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Agenda of Environment and Services Committee - 20 November 2013
3. Follow-ups from Previous Committee Meetings
4. Call for any Minor Items Not on the Agenda
5. Biosecurity Operational Report and Future Strategy
6. Open Space Network Plan
7. Future of Ahuriri Estuary Management
8. Greater Heretaunga Ahuriri Plan Change
9. Flood & Drainage Operational Report
10. Climate Change Update
11. Tukituki Water Permit Renewal Process Update
12. Air Quality Monitoring Update
Visit to Napier Port scheduled to depart at 12.15pm
Meeting will reconvene at approximately 2.30 pm
20 November 2013 report to Committee
HB Museum funding figures to be clarified
To Corporate & Strategic Committee
Report on Parks Network Plan
Tukituki Water Permit Renewal Process – consents to be put on hold – officers or councillors?
I Maxwell / M Miller
SUBJECT: Biosecurity Operational Report and Future Strategy
2. This paper highlights key points in the 2012/2013 annual reports covering animal pests, plant pests, and phytosanitary pest management. Key highlights are
2.1. Possum initial control has now been completed over 97% of all rateable land within the region (approximately 1,000,000ha) and low possum numbers are being effectively maintained over this area. This has been achieved three years ahead of a target of 2016 set in 2001.
2.2. Rook numbers have declined rapidly since the current control approach was implemented 10 years ago.
2.3. Bird monitoring shows that tui numbers have increased three fold and bellbird have doubled within the urban pest management operational areas.
3. This papers also seeks endorsement of a trial, with an estimated cost of $65,000, for the use of chew card detection and targeted control of possums, and the integration of control of feral cats, stoats and ferrets on a project called Cape to City.
4. Copies of the annual report for HBRC’s activities with regard to Pest Plants and Animals is appended to this paper for Committee reference and are available to other parties on request. Highlights of the 2012/2013 financial year are as follows.
5. Possum initial control has now been completed over 97% of all rateable land within the region (approximately 1,000,000ha) and low possum numbers are being effectively maintained over this area. This has been achieved three years ahead of a target of 2016 set in 2001.
6. During the 2012/13 year twenty five land occupiers, covering 16,082 hectares, had initial Possum Control Area (PCA) completed on their properties. This initial control was carried out with around a 40% reduction in the cost of control by integrating commercial fur harvesting into the initial control.
7. With the combined Possum Control Area and Tbfree programmes, 97% of the region’s rateable land now receives the economic, animal health and biodiversity benefits of sustained low possum numbers.
8. This excludes the approximately 25,000 ha in the Wairoa area where the 75% land user agreement threshold has not been met to allow PCA programmes to proceed.
9. A total of 28 land occupiers received initial maintenance facilitation visits during 2012/2013. There are now 2,390 land users who have received initial assistance, and are now managed as part of the ongoing maintenance phase.
10. Overall the PCA programme is highly successful with one of the lowest residual trapcatch results of any land user based programme of this kind in New Zealand. However many areas under maintenance have now been in the PCA programme for eight or more years with very low possum numbers over that time. Land user complacency regarding regular maintenance is a potential risk. Given the overall scale and success of the PCA programme land users not undertaking effective control on their land could be “carried” by the efforts of their neighbours.
11. A number of additional initiatives are being implemented by staff to ensure that the extent of the risk is better understood and where appropriate managed so that low possum numbers are maintained throughout the PCA programme in the long term. These include:
11.1. Additional monitoring both in general and specifically targeted to at risk properties.
11.2. The allocation of additional resources to directly contact land users whose control efforts may be insufficient to keep numbers low on their property.
11.3. Initiating and supporting research to assist in the most adaptive and cost effective control options long term.
11.4. Issuing notices of direction with enforcement follow up where required including the potential for default action.
12. Rook numbers have declined rapidly since the current control approach was implemented 10 years ago.
13. The region is divided into two areas for rook control.
13.1. The portion of the region north of SH5 is known as the eradication zone. The objective for the area is to eradicate rooks.
13.2. The portion of the region south of SH5 is known as the control zone. The objective for this area is to control rooks.
14. In the 2012/13 year 95 active nests were treated across the eradication zone compared to 90 in the 2011/2012 financial year, and 686 active nests were aerial treated across the control zone compared to 657 in 2011/2012
15. The increase in nests treated in 2012/13 is believed to be as a result of rookeries south of SH5 moving north into the eradication zone and new rookeries being found as a result of increased communications and profile of the rook programme within the rural community. Farmer engagement has been very successful and is a key element in the eventual eradication of rooks from Hawke’s Bay.
16. While RHD continues to circulate within Hawke’s Bay, immunity to RHD is now widespread within rabbit populations. Isolated hot spots of high rabbit numbers are now being seen. Over the next 2-3 years these areas may require localised rabbit control operations. There has been a slight decrease in RHD immunity levels among rabbit populations monitored by blood sampling. Staff are unable to explain why this may have occurred.
17. A 900ha rabbit control operation was carried out within the Cape Sanctuary and some adjacent properties. This was the largest rabbit control operation in the Hawke’s Bay for 15 years. Control targets for this operation were delivered without incident.
18. The urban pest management programme now covers over 10,000 ha and will continue to be progressively rolled out to other urban areas within the Hawke’s Bay region. Bird monitoring shows that tui numbers have increased three fold and bellbird have doubled within the urban pest management operational areas.
19. The programme began in 2008 and continues to be successfully completed over urban and peri-urban areas of Napier, Hastings and Havelock north. Overall public response to the urban pest management programme has been excellent.
20. A significant amount of work has taken place on argentine ants. The extent of known infestations of this pest is now mapped. An appropriate long term management response is being developed.
21. The urban Privet programme is now delivering a much higher level of productivity through the use of a contractor, with the cost of privet removals from properties reduced from $525 to $260. Rapid progress on the reduction of privet is now being made in the urban environment. Staff are investigating the options to see if it is possible to more effectively link the control of privet directly to privet health related issues through allergy tests.
22. The removal of Pinus contorta on the 90 ha core area on multiple ownership Maori land at Rangitaiki has been completed.
23. Low incidence plants controlled were Climbing spindleberry, Cathedral bells, Blue passion flower, Phragmites and Asiatic knotweed.
24. The Regional Phytosanitary Pest Management Strategy was drafted as a separate strategy to the Regional Plant Pest and Animal Pest Management Strategy (RPMS) as it is specific to the Pip Fruit Sector.
25. Hawke’s Bay Fruit Growers advise that this Strategy has been effective in enabling them to influence the effective management of abandoned and derelict orchards. Hawke’s Bay Fruit Growers’ Association have used this process with a number of growers over the past 5 years, with a satisfactory outcome being achieved without Council intervention.
26. Staff have met with representatives of Pipfruit NZ as well as representatives from Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers Association, Hawke’s Bay Grapegrowers’ Association, Hawke’s Bay Vegetable Growers’ Association and Kiwifruit and Berryfruit Growers. These groups are keen to work with HBRC to further develop this strategy to cover threats to their sectors, and to develop a more proactive approach to the early identification of disease and pest risks to their industries. Council staff propose to work with these industry groups to identify the most appropriate way to deliver more effective regional biosecurity risk management for these sectors.
27. Staff continue to lead didymo coordination as a key regional stakeholder in the Hawke’s Bay East Coast regional response group.
28. Staff are seeking Councillor endorsement of a trail to test a proposal to move land users on Council’s possum control area (PCA) programme to a new lower cost possum control maintenance technique and how this may be integrated with control of other pests such as feral cats, stoats and ferrets.
