Agenda of Council Meeting

Council Meeting item: 9.3

23 February 2021

TITLE:	Chief Executive’s Report to Council
ID:	A1398145
From:	Malcolm Nicolson, Chief Executive Officer
Authorised by Group Manager:	Malcolm Nicolson, Chief Executive Officer, on 17 February 2021

Recommendation

That the report ‘Chief Executive’s Report to Council’ by Malcolm Nicolson, Chief Executive Officer and dated 31 January 2021, be received.

9.3.1 Highlights

Regional Speed Limit Review Programme

The NTA, on behalf of Northland’s three district councils, is reviewing and amending the speed limits on all local roads in a rolling review. The reviews are catchment based, focusing on the highest risk roads, where speed reduction would demonstrably reduce death and serious injuries from crash trauma.

The first tranche is nearing implementation phase; Okaiha-Waimate-Kaeo Triangle, Waipū Village, Vinegar Hill and One Tree Point / Ruakaka.

Consultation has now commenced on tranche 2; Mangawhai-Kaiwaka-Hakaru and Waipū Cove / Langs Beach and will start on Kaitāia-Awaroa-Broadwood in early-mid 2021. The program schedule is to implement two catchments per council per year.

Natural Resources

Electronic data collection forms are operational for recreational swimming, periphyton, sedimentation, groundwater, river and coastal water quality programmes, using Survey 123 to replace traditional paper field-sheets. The data syncs with our Hilltop database every hour. Electronic meter calibration forms will be rolled out to all field staff in Regulatory Services during February and March, completely replacing paper calibration forms.

Coastal and Water Quality

Quarterly litter survey conducted in the Hātea River at Pohe Island. This quarter’s results showed a reduction in the amount of litter collected, as well as a reduction in the percentage of plastics.

9.3.2 CEO’s Office

Current Legal Proceedings

Department	Description	Status
Consent decision appeal	Replacement consents for, and new consents for an expansion of, Doug’s Opua Boat Yard in Walls Bay, Ōpua.	No further update.
Consent decision appeal	Replacement discharge consents for East Coast Bays Wastewater Treatment Plant (Taipā)	Court mediation set down for 10 and 11 February 2021 in Kaitāia.
Economics - REL	Bankruptcy notice served on Mr Gill.	Further steps to try and recover the money owed to council as appropriate, including bankruptcy proceedings.

9.3.3 Corporate Excellence

Fraud Declaration

I am not aware of any fraud nor am I investigating any incidence or suspected incidence of fraud at this time.

Cyber Security

No significant cybersecurity threats to report this month.

Council Property Update

Ÿ The Kensington Crossing base build is to be completed on 25 February 2021, which marks the end of the asphalting works. Hands-on Rehabilitation and Snap Fitness fitouts are newly complete and the businesses are open. Remaining fitouts will continue through February-April 2021. The two remaining tenancies are being actively negotiated. One of the significant pylon signs has been erected, with the other to follow (see photo).

Ÿ The Kaipara Service Centre last ground floor slab will be poured late February 2021. The project is currently on schedule and on budget. Steel erection will begin early March and by the end of the month the superstructure should be largely in place.

Ÿ The sale of three significant and adjacent Union East Street properties is to go unconditional mid-February 2021.

Ÿ Demolition of a Hannah Street property is to occur in March 2021.

9.3.4 Regulatory Services

Consents in Process

During December 2020 and January 2021, a total of 75 Decisions were issued. These decisions comprised:

December 2020 (44)		January 2021 (31)
Ÿ Moorings	5	Ÿ Moorings	1
Ÿ Coastal Permits	9	Ÿ Coastal Permits	10
Ÿ Coastal Discharge Permits	0	Ÿ Coastal Discharge Permits	0
Ÿ Air Discharge Permits	1	Ÿ Air Discharge Permits	0
Ÿ Land Discharge Permits	5	Ÿ Land Discharge Permits	3
Ÿ Water Discharge Permits	1	Ÿ Water Discharge Permits	0
Ÿ Land Use Consents	13	Ÿ Land Use Consents	10
Ÿ Water Permits	2	Ÿ Water Permits	3
Ÿ Bore Consents	8	Ÿ Bore Consents	4

The processing timeframes for the December 2020 consents ranged from:

Ÿ 504 to 2 calendar days, with the median time being 28 days;

Ÿ 62 to 2 working days, with the median time being 19 days.

