Monitoring and Operations Committee

Open Minutes

Commencing:             Tuesday 8 June 2021, 9.30 am

Venue:                         Mataatua Room, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, 5 Quay Street, Whakatāne

Chairperson:               Cr Kevin Winters

Deputy Chairperson:  Cr Norm Bruning

Members:                    Cr Bill Clark

Cr Stuart Crosby

Chairman Doug Leeder

Cr Matemoana McDonald

Cr Jane Nees

Cr Stacey Rose

Cr Andrew von Dadelszen

Cr Te Taru White

Via Zoom - Cr Paula Thompson and Cr David Love

In Attendance:            Sarah Omundsen – General Manager Regulatory Services, Chris Ingle – General Manager Integrated Catchments, Helen Creagh – Rotorua Catchments Manager, Rosemary Cross – Senior Projects Manager Rotorua Catchments, Reece Irving - Senior Regulatory Project Officer, Stephen Mellor – Compliance Manager Urban, Industry & Response, Rita Martin - Senior Regulatory Compliance Officer, Pim de Monchy – Coastal Catchments Manager, Jackson Efford – Principal Advisor, Land and Water, Kendall Smith and Hayden Schick - Land Management Officers, Abby Tozer – Communications Partner, Shari Kameta – Committee Advisor

Apologies:                  Cr Toi Kai Rākau Iti

Cr Lyall Thurston

Cr Stacey Rose – lateness

 

 

The Committee Chair advised that the public section of the meeting was being recorded and would be made available on Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s website – refer to following link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5aUYlUsx58.

1.     Apologies

Resolved

That the Monitoring and Operations Committee:

1          Accepts the apologies from Cr Toi Kai Rākau Iti, Cr Lyall Thurston and Cr Stacey Rose (for lateness) tendered at the meeting.

von Dadelszen/Nees

CARRIED

2.     Items not on the Agenda

Post-meeting note: An information only update on ‘Dune erosion at Waihi Beach’ was raised and discussed at the end of the agenda.

3.     Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

None declared.

4.     Minutes

Minutes to be Confirmed

4.1

Monitoring and Operations Committee Minutes - 9 March 2021

 

Resolved

That the Monitoring and Operations Committee:

1          Confirms the Monitoring and Operations Committee Minutes - 9 March 2021 as a true and correct record.

Crosby/Bruning

CARRIED

5.     Reports

5.1

Chairperson's Report

Presented by:  Sarah Omundsen and Chair Kevin Winters

Key Points:

·       Water shortage concerns remained as dry weather events were expected to continue. The Chief Executive had delegation to make decisions on water shortage directions to the end of June 2021 and a new revised SOP would be reported to the committee in August.

·       In regard to the Genera consent, no commissioners or a date for the hearing had been confirmed.

Key Points - Members:

·       Commented on the good progress made on Marae OSET.

·       Congratulated Tauranga City Council and the Western Bay of Plenty District Council for their work to connect marae to sewerage reticulation systems was commendable and a great step forward.

·       Hoped that the city and district councils were aware of the Government’s $3.8M stimulus funding for housing and potential opportunities for papakāinga.

 

Items for Staff Follow Up:

·       Requested a presentation from Kelly Hughes (ATS Environmental) on fish passage barriers at the next Monitoring & Operations Committee meeting.

 

Resolved

That the Monitoring and Operations Committee:

1          Receives the report, Chairperson's Report.

Winters/von Dadelszen

CARRIED

Information Only

5.2

Mount Maunganui Industrial Airshed Update

Presented by:  Reece Irving, Stephen Mellor and Rita Martin

In Response to Questions:

·       Confirmed that progress was being made within the industry sector to self-investigate and get their operations in order.

Key Points - Members:

·       Regarding the Mount Maunganui Air Quality Working Group, noted the benefit of industry leaders’ involvement, however considered that achieving the solutions desired by all parties would be a lengthy process.

·       The Chair concurred noting similar experience of the Rotorua Air Quality Working Party.