29. If successful, staff believe that the new technique has the potential to be able to be implemented across the majority of Council’s PCA programme. The new technique may provide the opportunity to reduce land user based possum maintenance control costs by 50-80%. Alternatively it may allow control of other pests such as feral cats, stoats and ferrets to be integrated into land user pest control for additional outcomes but at a similar land user cost to the current programme.
30. In 2000 Hawke’s Bay Regional Council began its possum control area programme. Possums impact on pasture and crops, are vectors for bovine tuberculosis, and eat native flora and fauna. There is now just over 500,000 ha and 2,200 land users on the programme. The programme has been delivered with Council undertaking the initial knock down of possums and land users having a requirement to undertake ongoing maintenance. Annual land user maintenance is either undertaken using a contractor or by doing their own control at around a cost of $2 per hectare per annum. Initial possum control has been completed and monitoring results across the programme show that overall possum numbers are now low.
31. The Hawke’s Bay PCA programme is a large programme with significant farming community involvement and land user commitment to annual maintenance. Ongoing land user maintenance has ensured that possum numbers are now very low across the region.
32. Possum populations are traditionally measured by “trap catch”. Under this method possum traps are set according to a strict protocol. One possum caught by 100 traps set for 1 night is referred to as a 1% residual trap catch (rtc). The PCA programme requires land users to maintain possums at below 5% rtc. The average residual trap catch for all monitoring undertaken throughout the 2012/13 was 2.2% rtc.
33. Over the last ten years there have been significant advances in understanding possum biology, monitoring and control. The scale of the PCA programme and the low possum numbers within it now provide the opportunity to benefit from some of these advances in a way which may significantly reduce the cost of possum control maintenance.
34. Advances in possum biology, population recovery, and computer modelling allow a greater understand of how long it takes possum populations to recover after control. Modelling shows it could take 3-6 years for low possum numbers to recover back towards the 5% rtc compliance rule in the Regional Pest Management Plan.
35. Over the last 3-5 years a monitoring technique to detect possums using small cards which are chewed on to show possum presence has been developed and refined. This technique allows for possum presence to be mapped with confidence across a property. Where possum numbers are low possum control then be targeted to where possums have been detected.
36. Costs for this control are estimated to be approx $2-$2.50 per hectare but could be done every three to six years thus reducing the cost by 50-80%. Until now land users have been strongly encouraged to do annual possum control maintenance because there have not been cost effective techniques to confidently map possum presence.
37. Alternatively it may also provide an option for farmers to integrate control of other pests such as feral cats, stoats and ferrets into their pest control for at no more than the current cost.
38. Staff propose to trial the use of chew card detection and targeted control for possums on a project called Cape to City. Cape to City links the highly successful private restoration project Cape Sanctuary funded by Julian Robertson and Andy Lowe, the rural PCA programme and Council’s urban pest management programme. Cape to City will test the operational delivery of chew card maintenance for possum control within the project area. It will verify whether possum control maintenance timeframes can be significantly lengthened with no reduction in the economic, animal health or biodiversity outcomes currently being delivered by the PCA programme.
39. Cape to City will also further develop the concept that predators such as feral cats, stoats and ferrets could be integrated into the possum control programme at no extra cost to deliver additional outcomes for the farming community.
40. The Cape to City PCA chew card maintenance trial would be funded from within biosecurity section existing budgets with a delivery cost of approximately $65,000.
41. Council is required to make a decision in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 (the Act). Staff have assessed the requirements contained in Part 6 Sub Part 1 of the Act in relation to this item and have concluded the following:
41.3. The decision does not fall within the definition of Council’s policy on significance.
41.4. The decision is not inconsistent with an existing policy or plan.
41.5. Given the nature and significance of the issue to be considered and decided, and also the persons likely to be affected by, or have an interest in the decisions made, Council can exercise its discretion and make a decision without consulting directly with the community or others having an interest in the decision.
1. Receives and notes the “Biosecurity Operational” reports for activities undertaken during the 2012/2013 financial year.
3. Endorses a trial, with an estimated cost of $65,000, for the use of chew card detection and targeted control of possums, and the integration of control of feral cats, stoats and ferrets on a project called Cape to City.
2012-2013 Combined Plant & Animal Annual Report
2.3 CHILEAN NEEDLE GRASS/NASSELLA TUSSOCK. 4
5.0 Non-Statutory Plants. 5
5.1 Blue passion flower 5
5.5 DIDYMO.. 6
7.2 STATE HIGHWAY AND District Road Monitoring. 8
9.0 REGULATORY. 8
10.1 Plant Pest Display. 8
10.2 News Articles. 8
14.0 Animal Pests. 11
15.0 Possum Control Areas (PCA’s) 11
15.1 PCA Sign-up. 11
15.2 2012/2013 PCA Initial Control 11
15.3 Incentive Scheme. 16
15.4 Hazardous Substances and New organisms (HSNO) LISCENCING.. 16
16.0 QEII Covenants in PCA’s. 16
16.1 QE11’s Receiving Assistance With In The PCA Program.. 17
17.0 River Berm.. 18
18.0 Rooks. 18
19.0 Rabbits. 22
19.1 Night Counts. 23
19.2 RHD. 23
20.0 Biodiversity Projects. 25
21.0 Education and Advice. 26
22.0 Research initiatives. 26
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is the management agency for the Hawke’s Bay Regional Pest Management Strategy (RPMS). As the management agency, Council is required to prepare an Operational Plan that sets out how the RPMS is to be implemented. The Operational Plan is reviewed annually and at the end of each financial year, staff will report to Council on the implementation of the operational plan.
This is the combined Plant Pest and Animal Pest Annual Report for the 2012/2013 year relating to the Operational Plan for the Hawke’s Bay Regional Animal Pest and Plant Pest Management Strategy (RPMS).
The RPMS lists a total of 23 plant species as pests, which have been divided into three management categories as listed in Table 1 below.
For each of these plant pest categories, the Annual Report provides a brief description of what activities Council undertook in the 2012/2013 year. Information on the budgets for plant pest control is provided in Council’s annual report.
The RPMS defines a Total Control plant pest as one that is of limited distribution in the region, and the long-term goal is its eventual eradication.
Seventeen plants are listed as Total Control with nine of these Total Control plants being occupier responsibility plant pests.
The RPMS places the onus of control of these plant pests on the land occupier with enforcement being the key management tool. However, the Operational Plan recognises differences in the way some of these plants are managed. Table 2 provides a brief explanation of activities associated with Total Control plants where Biosecurity officers take a more active role in their management.
Apple of sodom, Australian sedge, Chilean needle grass, Cotton thistle, Japanese honeysuckle, Old man’s beard, Pinus contorta, Saffron thistle, Woolly nightshade.
Bathurst bur, Blackberry, Gorse, Nodding thistle, Ragwort, and Variegated thistle
There are two types of Total control plants. Some are low incidence, where we feel we can handle without these being in the RPMS, (examples of these are Cathedral bells and Blue passion flower), and some are quite widespread (Saffron thistle and Chilean needle grass).
Main problem areas are several farms in the Seafield Road area but improvements are made each year. Time spent ranging and controlling is getting less each year.
Staff continuously visit known sites and inspect surrounding areas for possible spread. New subdivisions are being closely monitored and all machinery is required to be washed down and inspected prior to leaving contaminated sites. Soil movement, stock movement and contaminated vehicles continue to be a concern. New infested properties are found each year. Taskforce has now been used for two years; results have been encouraging with reasonable landowner uptake.
Largest area (Landcorp) is subsidised. Staff control all other infestations in conjunction with private landowners. Numbers were very low this year.
Work on this plant is now all done by contractors. Plant numbers are slowly reducing although there is still a large seed bank. The new site found two years ago in the Tukituki area was sprayed with Taskforce, the numbers are still high but have reduced significantly.