The processing timeframes for the January 2021 consents ranged from:

Ÿ 54 to 5 calendar days, with the median time being 48 days;

Ÿ 20 to 3 working days, with the median time being 17 days.

Forty-two applications were received in December 2020.

Ten applications were received in January 2021.

Of the 98 applications in progress at the end of January 2021:

Ÿ 52 were received more than 12 months ago (most awaiting further information from the applicant);

Ÿ 7 were received between 6 and 12 months ago (most awaiting further information from the applicant);

Ÿ 39 less than 6 months.

Appointment of Hearing Commissioners

No commissioners were appointed in December 2020.

The following commissioner was appointed in January 2021 for one consent hearing:

Ÿ Mr David Hill for consents associated with safety improvement works at Loop Road, Whangārei. The hearing is scheduled for 11 March 2021.

Consents Decisions and Progress on Notified Applications in Process, Objections and Appeals

The current level of notified application processing activities at the end of January 2021 is (by number):

Ÿ Applications Publicly/Limited Notified During Previous Month	0
Ÿ Progress on Applications Previously Notified	5
Ÿ Hearings and Decisions	3
Ÿ Appeals/Objections	2

COMPLIANCE MONITORING

The results of compliance monitoring for the period 1 December 2020 – 31 January 2021 (and year-to-date figures) are summarised in the following table and discussed below.

Classification	Total	Full compliance	Low risk non-compliance	Moderate non-compliance	Significant non-compliance	Not exercised during period
Air Discharge	39	37	1	0	0	1
Bore Consent	22	18	3	1	0	0
Coastal Discharge	20	17	2	0	1	0
Coastal Permit	85	80	2	1	0	2
FDE – Discharge	1	1	0	0	0	0
Land Discharge	112	90	12	3	1	6
Land Use Consent	76	69	5	0	0	2
Water Discharge	59	46	4	6	2	1
Water Permit	52	51	1	0	0	0
Water Take	130	78	47*	5	0	0
Total	596	487	77	16	4**	12
Percentage		81.7%	12.9%	2.7%	0.7%	2.0%
Year to date	3,405	2,404	408	294	108	191
Percentage		70.6%	12.0%	8.6%	3.2%	5.6%

* An example being where consent holders are late supplying their water use returns

** Significant non-compliance details

Name	Consent description	Date	Notes
Ota Point Effluent Society Incorporated	Discharge treated communal sewage to coastal waters @ Ota Point, Whangaroa	6 Jan 2021	Discharge exceeded biological water quality condition.
Far North District Council – Ahipara WWTP	Discharge treated wastewater & associated activities @ Ahipara	30 Nov 2020	Discharge exceeded water quality condition of consent.
Whangārei District Council – Oakura WWTP	Activities associated with the operation of a community wastewater treatment & disposal system @ Wharau Road, Oakura	6 Jan 2021	Discharge exceeded water quality condition of consent.
Waipapa Body Corporate	Discharge treated wastewater to land	25 Nov 2020	Discharge exceeded water quality condition of consent.

Coastal

The majority of consents monitored during the reporting period related to coastal discharges (treated municipal sewage, boat maintenance facilities and other industrial) and coastal structures. Most marinas have had at least four sampling events, as required by consent, during the reporting period.

Water, Waste, Air and Land Use (WWALU) Compliance Monitoring

Ÿ Water Use

Low river flows and the continuing dry conditions mean that staff resources are being prioritised to respond to water use and availability matters. An increasing number of calls were being received from water users finding themselves under pressure due to a lack of resilience in their supply and they were looking to the council for solutions. Most streams and rivers were below low flow levels and water is being restricted and rationed in some catchments. Chloride and water levels in coastal aquifers are being monitored and if a decline in water quality is detected in an aquifer then a catchment-wide water shortage direction may be required to restrict water use to essential use only.

Ÿ Wastewater

Staff are developing an action plan to deal with some long-term non-compliances with some of the underperforming wastewater treatment plants in the region.

