM_2.5 guideline will be especially challenging in all airsheds, and meeting the NO₂ guideline may be a new challenge for Napier and Hastings.

· Newer, more accurate monitoring instruments are being progressively introduced in Napier and Hastings

· All airsheds can meet the proposed annual PM_2.5 standard and possibly the PM_2.5 daily standard by 2030 with the help of a Ultra Low Emission Burner (ULEB) criteria and education campaigns promoting clean heat alternatives and good burning practice

· The annual and daily PM_2.5 guidelines will need further regulation measures to reduce particulate concentrations, and new air quality standards for Hawke’s Bay communities will be developed through the Kotahi plan change process.

EICC117/22

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Air Quality compliance with National Environmental Standards for Particulates staff report.

van Beek/Taylor

CARRIED

13.

Coastal Bird Survey results

Becky Shanaghan, Senior Scientist provided a summary of the results of a baseline Hawke’s Bay coastal bird survey. Discussions traversed:

· A total of 321km of Hawke’s Bay coastline was surveyed in 1km sections and all bird and marine mammal species counted

· A total of 79 bird species and 2 marine mammal species were detected, 57 bird species (72%) are native or endemic to New Zealand, and 28 of these species (35%) are ranked as either Nationally Threatened or At Risk under the New Zealand Threat Classification System

· Next steps include a repeat coastal survey every five years (2025-2026) and a review of the network of coastal Significant Conservation Areas (SCAs). Many of the SCAs were selected because they serve as foraging/nesting/wading habitat for resident and migratory sea/shorebirds so they align quite well and staff will include the results of the survey when they revisit the SCAs for the Kotahi plan change.

· The full report and a map comparing the number of indigenous birds with the number of indigenous species to be provided to Committee members.

EICC118/22

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Coastal Bird Survey Results staff report.

Taylor/van Beek

CARRIED

14.

HBRC Forestry

Ben Douglas introduced the item noting that it provides a high level summary of Council’s forestry assets.

It was agreed to defer the item to a future Council workshop.

EICC119/22

Resolution

That the item is deferred.

van Beek/Foley

CARRIED

15.	Discussion of Minor Items not on the Agenda
	Minor items were discussed when raised.

Pieri Munro offered a karakia to close the meeting.

Closure:

There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed at 1.22pm on Wednesday, 11 May 2022.

Signed as a true and correct record.

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