Spraying has taken place on a dam off Atua Road. Horseshoe Lake is now clear of this Plant Pest.
Main control areas at present are north of the Napier-Taupo Highway and in areas of high biodiversity value. Work continues in rivers controlled by Council.
Infested areas were sprayed by contractors and Plant Pest staff and funded by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) One new site was found and sprayed for the first time in the Puketitiri area.
Continue to work closely with DoC, a joint operation completed in the Napier/Taihape Road area. Work on four Maori owned blocks in the Waipunga Falls area was carried out by contractors . Staff control isolated plants found on roadsides.
Large numbers were removed, some by field officers but mainly through the contractor. Out of a total of 424 properties where Privet was removed, contractors dealt with 352 of these properties . Of these 352 properties, 41 were in Wairoa. Management programmes continue to be popular with hedges.
Continuous monitoring during growing season. A lot of resources continue to be put into the Havelock hills area where the infestations have been bad in previous years. Numbers were very low due to a wet summer the previous year.
Staff monitor continuously and remove isolated plants.
36 new sites were found this season after an extensive monitoring and publicity programme. The total number of active sites in the urban area is now at 115, which includes 17 in Wairoa.
Table 3 Biodiversity plants
Annually sprayed by contractors. Difficult climber to control especially in river areas.
This includes Moth plant, Blue passion flower, Banana passionfruit, Purple ragwort plus a whole range of plants that the public are concerned about.
Staff continuously monitor release sites and re-release where needed. Two releases of Tradescantia beetles were purchased and released in the Wairoa area. One release of Broom gall mite was distributed in the Puketitiri area.
We have taken a pro-active stance on the low incidence plants, in order to gain control before they become high incidence plants. These are being controlled with the property owner’s permission.
This is the ninth year of council funded control work on multiple ownership land at Rangitaiki. We have now cleared all of the 90 hectare core area. In both the core area and the satellite area seedlings are constantly sprouting and will need active management in future years.
The Maori trustees of the East Taupo Lands Trust are still considering their options regarding developing the land cleared of contorta into either productive farmland or forestry, with the intention of generating a commercial return for the trust. A significant additional benefit to developing the land as farmland or forestry will mean that council’s ongoing costs for maintenance control on regrowth from the substantial contorta seedbed will be reduced.
A joint surveillance and control programme between HBRC and DOC was carried out over some of the Owhaoka B and D blocks adjacent to Ngamatea station. This operation covered over 4,000 hectares.
This year the areas of Pinus contorta that were controlled in the Rangitaiki area were:
· Four Maori owned blocks, totalling 481ha, around the Waipunga Falls. Trees were controlled by a combination of felling by ground crews and spot spraying from a helicopter. A small wetland area on a Matea Road farm immediately adjacent to SH5
After six years of significant investment in the registration process the Marlborough District Council, in partnership with HBRC and Environment Canterbury, have gained registration of the herbicide Flupropanate for the control of Chilean needle grass and Nassella tussock.
Further efficacy and residue trials are still required by the Environmental Protection Agency to provide more information to retain this registration. These trials have started and will continue over the next three years. Flupropanate gives long term residual control against Chilean needle grass and Nassella tussock.
Environment Canterbury has gained a three year SFF grant for $300,000 to raise landowner awareness of Chilean needle grass. HBRC is involved in this project which will help find new sites in Hawke’s Bay.
Enforcement is the key management tool for Boundary Control plants. These plants are identified during the surveillance process but controls are only enforced if their location contravenes the rules of the Regional Plant Pest Strategy (e.g. gorse within 10 metres of a neighbour’s boundary providing that boundary is clear), and only if there is a complaint.
There has been very little action on these plants.
The plants listed in the RPMS as surveillance plants include a wide range of species. Some of these plants are extremely difficult to control (e.g. all the aquatics) while others pose no significant risk to the environment, economic production or human health (e.g. wild oat). All Surveillance Plants are banned from sale, propagation or distribution.
Work was again undertaken by a contractor and field staff in the Taradale area after complaints from property owners of this plant spreading onto their properties from a drain in the area. Information has been circulated to residents in the area to identify where other areas of infestation may be and to try and make landowners aware of this plant so they can control it . Over 100 urban/lifestyle properties have had this plant controlled on them.
It appears that this was originally dumped in the drain, and has since spread to gardens and also into a small forest area. This plant, while being quite pretty, has no other redeeming qualities. It is inedible and is mainly spread by birds.
This plant is found in the Central Hawke’s Bay area along the banks of the Waipawa River. This area has been previously mapped by helicopter to give us an accurate measure of what we are dealing with.
This has been found on seven rural sites and is being controlled by contractors or Plant pest staff annually. Another very pretty plant that was introduced into these rural gardens, this plant has since got out of control and is now threatening native bush areas. While this grows in a number of urban gardens, it does not pose the same problem that it does in the rural area.
This was reported to us by an ex DoC staff member. It is in the Tuai area and has been sprayed by a contractor. A very invasive plant that will smother native plants especially those lower growing ones. This is the only site that we know of in Hawke’s Bay.
5.5 DIDYMO
A Hawke’s Bay Didymo Stakeholders Group was formed to draw up a Didymo Incursion Response Plan, to raise awareness of the ‘Check Clean Dry’ message with waterway users, and allow an effective response if Didymo is found within Hawke’s Bay waterways.
This group comprising of members from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Department of Conservation, Fish and Game, Iwi, Genesis and other interested groups, meets annually.
A Didymo Response Plan has been written up and responsibilities assigned to each member in the event of an incursion. A student was hired by HBRC, financed by a grant from the Ministry of Primary Industries, over the summer to raise awareness of Didymo and other aquatic plant pests. Contact with all waterway user groups was achieved over this period. Databases of waterway users (which will provide rapid communication in an incursion event), and access points to waterways to give an overall geographical understanding of all waterway entry sites in an incursion event, was updated.
More focus has been put into Total Control plants and plants of concern such as Phragmites, Woolly nightshade, Old man’s beard and Pinus contorta.
During each property inspection, the officer records plant pests found on individual farm maps. During monitoring staff are using previously gathered information to assess whether or not infestations have spread or contracted. During visits officers take the opportunity to discuss any relevant concerns with the occupier.
Urban work continues to have a high profile, particularly Privet. This season we received a large amount of complaints, mainly due to the public being far more aware of Privet and the effects it has on human health.
Boundary control plants have been actively managed on receiving a valid complaint, or upon receiving a specific request for advice on control. The amount of time now spent in this area is minimal with only 11.5 hours recorded to this.
Staff have an excellent working relationship with Treescape, the contractors who have responsibility for vegetation control in Hawke’s Bay. Staff submit a plan to the Area Supervisor annually, identifying areas that need control. Treescape then does the work when required. This procedure enables our staff to control plant pests along the railway tracks throughout the region in a systematic manner.
A good working relationship has been developed between staff and NZ Transport Agency, as well as both Central Hawke’s Bay and Hastings District Councils, for the clearance of roadside weeds. When weeds are cleared from roadsides, staff ensure that the adjacent property owner also clears their side. Both of these District Councils have been very cooperative in setting up no-mow zones when Chilean needle grass is seeding in November/ December.
NZTA provides an additional budget to control plant pests, on their roadsides, such as Old man’s beard, Japanese honeysuckle and Pampas. This budget is managed by HBRC staff which ensures that these plant pests are controlled at the optimum time.
Three Notices of Direction were issued, with some still current, to Contractors or landowners who are involved with earthmoving on infested properties.
The objective of these activities is to reach a wider community than can be achieved through farm visits. In this the team work with the Environment Education section of the Council. Activities this year have included:
10.1 Plant Pest Display
No displays were done in this financial year.