Ÿ Earthworks and Forestry

The main issue presently, as always during dry periods, is dust. We are receiving a large number of dust complaints relating to development sites. Staff have been working with companies to ensure they have good management strategies to manage their sites, especially during weekends when there are few or no staff on site.

Ÿ Contaminated Land Management

The monthly amnesty collection days continued through December and January. The public appear to have adapted well to the change in frequency for collection with no decline to the amount of waste material being received.

A total of 34 contaminated land enquiries were received (13 in December and 21 in January), nine environmental incidents involving hazardous substances (two in December and seven in January), one site was added to the Selected Land-use Register (January), and 865kg of hazardous waste was disposed of (530kg in December and 335kg in January).

Environmental Incidents

There were no environmental incidents reported in December or January which resulted in a significant environmental impact.

ENFORCEMENT

Abatement Notices, Infringement Notices and Formal Warnings

The following enforcement actions were taken during the period:

Nature of Offence	Infringement Notice		Abatement Notice		Prosecution		TOTAL *
Nature of Offence	No. Offences	No. Notices	No. Offences	No. Notices	No. Offences	No. Notices	No. Offences	No. Notices
Burning / smoke nuisance	1	1	3	3	0	0	3	4
Discharge to land	0	0	2	3	0	0	2	3
Earthworks/land use	0	0	1	3	0	0	1	3
Farm dairy effluent	0	0	0	0	2	2	2	2
Illegal activity in CMA	1	3	1	2	0	0	1	5
Other air discharge	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	1
Other water discharge	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	1
Sediment	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	1
Sewage	1	1	1	2	0	0	1	3
TOTAL	3	5	10	16	2	2	13	23

*An infringement notice and an abatement notice may be issued for the same offence. This means that in the above table, Column 5 (Total No. Offences) is not necessarily the sum of Column 1 (Infringement Notice No. Offences) + Column 3 (Abatement Notice No. Offences).

Other Enforcement

Ÿ Sand dune removal – Tokerau Beach

Charges were laid against two parties – an individual and his company – for offending which occurred in July 2019. The alleged offences include the removal of a sand dune at Tokerau Beach. Guilty pleas were entered by the individual on 22 May 2020, with the charges against the company withdrawn. Sentencing did not proceed on 8 December 2020 after the judge allowed for the defendant to meet with local marae representatives and to report back to the court for sentencing on 2 February 2021. The judge combined four charges into two. The defendant was convicted on both charges and an enforcement order was made requiring payment of $5,968.58 to the council for remedial work and further weed control. The defendant was also sentenced to 300 hours community work (the highest number of hours that can be imposed is 400) and the marae representatives said they were happy for the defendant to do his community work hours on work for the marae.

Ÿ Timber treatment plant

Charges were filed in the Whangārei District Court on 12 March 2020 against a company and an individual for discharges from a timber treatment processing plant. An agreement has been reached between parties to withdraw the prosecution charges and apply for enforcement orders. This was done before the court on 2 February 2021 and we are now waiting for the court to issue the orders.

Ÿ Earthworks without erosion and sediment controls – Tōtara North

Six charges were laid in the Kaitāia District Court on 20 July 2020 against an individual for earthworks undertaken without controls, and work within a watercourse and the riparian management zone. A sentencing indication hearing was undertaken on 8 December 2020. The defendant advised the court on 2 February 2021 that he did not accept the indication and plead not guilty. The council was directed to file statements of evidence by 12 March 2021 and the case was adjourned to the nominal date of 27 April 2021.

Ÿ Open burning on industrial/trade property – Whangārei

Two charges were laid in the Whangārei District Court on 27 November 2020 against an individual for open burning on industrial/trade premises; the burnt items also included prohibited items. The first court date was on 20 January 2021, with the case being adjourned until 15 February 2021 to allow time for disclosure to be provided and considered.

COASTAL & WATER QUALITY

All routine water quality and ecological programmes were undertaken, including:

Ÿ Weekly recreational bathing sampling at 60+ sites.

Ÿ Monthly sampling runs (coastal and freshwater water quality, periphyton and cyanobacteria), including commencement of a one-year investigation in the Raumanga catchment.

Ÿ All continuous water quality stations were validated.

Ÿ Quarterly monitoring buoy deployments at Hātea River, Waitangi Estuary and the outer Bay of Islands.