9:41 am – Cr Stacey Rose entered the meeting.

·       Acknowledged the changes being made by Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd to improve air quality issues following a site visit.

·       Highlighted the need for Council to maintain due care and impartiality regarding the investigation into managed retreat.

In Response to Questions - Staff:

·       Black dust in the Mount Maunganui area was a result of an accumulation of natural dust, industrial emissions and vehicle emissions. A meeting with local MP Simon Bridges was due to be held in regard to this issue.

·       A voluntary agreement was in place for incoming ships to burn lighter diesel fuel while in Port. A parliamentary process to change this to a mandatory requirement was still to be made.

 

Resolved

That the Monitoring and Operations Committee:

1          Receives the report, Mount Maunganui Industrial Airshed Update.

White/McDonald

CARRIED

 

5.3

Rotorua Catchments Update

Presentation - Rotorua Catchments - Photo Competition Slideshow: Objective ID A3828712  

Presentation - East Rotoiti Wastewater Treatment Scheme: Objective ID A3828719   

Presented by: Helen Creagh and Rosemary Cross

Ms Creagh provided a presentation on the Lake Rotoiti Wastewater Treatment Plant and a slideshow of the Rotorua Catchment photo competition finalists.

In Response to Questions:

·         Regarding recent damage caused to the Ōkāreka pipeline construction, Contractors were working to stabilise sediment which had flowed into the Waitangi Stream and Lake Rotorua and keeping all affected parties informed, with remediation and the project still on track for completion.

·         Lake Rotoiti/Rotomā Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) was fully operational, with the Lake Rotoiti East scheme still pending.

·         Discussed the implications of not achieving the 435t nitrogen reduction target in the Regional Policy Statement.

·         The $10 million being sought by Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC) from the Minister for the Environment for Lake Rotoiti reticulation was in addition to RLC’s existing Deed funding. If the Minister declined to fund this shortfall, the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Strategy Group (RTALSG) had agreed to review the remaining allocation of Council’s share of Deed funding.

·         Broad reasons for the cost overruns had been reported to the RTALSG.

·         Three Waters implications had been investigated by staff.

·         No timeframe had been indicated for the Minister’s decision.

          Key Points - Members:

·         Highlighted the positive aspects and opportunities that the Rotoiti sewerage scheme would provide for future papakāinga development.

·         Raised concern on the cost escalations of the Rotoiti scheme and the need for accountability for cost increases and whether oversight by Regional Council is needed.

·         Potential impacts in relation to the Three Waters reform, asset liability, debt repayment and further subsidising of the scheme were also raised.

·         The resolution made by RTALSG was to support RLC’s request to the Minister as the best option identified to finish the scheme. If the request was unsuccessful, a two-step process would be required to seek Council’s approval to vary the Deed funding.

 

10:27 am – Chairman Leeder exited the meeting.

In Response to Questions:

·         No payment was being made for the Freshwater Chair’s position while it was vacant, with excess funding going to the equalisation reserve at the end of June.

 

 

Resolved

That the Monitoring and Operations Committee:

1          Receives the report, Rotorua Catchments Update.

2          Requests a full detailed report from the Rotorua Lakes Council outlining the cost escalations on the Lake Rotoiti/Rotomā sewerage scheme.

White/Bruning

CARRIED

 

5.4

Land Management Focus Catchment Update: Waitao (Kaiate Falls) and Upper Rangitāiki

Presentation - Focus Catchments Update: Objective ID A3829181   

Presented by: Pim de Monchy, Kendall Smith and Hayden Schick

Key Points:

·       Provided background on the revised policy approach and application of grants to prioritised focus catchments.

Upper Rangitāiki focus catchment update

·         Land use intensification had occurred in a short timeframe.

·         Levels of nitrogen were increasing and starting to impact on instream surface water quality and ecological conditions with the potential to start impacting on the receiving hydro lakes.

10:43 am – Cr Rose withdrew from the meeting.