The following topics have been printed in the media – newspaper, local newspapers:
· Mothplant
· Purple ragwort
A pamphlet on Blue passionflower was distributed in the Taradale West and Clive areas and a pamphlet on Purple ragwort was distributed in the Havelock North area.
Didymo presentations were given to several clubs associated with freshwater activities. A talk on plant pests was given at EIT.
· Plant identification service
Two Tradescantia Beetle releases were purchased and released in the Wairoa area. One release of Broom gall mite was sourced from Wellington Regional Council and released in the Puketitiri area.
$ 43,488.33
The rural applications were mainly for work done on the plants Chilean needle grass and Old man’s beard.
All the objectives set out in the Operational Plan for the year have been achieved with the exception of completing two displays.
The monitoring system carried out this year has continued to target Total control plants (particularly Old man’s beard, Woolly nightshade and Pinus contorta) and the areas surrounding them, areas of high risk, QE11’s, dump sites, creeks-drains and rivers and areas that are presently being controlled for low incidence plants.
Subdivision activities are monitored by staff to ensure compliance, which has been good this year. The Regional Pest Management Strategy includes some additional measures to help manage the risks created when subdivisions are developed on Total Control plant sites.
The RPMS contains two classes of animal pests, Regional Control Animal Pests and Site Specific Animal Pests.
· Rooks
· Feral deer (red deer, Sika deer, and fallow deer); Feral pigs
· Mustelids (weasels, ferrets, and stoats)
· Rats (Norway and ship rats).
For each of these two animal pest classifications, the Annual Report provides a brief description of what activities the Council has undertaken in the 2012/2013 year.
To achieve this objective Council forms Possum Control Areas (PCAs) with the support and assistance of land occupiers. Within PCAs, Council arranges for initial possum control to a 3% residual trap catch (rtc) using pest control contractors. Occupiers who have received such control are required to maintain possum numbers at or below a 5% rtc.
There are no PCA signups for 2012/2013 as initial control has been completed
15.2 2012/2013 PCA Initial Control
Initial control in PCA’s is usually achieved through the use of pest control contractors working under input-based contracts. The 12/13 initial control has been completed very cost effectively through the integration of commercial fur harvesting into the initial control process. The following section of the report details the amount of initial control completed in the 2012/2013 year. A total of 16,082 hectares of initial control was completed in the 2012-2013 financial year.
Table 2: 2012/2013 PCA Initial Control
RTC Results
The contract specifications for these and subsequent PCA initial control contracts required the contractors to provide council with an assessment of individual properties within a PCA. These assessments record the control methods used, numbers of possums taken, areas of technical difficulty and risk areas that occupiers will need to be aware of as they implement their maintenance programmes.
2012/2013 PCA Advisory program
Once a PCA has received initial control to a 3% rtc, occupiers in the PCA are required to maintain possum numbers at or below a 5% rtc. The Biosecurity Advisory Team assists occupiers in PCA’s in achieving this requirement and encourages them to engage a contractor to undertake maintenance. Table 3 below shows the PCAs that have received their first round of maintenance facilitation by the Biosecurity Advisory Team during the 2012/2013 year.
Table 3: Initial Facilitation 2012/2013
Aramatua
(a) Trend Monitoring 12/13
Cookstooth
(b) Education Monitoring 12/13
G Beachen
Waimarama A
C Chesterman
Mangaraurau
Tikokino South
A Titchmarsh
T Chittick
P Kittow
R Pocknell
* RPMS requires occupiers to maintain possum numbers below a 5% rtc once they have received initial control.
The Advisory Team have issued 4 Notices of Directions to non-compliant landowners over the 12/13 period.
15.3 Incentive Scheme
The subsidy scheme continues to operate well with full support from Farm Lands Trading and Farm Gear Hawke’s Bay. All products subsidised through the subsidy scheme now carry a 50% subsidy weighting. The subsidy scheme is available to all Hawke’s Bay ratepayers and is heavily used and supported by occupiers in the PCA programme.
15.4 Hazardous Substances and New organisms (HSNO) LISCENCING
Council has undertaken a number of possum control operations on Council managed river berm land. This has been done as a good neighbour, to meet Council’s obligations under the Strategy, and to complement the control being carried out by adjacent land users on the PCA programme.
The 2012/2013 financial year saw the implementation of another highly successful large scale aerial and ground rook control programme. Excellent contractors, combining aerial and ground experience and innovation, have provided the basis for this success.
All known rookeries in both the Control and Eradication Zones during 12/13 rook, season where aerially treated utilizing a under slung strop man applying DRC 1339 gel bait directly into nests. A total of 781 nests were treated in this manner. Post control inspections on some of these rookeries indicate that previous control has been successful with greatly reduced activity in treated rookeries.
All 29 rook enquires were responded to during the year with approximately 580 rooks poisoned on bait lines utilizing bread and maze baits.
Map 1: Aerial Rook Control 2012-2013
Regional surveillance was continued during 2012/2013 to ensure that Council's current reliance on rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) to continue to control rabbits in the region is appropriate, and to provide an early warning system if RHD becomes less effective as a rabbit control tool across the region.
A total of 27 rabbit enquiries for advice and assistance were received over the last 12 months of which all have been dealt with on an individual basis. Assistance was provided in the form of Environment Topic handouts, verbal advice, and in some cases demonstrations on the use of pindone pellets for rabbit control.
Map 2 RHD Sample Sites and Rabbit Night Count Line Locations.
Night counting data available from 21 regional night count lines indicate an increase in rabbit densities across the region (Graph 2) from 2.1 rabbits per kilometre to 4.1 rabbits per kilometre.
Blood samples were obtained from rabbits by a contractor who is trained in a MAF approved method. Blood samples were taken from 199 rabbits from 15 sites across the Region.
On recommendation from Landcare Research, samples were gathered during the autumn and an eye sample from each rabbit obtained so each rabbit could be aged. A total of 199 samples were obtained in areas from Mahia to Porangahau which were then analysed by AgResearch in Wallaceville.
The following table outlines the Biodiversity Projects that have received assistance from the Biosecurity animal pest section of Council. These projects form a wide range of initiatives from working with individual land users through to projects with significant local community involvement. Most projects have a strong focus on predator control to restore native birdlife.
Ouepoto Dotterel
Hartree’s Reserve QE11
Environment Topics have been updated or rewritten. There are now currently 21 assorted topics covering all aspects of animal pest control, and in some cases invertebrate pest control such as wasps, as well as PDF file formats now available on the Councils web site.
There was one research project completed:
BRODIFACOUM TRIAL
Funding source: Biosecurity research budget
· Objective – This research project undertook a sampling trial of a range of vertebrates and invertebrates within PCA’s that have had brodifacoum based baitstation control for possums. The trial looked at PCA’s that have been in the programme for varying lengths of time and included control areas that have had no brodifacoum used (organic farms). The initial research results showed that the use of brodifacoum in baitstations within the PCA programme has not created “hotspot” areas of high brodifacoum levels within PCA’s
· Work is ongoing to assess the positive benefits for native trees from the Possum Control Area programme. The results to date show excellent levels of vegetation recovery.
· Monitoring has been completed on one urban site (Napier hill) and one rural site (Kuru range) to assess native bird numbers prior to possum control taking place. Follow up monitoring indicated tui have increased threefold and Bellbird have doubled in the urban areas monitored after 24 months.
SUBJECT: Open Space Network Plan
1. At its meeting on 12 December 2012, Council endorsed the Regional Parks Network Plan subject to any changes that the Committee may wish to make, and noted that Part 2 (Policies & Objectives) and Part 3 (Individual Park Plans) of the Regional Park Network Plan are yet to be completed. Management plans for each of the individual open space areas will be reviewed or developed in accordance with the indicative programme set out in the briefing paper.