Ÿ Annual freshwater macroinvertebrate and fish monitoring programmes, assessing the ecological community of Northland’s rivers and streams. The fish programme included collecting eDNA samples at five sites as part of a national pilot study. This technology analyses the billions of DNA molecules left by organisms and compares them with DNA libraries to identify what species are present.

Marine Pollution Regulations

Through our education for our marine pollution rules, staff developed a free phone app that shows “boaties” where they are in relation to the Northland and Auckland Council’s sewage discharge limits. These limits have also been added to the popular Navionics app.

Sediment Source Tracking July 2020 Storm Event

Sediment samples were collected from the Hātea river during the July 2020 storm. These samples were analysed by NIWA to determine the source of the sediment using a library of sediment sources within the catchment which were previously collected to determine historical sedimentation of the Whangārei Harbour. Results received from this event indicated the following sources:

Ÿ 40% stream bank erosion Ÿ 15% pasture

Ÿ 15% pine forest Ÿ 30% native forest

NATURAL RESOURCES DATA

Ÿ Work is progressing on implementation of the ecological database (KiEco). Most of the historic periphyton data has been prepared and quality assured, prior to uploading to KiEco. An import process for new data collected using Survey 123 has been built. Summer students have been assisting with data entry and formatting of macroinvertebrate, phytoplankton and freshwater fish data and required fields and configurations are being built in KiEco. Coastal sediment data has been loaded into the database.

Ÿ Development of the new environmental data portal for the NRC website is well underway. Dataset preparation is proceeding and system testing is scheduled for late February. The portal will include live data from the Hilltop database for rainfall, water level, water quality, drought and coastal wind and wave data in phase 1. Phase 2 will include biological data for periphyton, fish, macroinvertebrates and cyanobacteria.

HYDROLOGY

Rainfall

Ÿ January rainfall totals across the region have been a bit of a mixed bag due to the localised thunderstorms at the beginning of the month. The remainder of the month has been characterised by periodic south-easterly systems associated with lows in the Southern Ocean, which only delivered minor rainfall directed at the west coast.

Ÿ Overall Northland received less rainfall than expected (average) for January. Total rainfall at NRC gauges ranged from 28mm at Waihopo north of Houhora (Aupouri Peninsula) to 120mm at Waimamaku (south Hokianga).

Ÿ The gauges averaged just on 60mm regionally, which is about 80% of what we would expect to get in Northland at this time of year.

River Flows

· River flows at most stations for January ranged from “Low” (10^th to 25^th percentile) to “Extremely Low” (0 to 5^th percentile).

· Twenty-one out of 33 flow stations were below Drought Minimum Flows as at 4 February.

Groundwater

Groundwater in all aquifers except the Aupouri aquifer were below normal, with most systems at around the 25th percentile for January

Hydrology Projects

Ÿ Resource consent gaugings were undertaken with a focus on municipal water supplies.

Ÿ Instruments have been upgraded at Whangatane Spillway (Kaitaia), Ben Gunn wharf (Kaitaia) and Taheke rainfall recorder.

NATURAL RESOURCES SCIENCE

Air quality and carbon emission

Ÿ Ambient PM₁₀ monitoring results for November and December 2020 for the
Robert Street, Mairtown (Whangārei) and Marsden Point stations showed compliance with the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality.

Ÿ Ambient PM_2.5 monitoring results for the Robert Street station for November and December 2020 were within the Ambient Air Quality Guideline value.

Ÿ Unsealed road PM₁₀ monitoring commenced mid-December 2020.

Ÿ Council’s CO₂ -e (carbon dioxide equivalent) monthly emissions in 2019 and (up to November) 2020 are presented in the graph below. Since April 2020, council’s monthly CO₂-e emissions have been lower than 2019 emissions, indicating the effect of COVID-19 restrictions. However, carbon emission in October 2020 are slightly higher than October 2019. The graph is based on currently available data and therefore figures for the last few months are subject to change.

Freshwater Quality

· Work continued on collating, transforming and documenting the underlying GIS dataset of the river water quality current state (observed and modelled data) for the purpose of designing Freshwater Management Unit (FMU) based web-maps. When completed in early 2022, these maps will be publicly available to aid public consultation.