·         Attenuation between groundwater and root system was low and estimated to be three years.

·         Work and engagement with landowners on mitigation measures had been very good, as illustrated in the progress report card.

·         Landowners were keen to address options ahead of the 2024 plan change requirements.

·         Phosphorus and erosion management were being worked through with landowners.

·         Intensive winter grazing requirements of the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater would impact the upper catchment and was being considered.

Waitao (Kaiata Falls) focus catchment update

·         The objective was to reduce the high rate of E. coli concentrations below the median swimmability criteria set by the Ministry for the Environment.

·         Noted the success with environmental programmes completed by landowners which had been supported by Ministry co-funding.

·         Wide setbacks and stock exclusion areas were now in place however, there would be a lag in seeing the positive changes come through due to substrate filtering. Science investigations by BOPRC and NIWA had not been able to quantify the length in lag time.

10:57 am – Cr Stacey Rose entered the meeting.

·         Highlighted an emerging issue that had arisen with landowners fearing being ‘early adopters’ of lower contaminant farming loss systems and then being penalised by potential ‘grand parenting scenarios’ that may arise from 2024 and future plan change processes. Consideration of providing a degree of assurance to landowners was sought.

In Response to Questions:

·       Changes made to the environmental grants policy in 2019 had enabled higher grant rates for focused priority catchments which had allowed more progress to be made with landowners in the Waitao catchment.

·       Toi Te Ora Public Health warnings of E. coli levels were signposted at Kaiate Falls with ongoing sampling and monitoring carried out by BOPRC.

·       A Government funded project was undertaking detailed analysis of E. coli concentrations and mitigations, which Kaiate Falls was a sample site and a report would be made available at a future point.

Key Points - Members:

·       In regard to the emerging issue of landowner concerns of being potentially penalised as early adopters, caution was raised on pre-empting future policy and that the key message to community should be to encourage best practice through farm plan management and subsidies that were available.

Key Points - Staff:

·       Key community messages were to continue implementing best practice and to look at what improvements could be made, which landowners would not be penalised for.

·       Policy framework had yet to be considered but was not that far away from development.

11:21 am – Cr Thurston joined the meeting via Zoom.

 

Resolved

That the Monitoring and Operations Committee:

1          Receives the report, Land Management Focus Catchment Update: Waitao (Kaiate Falls) and Upper Rangitāiki.

Rose/von Dadelszen

CARRIED

6.     Consideration of Item not on the Agenda

6.1

Dune erosion at Waihi Beach

Presentation - Waihi Beach dune erosion - Wave Buoy measurements Bowentown and Pukehina 8 June 2021: Objective ID A3829906   

 

Presented By:  Pim de Monchy

Key Points:

·       A significant storm event during the week of 24 May 2021 had caused severe erosion to some of the sand dunes at Island View, Waihī Beach.

·       Western Bay of Plenty District Council (WBOPDC) were aware of the situation and BOPRC staff would liaise with them to work with landowners that had dwellings that were at risk.

·       WBOPDC had emergency powers to evacuate people from properties if necessary.

·       BOPRC had a long-term role of identifying natural hazards through the RPS and to continue modelling and understanding of natural hazards.

Key Points - Members:

·       Coastal planting at Waihī Beach had done a lot of good work and helped stabilise and slow erosion impacts.

7.     Public Excluded Section

Resolved

Resolution to exclude the public

1        Excludes the public from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting as set out below:

The general subject of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter, and the specific grounds under section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows:

Item No.

Subject of each matter to be considered

Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter

Grounds under Section 48(1) for the passing of this resolution

When the item can be released into the public

9.1

Kopeopeo Canal West Investigations

Withholding the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons.

48(1)(a)(i) Section 7 (2)(a).

On the Chief Executive’s approval.

Clark/White

CARRIED

11:50 am – the meeting closed.

 

 

Confirmed                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                   Cr Kevin Winters

Chairperson, Monitoring and Operations Committee