2. Note that an additional Part (Part 3) has been added to the Plan. Individual Park Plans will now be contained under Part 4.
3. This briefing paper seeks Council endorsement for Part 2 and Part 3 of the Regional Parks Network Plan. A draft of an Individual Park Plan (Pekapeka Wetland) is included in the attachment to this paper to illustrate its proposed layout - appendix 3.
4. Key points of the Regional Parks Network Plan are:
4.1. All open space areas owned or administered by HBRC will be recognised as Regional Parks.
4.2. The Plan is designed to establish a consistent framework for regional parks in Hawke’s Bay. Currently each park is managed in accordance with a separate plan with little or no linkage or consistency.
4.3. It represents a contract between HBRC and the public as to how regional parks will be managed on their behalf.
4.4. It highlights the unique nature and values of each individual park and addresses the need for specific management of these.
Open Spaces Projects and Funding
6. There is approximately $800,000 available in that borrowing facility.
7. The previous Council agreed not to commit that money to additional projects. This money could then be available to fund an expansion of the Regional Parks Network or improvements within existing open space areas.
8. Staff seek some initial direction on this from Council so that background work can be done to enable Council to consider options in more detail prior to preparing the 2014/15 draft annual plan or the Long Term Plan 2015/25.
Regional Park Network Plan
9. A copy of the briefing paper considered at the meeting on 12 December 2012 is attached for Councillor background and information as appendix 1.
10. The objective of the Regional Parks Network Plan is to provide a framework and set of policies for managing and potentially improving HBRC open space / regional park assets.
11. Regional park and open space assets have evolved over time through allowing public use of these areas. There is no policy providing guidance or direction on investment, acquisition and purchasing decisions and no overarching policy for guiding management and maintenance of these assets.
12. The policies set out in the Regional Park Network Plan establish clear levels of service which will be provided. This will assist staff in responding to and managing public expectation relating to these assets.
13. Currently many of the areas are managed in accordance with individual management plans. In most cases these are reviewed on a 5 yearly cycle and have either expired or are close to it. Future reviews of these plans will be done within the framework and in accordance with the policies set out in Part 1 and 2 of the Regional Parks Network Plan. They will collectively become Part 4 of the Plan.
14. A programme of review of management plans for individual areas has commenced. Council endorsement of a number of these will be sort during the 2014 calendar year.
15. Budget provision has been made with Council’s LTP 2012/22 for the development of this Regional Parks Network Plan. Management Plan reviews for individual park areas will be undertaken under existing budgets. HBRC Long Term Plan provides for maintenance of each of these areas to the standards that they have traditionally been maintained to.
16. Where Management Plan reviews identify changes to the levels of service resulting in a requirement to change the level of maintenance undertaken, or potential improvements within the park, additional funding will be needed.
17. A copy of the briefing paper considered at the meeting on 14 August 2013 is attached for Councillor background and information as appendix 2.
18. Staff continue to receive feedback and new ideas from the public seeking to expand and/or enhance the current open space areas.
19. Staff suggest that Councillors familiarise themselves with the current network over the next 6 to 8 months through Council field trips to the various areas, and that a series of possible options for expansion and/or enhancement are drawn up early in the 2014/15 financial year. Staff would then assess each of the possible options for Council’s further consideration as part of the development of the draft 2015/25 LTP.
20.4. There are no persons directly affected by this decision.
20.5. Options that have been considered are included within this or previous briefing papers on the subject.
21. Agrees that the decisions to be made are not significant under the criteria contained in Council’s adopted policy on significance and that Council can exercise its discretion under Sections 79(1)(a) and 82(3) of the Local Government Act 2002 and make decisions on this issue without conferring directly with the community and persons likely to be affected by or to have an interest in the decision due to the nature and significance of the issue to be considered and decided.
22. Endorses the Regional Parks Network Plan subject to any changes that the Committee may wish to make.
23. Agrees not to commit money remaining in the current borrowing facility or any new money to projects for enhancement or expansion of the current open space areas pending an assessment of a range of possible options to be compiled during the 2014/15 financial year.
August 2013 Paper
Pekapeka Wetland Park Plan
http://www.hbrc.govt.nz/Hawkes-Bay/Recreation/Pages/regional-parks-network.aspx
To view this attachment please follow the link below
1. Mana Ahuriri is a collective of seven hāpu who are working with the Crown to settle their Treaty claim. The timing of their negotiations has the parties signing an Agreement in Principle in December 2013.
2. Figure 1 shows the Ahuriri Hāpu Area of Interest.
Fig 1: Ahuriri hapu area of interest (Source: Office of Treaty Settlements)
3. It has been agreed with the Hāpu that a key element of the settlement to be included in the Agreement in Principle is a framework for the management of the Ahuriri Estuary.
4. The purpose of this report is to seek commitment from Council to engage in discussions with other interested parties on the establishment of an Ahuriri Estuary Group with a mandate to undertake a range of functions that address the needs of Mana Ahuriri to have a joint management regime for the Ahuriri Estuary.
5. The Ahuriri Estuary is a remnant of a 3,840 hectare area of water which, prior to 1931, Europeans called the Napier Inner Harbour or the Ahuriri Lagoon. The lagoon was separated from the sea by a narrow sand and shingle bank. Two main rivers discharged into the lagoon, the Waiohinganga (Esk) and the Tutaekuri. Periodically, the Ngaruroro and Tukituki Rivers flowed north to join the Tutaekuri.
6. The earthquake of 3 February 1931 lifted the bed of the lagoon between 1.5m and 3.4m and exposed about 1300 ha of the bed of the lagoon. Various reclamations since 1931 have reduced the estuary by a further 1700ha to its present size.
7. The Hāpu have a long-standing cultural connection with Te Whanganui a Orotu (of which Ahuriri Estuary is a part) where they have resided since well before European settlement. Historically this area was a main source of food for the hapu. There are also a large number of wahi tapu in the area.
8. The Hāpu of Mana Ahuriri wish to have their interests in Te Whanganui a Orotu recognised through their Treaty settlement. Key to their reaching a durable settlement will be the recognition of their mana in Te Whanganui a Orotu, and, importantly, the Estuary. They are seeking to have their kaitiaki status over the Estuary effectively recognised, and to ensure that there is a coordinated and comprehensive approach to the Estuary’s management involving all stakeholders with management responsibilities and interests in the Estuary.
9. On 19 September 2013 these stakeholders met with representatives of Mana Ahuriri and the Crown to discuss a Crown proposal for redress over the Ahuriri Estuary as part of the Mana Ahuriri Treaty Settlement. In attendance at the meeting were representatives from the Department of Conservation, Napier City Council, Hastings District Council and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
10. A brief summary of the relevant statutory responsibilities of management agencies is as follows:
Resource Management Act: preparation of a New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement
Conservation Act: manage land held under the Act for conservation purposes
Wildlife Act – protect and promote wildlife
Reserves Act: preserving and managing areas for the benefit and enjoyment of the public
Napier City and Hastings District Councils
Resource Management Act: preparation of district plans
Health Act: management of offensive trades
Local Government Act: control, maintenance and repair of drains and watercourses
Harbours Act: NCC responsible for marinas, wharves, jetties, boat ramps and other harbour facilities (outside Napier Port)
Reserves Act: creation of reserves for a range of purposes
Resource Management Act: preparation of regional policy statement, regional coastal plan, regional plans
Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act: prevention of drainage by erosion and the protection of property from damage or floods
Harbours Act: navigation and safety within harbour limits
11. Claim Wai 55, dealing with Te Whanganui-a-Orotu, was lodged with the Tribunal in March 1988 by seven local hapu. It was granted urgency because leasehold sections in the claim area were about to be sold.
