Minutes of Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee

1. Welcome/Karakia /Apologies

The Chair welcomed everyone and led a karakia to open the meeting.

Apologies were extended for absence from councillors Charles Lambert, Xan Harding and Di Roadley, and Katarina Kawana and for lateness from Jock Mackintosh.

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 11 September 2024

EICC146/24

Resolution

Minutes of the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee meeting held on Wednesday, 11 September 2024, a copy having been circulated prior to the meeting, were taken as read and confirmed as a true and correct record.

Siers/Williams

CARRIED

Public Forum

Dr Roger Maaka – spoke about the work to restore and preserve Lake Whatumā in Central Hawke’s Bay and provided a history of the lake. A partnership between Tamatea Pōkai Whenua and Aorangi Māori Trust Board created the Whataumā Management Group to lead the Whatumā restoration.

The long-term vision for the Whatumā Recreation Reserve (vested in Tamatea Pōkai Whenua) includes sustainable native plant nursery & workshop, boardwalk, outside education amphitheatre, bird hides and He Whare Wānanga learning & discovery centre with a science lab. Extending an invitation for funding support to help restore this significant ephemeral wetland and ecologically unique area.

Lake Whatumā was a major source of mahinga kai for hapū in Tamatea historically but has been significantly degraded since the 1850s. Duck shooters still use the area quite extensively.

Councillor Jock Mackintosh arrived at 9.15am

In the 1852 Waipukurau Purchase the lake was included but set aside as a ‘reserve’ which disappeared over the following years. The lake bed is now owned by HR Holdings – a group of local duck shooting enthusiasts – who want to sell it to tangata whenua. On behalf of Tamatea Pōkai Whenua and Aorangi Māori Trust Board the Whatumā Management Group manages the reserve and represents kaitikaki for the lake, and its members are Dr Roger Maaka (Chair), Arapera Paewai, Joe Heperi and Haana Wilcox.

Water and bird monitoring programmes are ongoing.

Councillor Charles Lambert joined the meeting online at 9.26am

A concept plan and feasibility study for an education centre were undertaken which is currently the focus of the WMG currently. The budget for the project is ~$4M and WMG has raised $500k so far. Almost everything the WMG has done has led back to education.

Dr Maaka introduced Emma Passey, Environmental Sociology PhD candidate at the University of Waikato who’s subject for study is Lake Whatumā looking at how people connect with the lake. CHB College is also using the lake for their science studies as part of a growing relationship with local schools.

The restoration will take from 50 to 100 years and require over a million plants.

The group is appealing for resources, including people, to take the project forward.

Update on the IRG flood control and drainage programme

Chris Dolley introduced the item, which was taken as read, and highlighted that this $30M programme of work was initially funded by Government’s (Kānoa) co-investment in infrastructure to support NZ’s economic recovery from Covid-19 R and is in addition to the $242M NIWE programme and $71M of infrastructure repairs after Cyclone Gabrielle.

Jon Kingsford and Jess Bennett highlighted:

· Moteo and Omarunui projects have been paused for review and further work with mana whenua on cultural assessments.

· Farndon Road maintenance works under way and working with mana whenua on the cultural impact assessment.

· East Clive upgrade is in design phase and the resource consent application almost ready to submit.

Councillor Charles Lambert left the meeting at 9.53am

· Maraenui stopbank in detailed design phase and working with mana whenua on cultural impact assessments.

· The primary approach to overtopping in over-design events is working with the community to find more resilient options for where the water can go instead of over topping the stopbank and instead of just re-engineering stopbanks to be able to be overtopped without being damaged.

· It’s expected that gravel extraction will be part of the overall future picture of resilient flood schemes.

· Work to protect the SH50 bridge has been completed at 5 of the 6 sites and now considering whether more akmons are required to keep the river in the channel.

· Projects that weren’t part of the IRG programme to raise the level of service to 1 in 500 year return period are part of the reimagining preparatory work, e.g. Geotech, re-design.

· Sites in the IRG programme and prioritised using multi criteria analysis.

· The private plan change is to put the boundary lines in the correct places to correct inaccuracies discovered through resource consent application processes for earthmoving as well as rule changes to make the flood scheme maintenance works a permitted activity.

· There was a request for a single table view of the projects, their status and spend to date.

· Part of the Kānoa (IRG) funding is for retrofitting repaired stopbanks.

· Bridge and stopbank interactions are being taken into account in the design phase of bridge replacements and stopbank/ flood protection scheme improvements.

EICC147/24

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Update on the IRG flood control and drainage programme staff report.