· The water quality monitoring network review continued with Stage 2 work plans for the rivers and lakes programmes started, and field inspections undertaken to scope new monitoring sites in the unrepresented FMUs (such as Herekino-Whāngāpē Harbour and Bream Bay).

· NIWA is working on the calibration of the regional CLUES model. The CLUES calibration process for total nitrogen needs to be refined by using the LWS physiographic dataset to reflect the actual underlying water quality process, which is currently not captured by the traditional approach of using the Overseer model used in CLUES.

· Envirolink projects summary:

· Workshop for guidance on surrogate technologies for river suspended sediment load.

· Workshop for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of riverine flow management under NPS-FM. This will provide a framework for effective and efficient M&E of instream ecological response to riverine flow management by regional councils, in accordance with the NPS-FM.

· Dissolved oxygen (DO) metabolism for Northland Rivers, including a workshop and a guidance document prepared by the Cawthron Institute on data collection, data management and reporting of the river ecosystem metabolism.

Coastal

· In December, NRC collected drone footage and conducted a multibeam survey in the semi-sheltered waters located between the central islands of the eastern Bay of Islands and the Rāwhiti Channel. This work is part of a project with a group of local researchers, NIWA and Ngāti Kuta to map seagrass and turf algae beds in the area.

· Previous research shows the strength of the multibeam signal can be used to identify and map different habitats. This information, together with the drone images and the underwater videos previously collected, will be used to map and characterise the features of this area, identified as a significant ecological area (SEA) in the Proposed Regional Plan for Northland.

A picture containing text, swimming, ocean floor

Description automatically generated

The aerial drone footage above was collected from Okahu Channel in the Bay of Islands,
and clearly shows turf algae habitat on the seabed

· Dune assessments were conducted at six locations throughout Northland (Waipu, Ruakaka, Pataua, Taipa, Ahipara and Hukatare). The assessments involved surveying the dune plants and the dune profile along transects perpendicular to the shore. These areas were all previously surveyed in 2017. The results enable council to identify changes and the presence of pest plants, see - https://monitoring.coastalrestorationtrust.org.nz/survey-data/northland/

9.3.5 Environmental Services

land management ENVIRONMENT FUND

Sustainable Hill Country and Regional Priorities

Milestones	Status
Research
Coastal erosion buffers	A coastal erosion tool utilising remote sensing and LiDAR data has been developed and tested in the Kaipara Harbour. It includes an erosion hotspot layer to help prioritise soil conservation work. We are moving into Phase 2 which is testing its capability outside of the coastal zone for eventual application across the entire region.
Mature poplar/ willow	Poplar has been milled into a range of products for treatment and mechanical testing. Samples have been sent for testing and a small amount of product (fence posts, strainers, truck decking etc) will be made available for purchase and field testing.
Farm Environment Plans (FEPs)
	Nine of target 41 FEPs (22%) completed in 2020-21. As discussed with MPI, an alternative reporting template has been developed for the remaining 32 projects covering the first six-month reporting period of 2020-21. The reports bullet point the date of the site visit, land management issues observed, recommendations, and outcome such as environment fund application, planting plan or soil conservation plan.
Stakeholder engagement
	A project engagement strategy has been approved by MPI. Promotional material is in development including a ‘planting hub’ on the council website and information boards and brochures. Staff have attended local A&P shows and industry led field days to promote the project.
Land treatments
Retirement fencing	$57,339 worth of retirement fencing has been approved this year. However, a significant amount of funding ($195k) is still to be allocated. The amount of Efund dedicated to hill country retirement was increased by 2/3 compared to last year which partly explains the underspend to date. Farmers are also targeting riparian areas rather than hill country in preparation for stock exclusion rules. A promotional plan, developed with the communication team, is being actioned to drum up more fencing and planting projects.
Contractor capacity development	Spray release training was delivered by Dean Satchell at SHaRP’s flagship planting project in Paparoa. Further contractor training on poplar and willow planting is in development for delivery in March. Additional workshops will be held with nurseries and forest managers prior to the planting season.