12. The claimants sought a finding that Te Whanganui-a-Orotu was their taonga and that they had never knowingly or willingly relinquished their tino rangatiratanga over it. The Tribunal heard the claim between July 1993 and July 1994, and the report was released in July 1995.
13. The Tribunal found that a number of clear breaches of Treaty principles had occurred, beginning with the Crown's inclusion of Te Whanganui-a-Orotu in the Ahuriri purchase in 1851, and it recommended that there be no further alienations of any Crown or State-owned enterprise land within the pre-1851 boundaries of Te Whanganui-a-Orotu. In June 1998, the Tribunal released its report on remedies, which included the following recommendation:
14. The proposal now being put to Council for its consideration is based upon this recommendation.
15. In August 2013 Ministers agreed that Crown officials could explore with Mana Ahuriri Hāpu, Councils and the Department of Conservation the development of arrangements for management of the Estuary which could include a stand-alone, multiparty, statutory committee (the “Committee”) being provided for in settlement legislation for Mana Ahuriri.
16. It is envisaged that the Committee could, among other things:
16.1. Promote, advocate, advise, facilitate and coordinate activities relating to the Estuary;
16.2. Provide monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the Estuary; and
16.3. Produce an estuary management plan, which would be lodged with the councils and the Department of Conservation.
17. The weighting of an estuary management plan for councils and DoC needs further discussion. The current proposal is that statutory RMA plans and policy statements would be required to “have regard to” an Estuary Management Plan. Other options under the Resource Management Act include (but are not limited to) regional and district plans “taking into account” or “giving effect to” an estuary management plan.
18. It is proposed that the Committee would not itself undertake work on the estuary, as this would remain the role of the responsible agencies.
19. The Crown and Mana Ahuriri are seeking the support of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to engage in the development of the Ahuriri Estuary Committee and to participate in the committee once it is established. This would have several benefits for the Council:
19.1. Recognition of the mana of the hāpu groups over the Ahuriri Estuary and thei expression of kaitiakitanga
19.2. The continuation of a positive and proactive working relationship with Mana Ahuriri
19.3. An enhanced opportunity to deliver collaboratively the long-term goal of Mana Ahuriri which is for “a healthy estuary”
20. It is recommended that Council commits to engaging with the other parties in the development of the Ahuriri Estuary Committee with a further paper to be brought back to Council seeking an appointment to the committee once it is finalised.
21. The Crown wishes to provide an indication in the Agreement in Principle with Mana Ahuriri of stakeholder support for the establishment of the Ahuriri Estuary Committee. Council needs to advise the Crown of its position of support no later than 4 December. Further details are unlikely to be included in the Agreement in Principle but it is expected that the settlement legislation would include:
21.1. The purpose of the committee
21.2. The functions of the Committee
21.3. Committee membership
21.4. An appointment process – it is anticipated that each party to the Committee would appoint their own representatives.
22. It is recommended that Council authorises the Interim Chief Executive to represent the Council in negotiations on the development of detail on the purpose and functions of the committee, together with membership and appointment criteria and any other matters that may arise during discussions.
23.4. The decision is not inconsistent with an existing policy or plan.
23.5. Given the nature and significance of the issue to be considered and decided, and also the persons likely to be affected by, or have an interest in the decisions made, Council can exercise its discretion and make a decision without consulting directly with the community or others having an interest in the decision.
2. Commits to engaging with Mana Ahuriri, the Crown and other parties in the development of the Ahuriri Estuary Committee, and advises the Crown of its decision prior to 4 December 2013.
3. Authorises the Interim Chief Executive to represent the Council in negotiations on the development of detail on the purpose and functions of the committee, together with membership and appointment criteria and any other matters that may arise during discussions.
4. Notes that a paper will be brought back to Council seeking a councillor appointment to the Ahuriri Estuary Committee once the Committee has been finalised.
SUBJECT: Greater Heretaunga Ahuriri Plan Change
1. This report provides an update on the TANK Collaborative Stakeholder Group’s discussions for the Greater Heretaunga / Ahuriri Plan Change (“the Plan Change”).
2. The focus of the update is on the Draft TANK Group Report 1: Interim Agreements (“the Draft TANK Report”).
3. All stakeholders in the TANK Group, including the Council, are being asked to endorse the TANK Report. Prior to endorsement, Committee members have the opportunity to comment and suggest amendments to the Report.
4. At earlier Council meetings, the Council has been informed of the Plan Change and its alignment with other Council documents (Long Term Plan, Land and Water Management Strategy, Regional Policy Statement).
5. The Plan Change will be an integrated approach to managing the Tutaekuri, Ahuriri, Ngaruroro and Karamu catchments (colloquially termed the “TANK” catchments, see map in Appendix 1).
6. The Plan Change will seek to implement the Hawke’s Bay Land and Water Management Strategy and the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and will address specific water allocation and water quality issues in the catchment.
7. The Plan Change is scheduled to be notified in December 2016.
8. Council is working with a collaborative stakeholder group (the TANK Group) on Plan Change development. The TANK Group is aiming to provide recommendations to Council for the Plan Change by December 2014.
9. Councillors Beaven, Belford and Scott have recently been appointed as the Council’s representatives on the TANK Group.
10. Council has given a good faith commitment to support any consensus recommendations from the TANK Group and to ensure the Plan Change is consistent with the Group’s recommendations.
11. The TANK Group’s Terms of Reference are attached to this report.
12. The TANK Group consists of 30 members representing a wide range of sectors and community interests (see page iii of TANK Group Report 1 for participants and whom they represent).
13. Three Regional Councillors are on the Group for a number of reasons as outlined below:
13.1. It is important that the Group’s recommendations are developed in the presence of and with contributions from Councillors.
13.2. To fill the role of “stakeholder” on behalf of the Regional Council, i.e. to ensure that Council’s statutory responsibilities and interests are met, and that the group does not commit to things that Council cannot deliver
13.3. To represent particular interests who are not at the table (e.g. people who swim, those with rural water supplies, others who for one reason or other are not represented)
13.4. To represent the wider economic, social, cultural and environmental interests of all Hawke’s Bay residents.
14. The TANK Group has held 10 meetings over the last 12 months. All members of the TANK group have had the chance to put forward and discuss their Values and Objectives for each of the catchments. There are a number of matters (Management Variables) which the Regional Council manages which can be altered (or left the same) to meet these Objectives.
15. The key Management Variables the Group is discussing and will be making recommendations to Council via the Regional Planning Committee on are:
15.1. Flow regime, including low flow restrictions on takes
15.2. Water allocation (including for municipal and domestic supply)
15.3. Security of water supply for water users
15.4. Policies, rules on groundwater /surface water connectivity
15.5. Surface water and groundwater quality limits
15.6. Tangata whenua involvement in freshwater decision making
15.7. Use of Mātauranga Māori in monitoring and reporting
15.8. Wahi tapu register
15.9. Policies, rules and incentives on:
15.9.1. riparian management & stock exclusion
15.9.2. water storage
15.9.3. water efficiency
15.9.4. water sharing/transfer
15.9.5. nutrient loss/allocation
15.9.6. good irrigation practices
15.9.7. stormwater management
15.9.8. other agricultural practices
16. The Timeline for the TANK Group and Plan Change process is shown in the following chart:
The Draft TANK Group Report 1: Interim Agreements
17. At the TANK Group’s most recent meeting (held on 17 October), agreement was reached between TANK Group members on the Draft TANK Report for discussion with their respective wider networks.