Ormsby/Hokianga

CARRIED

Update on the North Island Weather Events resilience programme

The item was taken as read. Chris Dolley introduced Andrew Caseley who has been engaged as Programme Director to assist the IPMO in delivering the programme, and Sarah Cameron, the IPMO Communications & Engagement team leader. Discussions highlighted:

· Land access is mission critical to all of the NIWE projects, and there are several delays while engagement in relation to land access negotiations continue.

· Waiohiki is the first of the projects to have broken ground.

· Four Project Delivery Plans have been submitted to Crown Infrastructure Partners, with the Wairoa, Whirinaki, pump stations, scheme reviews and rapid repair level of service upgrades outstanding.

· The team is working with the Awatoto industry group to include their technical work in the ‘reimagining flood resilience for Heretaunga Plains’ work programme and the footprint of the OIC includes the secondary stopbank proposed but is not part of the NIWE programme.

· Original budgets were put together in haste to meet Crown timeframes and the team is discussing whether funding can be transferred between projects within the programme. There may be some healthy contingencies around design and the team is managing risks around costs and delivery timeframes by working to finalise designs, land access and agreements with partners like NZTA.

· Technical work for the Heretaunga and Upper Tukituki scheme reviews has been completed and the information shared at a high level with all councils and the Regional Recovery Agency, and will be the starting point for engagement with the community.

· Reviews of the drainage schemes in Esk and Whirinaki have been accelerated and providers engaged, including the rivermounth, and there are a variety of technical and consenting complexities. The Whirinaki project includes engagement with the Bayview, Esk and Whirinaki communities

· The final designs will be critical to meeting delivery deadlines and cost limits.

· The Wairoa community anxiety levels remain high around the impacts of the preferred options being progressed as well as water quality and the rivermouth.

· Technical challenges took time to work through with the Porangahau community.

EICC148/24

Resolution

That the Environmental and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Update on the North Island Weather Events (NIWE) resilience programme staff report.

Mackintosh/Williams

CARRIED

Councillor Jerf van Beek left the meeting at 11.30am

The meeting adjourned at 11.30am and reconvened at 11.44am

Telemetry Network Outage – Critical Incident report

Iain Maxwell introduced the item, which was taken as read.

EICC149/24

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Telemetry Network Outage – Critical Incident report.

Mackintosh/McIIroy

CARRIED

Erosion Control Scheme programme update

Bryan McCavana, Warwick Hesketh, Paula Richardson, and Victoria Anstis delivered a presentation (attached) on the results and outcomes of year 6 of the erosion control scheme.

EICC150/24

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Erosion Control Scheme programme update.

Kirton/Ormsby

CARRIED

Biosecurity Memorandum of Understanding

Iain Maxwell introduced the item, which was taken as read, presenting the MOU between the regional sector, Te Uru Kahika - Biosecurity New Zealand and DoC.

EICC151/24

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Biosecurity Memorandum of Understanding staff report.

Ormsby/Mackintosh

CARRIED

Councillor Thompson Hokianga left the meeting at 12.20pm

Biodiversity programmes update

Annebel Beattie, Natalie de Burgh, and Mark Mitchell delivered a presentation about the purpose of the Biodiversity programmes (attached).

EICC152/24

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Biodiversity programmes update.

Ormsby/McIIroy

CARRIED

Land for Life update

Michael Bassett-Foss spoke to the item, which was taken as read. It was noted:

· Integration of the project with HBRC internal resourcing commitments is being progressed as part of detailed project planning.

· Strategic policy settings are being developed with the project partners through the Steering Group.

EICC153/24

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Land for Life update.

Ormsby/Siers

CARRIED

Weather update

Dr Kathleen Kozyniak spoke to the weather update which highlighted:

· Regional average rainfall is sitting at about 50%

· Bridge Pa site, for the calendar year, has had the lowest rainfall accumulation on record

· Water take bans on 7 waterways currently

Councillor Will Foley arrived at 12.54pm

· Groundwater was sitting well below normal at the beginning of November, some lowest ever recorded

· Summer forecast is for above average temperatures, rainfall near or above normal with heavy rain events possible, slightly elevated topical cyclone risk, and soil moisture levels and river flows likely to be below nor near normal.

· Sea surface temperatures are above normal already.

EICC154/24

Resolution

That the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee receives and notes the Weather update.

Ormsby/McIIroy

CARRIED

13	Follow-ups from previous Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee meetings
	The Chair noted the items on the follow-ups list and their status.

Iain Maxwell’s work and contributions to the region were recognised as he was farewelled and wished all the best in his new role with the Regional Sector – Te Uru Kahu.

A closing karakia was offered by the group.

Closure:

There being no further business the Chair declared the meeting closed at 1.15pm on Wednesday 4 December 2024.

Signed as a true and correct record.

Date: ................................................ Chair: ...............................................

Item 8 Erosion Control Scheme programme update presentation