The Whangārei Urban Awa Project

The first bi-monthly report has now been sent to MfE and the first quarterly report has also been sent (Q2 2020 – 2021). Progress to date includes 273 letters sent to potentially eligible landowners with 41 positive responses received to date. Of those received, 12 have had site visits (vetted on parameters including presence of cattle and unfenced waterways). Eleven estimates of fence length and cost have been sent to landowners with 9.3km of fencing proposed as a result of the site visits.

biodiversity

FIF Dune Lakes Project

Objective	Status
Aquatic weed and pest fish control	Hornwort control: Staff are planning for further control of hornwort in spring 2021. Reconnaissance at Lake Camel in the Far North was completed in December 2020. Two water bodies are involved and at least one is treatable with Aquathol. Advice is being sought from NIWA with the operation potentially going ahead in spring 2021. A joint media release from Te Uri O Hau, NRC and Department of Conservation was put out in December to advise the public about the hornwort found in two Poutō dune lakes which is a serious threat to the Poutō dune lake system. NRC would lead control in Lake Egg and work with DoC and local iwi leading control in the unnamed lake managed by DoC. Pest fish work is ongoing, and the next grass carp removal operation is scheduled for March. eDNA samples have been taken from Lake Ōmāpere and Waipū Golf Club ponds to assess the efficiency of this method in detecting pest fish in still waterbodies like lakes.
Sediment and nutrient mitigation	A contract has been signed to undertake the earthworks at Lake Ngatu and Rotokawau to reduce sediment and nutrient entering both lakes through the construction of swales and wetlands.
Maori Lakes Strategy	Te Hiku Maruwai are in discussions with other iwi partners to confirm dates and locations of a marae based wānanga to progress this part of the project. The wānanga is planned in the Far North, with tentative dates set for 26-29 April.
Education Days	Sixty students from 24 schools across NZ attended a freshwater event at Whareimu on the banks of the Rotokakahi River, on 12 January 2021. This event was held in conjunction with Te Aho Tu Roa’s biannual noho taiao, this time held in Pawarenga at Taiao Marae.

Lakes

Biodiversity staff undertook a lakes reconnaissance snorkel survey with Patuharakeke iwi at Ruakākā Dune Lake and Pukekauri Dam at Takahiwai. Ruakākā Dune Lake had recovered well from last summer’s drought and, although very shallow at around 1.5m deep, had clear water and was vegetated with native submerged plants. Pukekauri Dam had not been assessed previously and was in excellent condition with meadows of submerged native plants to more than 7m. One staff member also assisted with a cultural harvest of kuta at Pukekauri Dam, which is a reed used for weaving.

CoastCare

Over the summer the science team have been assisting CoastCare with dune monitoring as part of a national dune monitoring project. In December and January dune assessments were conducted at six sites around Northland: Waipu Cove, Ruakaka, Pataua North, Taipa, Ahipara and Hukatare).

The assessments involved surveying the dune plants and the dune profile along transects perpendicular to the shore. These areas were all previously surveyed in 2017 so the results will enable us to identify changes in the vegetation cover over time, the proportion of native vegetation cover and the presence of pest plants. The transect data can be viewed and compared to the previous survey results at https://monitoring.coastalrestorationtrust.org.nz/survey-data/northland . In addition, the drone was flown (where weather conditions permitted).

BIosecurity incursions and response

Threatened koi carp release

In late December 2020, information was passed on to council Biosecurity staff that disgruntled trout anglers aim to release koi carp into Northland’s Kai Iwi Lakes. Staff and representatives from the Department of Conservation, Kaipara District Council and the affected iwi and hapū (Te Roroa and Te Kuihi) were involved in a response. Northland Regional Council took a lead role with consultation and with close support from the other stakeholders.

A koi carp release into these lakes of national and international importance would result in severe ecological damage, ruin recreational activities (thereby affecting revenue from tourism), and negatively impact on Māori cultural values. If koi were to become established, eradication in these lakes would be extremely difficult. Intensive netting is an option and council has a large number of nets ready to deploy if a release was confirmed.

Whilst the response was stood down in the middle of January, with no evidence to suggest that any release took place, education and surveillance will continue. Testing of water samples using eDNA techniques will be undertaken in February to determine presence or absence of koi carp, and the Check, Clean, Dry Programme will continue to provide information and education regarding freshwater pest species.