18. The Draft TANK Group Report 1: Interim Agreements summarises the Group’s work to date and includes the Group’s provisional agreements. Many of these agreements are related to ‘next steps’ – and will be further developed by the group through 2014 and beyond as technical information comes available and the Plan Change is drafted.
19. The Draft TANK Report is currently being discussed by TANK Group members with their wider networks. The focus of discussions is on the Interim Agreements in the Report.
20. ‘Support in principle’ for the Interim Agreements is being sought from the wider networks of TANK Group representatives. It is anticipated that the fuller implications of the Interim Agreements will be the subject of future TANK Group discussions and this may prompt adaptation of current positions.
21. The TANK Group will meet on 10 December 2013 to seek agreement on the final version of the TANK Report 1.
22. The TANK Report will then be presented to the Regional Planning Committee in early 2014.
23. As outlined, all stakeholders in the TANK Group, including the Council, have been asked to endorse the TANK Report. In particular, the Council ought to thoroughly examine the Group’s ‘Interim Agreements’.
24. Some of these ‘Interim Agreements’ cover Council actions and thus will have a bearing on Council decisions. However, the majority of these are already being addressed through current work programmes (for example, groundwater model development, Heretaunga Plains hydrological assessments, water quality monitoring).
25. There are no immediate financial or resource implications for Council. However, the Report’s Interim Agreements describe actions for Council to consider that may have a financial or resource impact should Council choose to implement them or participate in implementing them.
26. Any decisions to contribute funding or other forms of resource not already able to be catered for within current work programmes would require consideration through the Council’s Long Term Plan, Annual Plan processes.
27.4. The persons affected by this decision are all persons with an interest in the region’s management of natural and physical resources under the RMA.
27.5. Options that have been considered include to endorse the TANK Report as presented or to suggest amendments to the ’Interim Agreements’ for TANK Group consideration at their next meeting.
1.2. Considers the ‘Interim Agreements’ in the Draft TANK Group Report 1: Interim Agreements and then EITHER:
1.2.1. Supports in principle the ‘Interim Agreements’ contained in the Report; OR
1.2.2. Supports in principle the ‘Interim Agreements’ contained in the Report with the exceptions of the following for the reasons noted:
1.3. Directs staff and Councillor representatives on the TANK group to provide this feedback to the TANK Group for the TANK Group to consider at its next meeting on 10 December.
Draft TANK Report
SUBJECT: Flood & Drainage Operational Report
2. Council is responsible for managing 24 separate flood control and drainage schemes under the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act 1941.
4.1. Community consultation and design for repair of the Makara No 1 Flood detention dam. Construction works are now programmed to commence January 2014.
4.2. Completion of the Harakeke Drain enhancement project carried forward from the 2012/13 year. The Napier Meeanee drainage area operational scheme balance is under some pressure as a result of this and other capital projects. Capital works will be curtailed in future years to allow the operational account balance to recover.
4.3. The Ohuia Drainage Scheme pump station received temporary repairs. Staff continue to liaise with the Scheme ratepayers over future replacement of the pump station and other renewal works.
5. The majority of Scheme maintenance work is undertaken by the HBRC Works Group under contract to the Asset Management Section. Any surpluses earned by the Works Group for this work are refunded to the Schemes. $151,661 was refunded to Schemes out of a total contract value of $3,044,120.
1. That the Environment and Services Committee receives the “2012/13 Flood Control and Drainage Schemes Annual Reports”.
Map Upper Tukituki Scheme & Minor Schemes
Map Heretaunga Plains Schemes
Attachment 1 - HP - drainage and pumping
Attachment 2 - HP - rivers
Attachment 3 - Upper Tukituki Scheme
Attachment 4 - Minor Flood Control Schemes
ANNUAL REPORT – 1 JULY 2012 TO 30 JUNE 2013
This report encompasses the following flood control or drainage schemes within the Heretaunga Plains Flood Control Scheme Part 2 - Drainage & Pumping. These schemes are broken into nine separate catchment areas with a general overhead scheme for activities which are area wide. These schemes are notated as:
Asset maintenance contracts were developed for each of the above schemes for the 2012-13 year in accordance with their respective Asset Management Plans. The Works Group submitted a price of $1,441,971.63. No other prices were sought.
While there were no major floods during the year there were three heavy rainfall events.
The eight Mobile Floodpumps were checked and serviced regularly during the year. In Wairoa one was utilised and one was on stand-by whilst the Ohuia Pumpstation was under repair.
The two Standby Generators were serviced in accordance with their requirements. They were not deployed by the HBRC during the year however one was hired to Unison for several days during an urgent repair situation.
· The Plantation Drain Construction Project (The completion of this was programmed for completion in 2011/12 and hence this cost was not budgeted)
· Ahuriri Outfall & Taipo Stopbanks
· OTRB Environmental Works
· Plantation Drain PS – New Floodgates
· County Drain Pumping Station – The old timber pumphouse was replaced with a low-profile transportable building
· County Drain Pumping Station – PS Motor Recondition
· Scheme balance at 30th June 2013
($467,486)
· Disaster reserve balance at 30th June 2013
· Awanui Stream stopbank purchasing costs
· Te Karamu” - Enhancement works continued at various locations
· Triangle Drain Floodgate – The original concrete floodgate was replaced with an alloy one.
$1,113,312
$1,140,317
($299,502)
· Approximately 120 concrete panels were manufactured for “Panel & Rail” bank stabilisation work along the Raupare Stream but were not installed due to constant high flow and water levels throughout the summer/autumn installation period.
($45,091)
· The Hohepa PS pump unit failed and was replaced
$3,458,064
$3,644,837
· Total Schemes balance at 30th June 2013
($64,234)
BE(Civil) CPEng MIPENZ
The 2012/2013 Asset Maintenance Contract was developed in accordance with the requirements of the Heretaunga Plains Flood Control Scheme Asset Management Plan.
The Works Group submitted a fixed price for the Heretaunga Plains asset maintenance contract of $737,305.
This price was accepted and a monthly works programme was submitted by the contractor which indicated when the various elements of work were to be carried out while also making allowances for the seasonal nature of the work.
Stopbank weed spraying
Beach Spraying
There were several variations to the contract during the year for general repairs, edge protection works, stopbank maintenance, tree clearing works and plant pest spraying on stopbanks. This has again highlighted the importance of allowing for contingency sum items in the contract and the need for the contract to have the flexibility to be able to deal with emergency works or variations of work due to weather conditions or unforseen situations.
Unbudgeted expenses also included $28,000 of flood damage repairs to willow edge protection and $9,000 of flood damage repairs to fencing. 4.5 km of new electric fencing was constructed on the Tutaekuri River to exclude cattle from the waterway at a cost of $22,000.
The end of year cost for the maintenance contract was $759,178.
Total cost of the Heretaunga Plains Flood Control Scheme project was $1,251,684. Other significant transactions associated with the total scheme cost include;
· A refund of $52,413 made to the scheme from Works Group surpluses.
· A contribution of $58,000 was made to the Clive River dredging fund.
· Rate collection costs of $122,265.
· A payment of $72,783 to LAPP (Local Authority Protection Programme) for disaster damage insurance.
The end of year scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is $354,293. The HPFCS disaster reserve balance stands at $1,160,656.
Flood Events; Two flood events in July, and another in August resulted in some minor damage to river protection works on the Lower Tukituki and Tutaekuri Rivers. Repair work was accommodated within the provisional sums allowances.
Sawfly; There were no wide-scale mass willow defoliations within the Scheme area this year. The reasons are unknown but a likely explanation could be that all the work undertaken in previous years has produced an environment not suited to sawfly, plus cold weather conditions in the critical early summer period would have a severe impact on any newly emerging sawfly.