Check, Clean, Dry Programme

The annual Check, Clean, Dry (CCD) summer advocacy programme (funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries) began in late November. This year a council CCD advocate and two Kaitiaki Rangers are delivering the freshwater pest awareness campaign. Activities have included:

Ÿ CCD advocacy stall at the Whangārei Agricultural and Pastoral Show. An aquarium display showing freshwater pests and native species and a hidden weed game for children attracted a constant stream of interest. CCD surveys were collected with an incentive prize for participants.

Ÿ Kaitiaki Rangers attended Waka Ama events at Lake Ngatu, speaking to participants, distributed collateral and collected CCD survey information.

Ÿ On-going lakeside advocacy by the Kaitiaki over the holiday period.

The freshwater pest and native species display was a popular attraction
in the CCD stall at the Whangārei Agricultural and Pastoral Show.

Wild animal control - feral deer

A sika deer hui was held at Rāwhiti marae on the 14 December 2020 hosted by Ngāti Kuta and Patukeha hapū, and information concerning the sika population in Russell and what could be done Pleasingly, the feral deer response team had minimal deployment over the January period conserving budget for the autumn roar period, however one sika was destroyed in Russell.

Kauri dieback - hygiene stations and gates

Ÿ Pāwarenga Hygiene Stations

Council in collaboration with the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Department of Conservation, and Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa, assisted with the establishment of a vehicle and footwear hygiene stations in Pāwarenga. The hygiene stations are located at the base of the Warawara forest on the Pāwarenga side and provides the necessary tools needed to prevent disease spread. Council staff attended the official opening of the hygiene stations was on 25 November 2020.

Ÿ Cape Brett Hygiene Stations:

Council, in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and the Te Rāwhiti 3B2 Trust, have installed three barrel and grate hygiene stations on tracks in the Cape Brett area.

Ÿ Punaruku Road Gate:

In collaboration with with Ōtetao Marae and landowners, council has installed a heavy duty gate on Punaruku Road to prevent the spread of kauri dieback. The disease has been detected adjacent Punaruku road as well as in Russell forest. The gate is administered by Ōtetao Marae and provides them the ability to manage vectors and provide additional support and information to those operating within the area.


New vehicle hygiene station at Pawarenga		Heavy duty gate installed on Punaruku Road

Kauri Dieback Track Mitigation Northland Project

This Provincial Growth Fund project to upgrade walking trails around Northland to protect kauri was signed off in December. The $1.14M project will create new jobs, boost local economies and improve trial walking experience along the Te Araroa Trail in Northland. Project works are on the verge of commencement with a fenced off hygiene area at Kauri Mountain set up and ready to receive materials.

partnerships

Kiwi Coast

Over the summer, Kiwi Coast has implemented three key monitoring measures:

Ÿ 2020 Pest Control Results:

Collating trap catch data across Northland as a means of demonstrating the collective impact of pest control efforts, maintaining trapper motivation and championing the hard work Northlanders are putting in to ensure our native forests and wildlife can thrive.

Ÿ Kaka and Korimako/Bellbird Survey:

Fieldwork began in February for this five-yearly survey of kaka and bellbirds is conducted in partnership with NorthTec. These birds are rare on the Northland mainland and the survey is part of the Kiwi Coast’s long term ‘Indicator Species Monitoring Program’

Ÿ Kiwi Listening Blitz #2:

Fieldwork for the second ‘Kiwi Listening Blitz” will be completed this summer. Over 100 sites have been surveyed with Kiwi Listening Devices during the past 12 months, and the monitoring will now enter the analysis phase. This will compare results from the first survey in 2016 with the new data.

Predator Free Whangārei

Early engagement has included:

Ÿ Landowners of properties <100 ha: Early engagement to introduce the project and discuss the proposed possum eradication methods has been invaluable to the project.

Ÿ Landcare groups: The project team met with Taiharuru Landcare group this month.

Communication resources required for gaining landowner permissions are nearing completion and recruitment of project staff is underway.

Whakakoro Biodiversity Survey

Council Biosecurity and Biodiversity staff joined members of Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa, and hapū from Te kotahitanga Marae at Whangapē to conduct a three-day survey on Whakakoro. The council role was to look at the site and values to see how we could help support pest control aspirations of the hapū, especially with regard to kiwi protection. The survey work included fish surveys in the streams, Wetland Condition Index, trail cameras, plant identification, spotlighting, coastal plant identification and kiwi listening.