Gravel Extraction; Total extraction from the major rivers on the Heretaunga Plains for the year was approximately 320,000 cubic metres. While this is similar to the quantity extracted last year it is indicative of the decreased economic activity within this industry. While there are no noticeable effects of this reduced level of extraction to date, a continuing downward trend would raise some concern.
The 2012/2013 asset maintenance contract was developed in accordance with the requirements of the Upper Tukituki Flood Control Scheme Asset Management Plan. The contract includes both maintenance activities and capital works as identified in the special project work schedules of the asset management plan.
The Works Group submitted a fixed price for the Upper Tukituki asset maintenance contract of $479,656.
All maintenance work specified in the contract schedules was completed. Significant activities carried out included;
Capital works were carried out in several locations in the Tukituki and Waipawa Rivers. Works consisted of willow pole planting, native and exotic tree planting, willow tree slotting and construction of rope and rail groynes to establish new edge protection to meet design specifications.
All maintenance activities and capital works were carried out in accordance with the specified design principles, service levels and standards defined in the Asset Management Plan.
Several other unscheduled activities were also accommodated within the provisional sums allowance. These works included culvert repairs, windfall tree removal, drainage excavation and extra plant pest spraying. This has again highlighted the importance of allowing for contingency sum items in the contract and the need to have the flexibility to be able to deal with emergency works or variations of work due to weather conditions or unforseen situations.
The end of year contract cost was $448,245.
Total cost of the Upper Tukituki Flood Control Scheme project was $712,014. Other significant transactions associated with this scheme included;
· A refund of $37,881 was made to the scheme from Works Group surpluses.
· Loan/interest repayments of $30,000.
· Disaster damage insurance (LAPP) $77,498.
· Animal Pest control costs of $17,142.
· Rate collection costs of $19,594.
The end of year scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is $158,572. The UTT disaster reserve balance stands at $552,217.
Floods; Flood events in July and August resulted in some minor damage to river protection works on the Waipawa River. The damage was mostly to some previous repair works which had not had time to get established. Repairs were carried out within the provisional sum and capital works budgets.
Gravel Extraction; Total extraction for the year was only 10,600 cubic metres. This is a significant decrease from last year and is only a small percentage of historical extraction figures eg, the average annual extraction for the seven year period up to 2009-10 was 152,000m3. The effects of this severely reduced level of extraction is now starting to have an adverse impact in some areas within the Scheme, resulting in raised riverbed levels that reduces the efficiency of drainage systems on neighbouring properties and also raising flood levels for any given storm event.
Plant Pests; Old Mans Beard (OMB) continues to be the most significant plant pest problem within the Scheme and therefore a major part of the annual work programme is devoted to clearing and spraying this pest.
The maintenance of this scheme operating under contract conditions continues to be very successful, both in the amount of work completed and the high standards achieved. The contract process has shown benefits to both parties as the contractor has certainty of work and is able to plan the years work ahead, particularly with seasonal works, giving greater confidence to the principal that the work schedules will be completed on time. This planning also allows for opportunities to carry out extra scheme works where possible resulting in efficiencies of time and cost.
Attachment - Minor Flood Control Schemes
Asset maintenance contracts were developed for each of the above schemes (except Kairakau) for the 2012-13 year in accordance with their respective Asset Management Plans. This work was negotiated on a fixed price basis to the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Works Group.
The Works Group submitted a separate fixed price for each of the asset maintenance contracts. The prices were accepted and the contractor gave an indication of when the various elements of work were to be carried out while also making allowances for the seasonal nature of the work. Following is a summary of performance for the various schemes;
End of year maintenance costs were $4,050 (budget $9,185). No beach raking was carried out this year as there are significant areas of channel where the bedlevel is below the desired design level. A rebate of $685 was returned from Works Group surpluses. The Scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is $93,988. The disaster reserve balance stands at $18,084.
End of year maintenance costs were $4,417 (budget $5,154). A rebate of $1,302 was returned from Works Group surpluses. The Scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is $18,299. The disaster reserve balance is currently $16,780.
End of year scheme maintenance costs were $22,284 (budget $25,076). A rebate of $1,366 was returned from Works Group surpluses. The Scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is $47,199.
End of year maintenance costs were $8,206 (budget $8,189). This included $1,239 of drain maintenance work that was recovered by direct charges. A rebate of $1,506 was returned from Works Group surpluses. The Scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is $17,229.
End of year maintenance costs were $18,900 (budget $26,139). A rebate of $3,348 was returned from Works Group surpluses. The Scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is $25,699. The Scheme Disaster Reserve balance is currently $16,666.
End of year maintenance costs were $17,483 (budget $13,369). All scheduled maintenance works were completed and extra unscheduled tree clearing works were undertaken at the request of ratepayers. End of year Scheme costs were $310,793 and included significant work in the design, investigation, survey and consultant costs associated with options to repair Dam no.1. The Scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is ($77,593). The Scheme Disaster Reserve balance is currently $1,847
End of year maintenance costs were $6,015 (budget $14,770). Provisional sum allowances for windfall tree clearing and mechanical drain cleaning were not required during the year. The Scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is $84,897. The Scheme Disaster Reserve balance is currently $36,542.
End of year Scheme costs were $182,947 (budget $69,185). A proposal for replacing the Ohuia pumpstation, which included the completed design and contract documents, was prepared at the request of the Ohuia trustees, but after final consultation their decision was to only undertake interim repairs. The Scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is ($65,358). The Scheme Disaster Reserve balance is currently $18,332.
End of year scheme costs were $5,790 (budget $10,393). At the request of the ratepayers, no channel spraying was undertaken this year. The Scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is $23,253. The Scheme Disaster Reserve balance is currently $3,062.
Work carried out in this scheme consisted of ;
Mangapatiki Stream
Omana Stream
Kauhauroa Stream
Regrowth spraying
End of year scheme costs were $160,924 (budget $161,480). All scheduled maintenance works were completed. The Scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is $88,448.
End of year scheme costs were $221,622 (budget $185,858). Unscheduled tree clearing at Sandy Creek Tutira and flood damage repairs at Waimarama were not included in the budget. A rebate of $2,372 was returned from Works Group surpluses. The Scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is $262,422.
Maintenance work carried out in this scheme consisted of channel regrowth spraying, edge protection work and windfall tree removal. End of year costs were $7,609 (budget $10,491). The scheme balance at 30th June 2013 is ($4,933). The Scheme Disaster Reserve balance is currently $17,333.
The Kairakau Community Scheme was established last financial year and rated in this financial year for the first time. Work will be done in the area on as and when required at the request of the Kairakau Develop Society, which is the key contact organisation.
RIVERS MANAGER - OPERATIONS
1. Council requested that staff provide a report to the Environment and Services Committee, updating Council on the latest science on Climate Change and how it can actively mitigate against it by reducing CO2 emissions.
1. That the Environment and Services Committee receive the “Climate Change Update” report.
14. At the start of the consent process, applicants were given a cost estimate range of between $4,000 – 6,000. This anticipated the cost of a hearing. Without the need for a hearing, it is expected that the costs of processing these applications will be significantly less than this (estimated at approximately $1,500 per consent application). Invoices will be finalised and sent out once all consents are issued and the period for objection and appeal has closed.
1. That the Environment and Services Committee receive the “Tukituki Water Permit Renewal Process Update” report.
1. That the Environment & Services Committee receive the “Air Quality Monitoring Update” report.
1. That the Environment and Services Committee receive the “Statutory Advocacy Update” report.
This document has been prepared to assist Councillors note the Minor Items Not on the Agenda to be discussed as determined earlier in Agenda Item 4.