Some of the native species identified in the gumlands at Whakakoro during the survey (L to R): Banded Kōkopu, the small native carnivorous plant Spoon-leaved Sundew Drosera spatulata, and native bees

Ÿ Weed Control:

The year finished with a combination of weed control events and education and advocacy opportunities. Volunteers contributed 55 hours across 3 events in December.

Ÿ Dog Control Advocacy:

A roadside noticeboard has contained a dog control on beaches message in January.

A notice placed in Ngunguru in January advocating sensible dog management on beaches and coastal environs.

Mid North High Value Area – Pest Free Purerua Project

The “Pest Free Purerua” project, led by Kiwi Coast and sponsored by Kiwis for Kiwi and the Jobs for Nature fund, commenced on 1 January 2021. The Purerua Peninsula covers 7,600 ha on the northern reach of the Bay of Islands-Ipipiri with in the Mid North Area of Northland. The pest control effort within the area is supported by iwi, private landowners, Kiwi Coast, Department of Conservation and Northland Regional Council. The overall project objectives are to enhance the natural environment through active encouragement of pest control, providing wildlife corridors along marginal strips, connecting areas of biodiversity, protecting native flora and fauna, and enabling weed control. This work will be carried out as resources allow.

Agreed project outcomes are:

Ÿ Trap possums, stoats, rats and feral cats on the peninsula to enhance indigenous biodiversity (flora and fauna) and increase food sources for indigenous birds, especially kiwi. Conservation Land identified for trapping includes Taronui Bay Recreation Reserve, Marsden Cross Historical Reserve.

Ÿ Protect native biodiversity across the peninsula, with special emphasis on creating and maintaining refuge areas to protect native species that are classified as threatened or at risk.

Ÿ Establish an 8,000 hectare buffer zone from Kāpiro to Rangitāne for suppression of possums, stoats, rats, and feral cats.

Ÿ Develop employment opportunities within the project for local trappers.

Western Northland HVA

Ÿ Te Toa Whenua Community Pest Control Area: The installation of 661 bait stations has been completed and baiting commenced.

Ÿ Maunganui Bluff Community Pest Control Area: The Residual Catch Trap result for the pre-monitor of possums was 30.4%.

Ÿ Pūpūrangi Community Pest Control Area: The group has confirmed the presence of long tailed bats in their management area.

Ÿ Kai Iwi Lakes: The post-control possum monitor has been completed and the result was 1.4% wax tag index which indicates that possums have been knocked down to very low numbers.

marine biosecurity

Hull Surveillance Programme

Between 26 November 2020 and 25 January 2021, the Hull Surveillance Programme surveyed 836 vessels. There were 40 incidents of Sabella spallanzanii (Mediterranean fanworm), 21 incidents of Styela clava (clubbed tunicate) and one incident of Undaria pinnatifida (Japanese kelp) found on vessel hulls, the majority of which were in Whangārei Harbour.

All incidents of pests recorded on vessels outside areas of known infections were cleaned within five working days, either in-water by an approved dive contractor or by owner directed haul outs. Marine biosecurity staff continue to work closely with vessels in infected harbours to ensure they are cleaned within an appropriate time frame or before they move to another harbour.

Hull Surveillance Programme Results 26/11/2020 – 25/01/2021	Total this month	Total YTD
Pathways Plan Compliance
Number of vessels surveyed this month	836	953
% Pathways Plan Compliance (all vessels) *	62.6%	59.71%
% Pathways Plan Compliance (recent arrivals) **	84.7%	84.7%
Vessels found with Marine Pests
Sabella spallanzanii (fanworm)	40	40
Styela clava (clubbed tunicate)	21	27
Undaria pinnatifida (Japanese kelp)	1	1
Eudistoma elongatum (Australian droplet tunicate)	0	0
Pyura doppelgangera (sea squirt)	0	0

* % of vessels surveyed that complied with the acceptable level of light fouling as defined in the Marine Pathways Plan.

** % of vessels on anchor that complied with the acceptable level of light fouling as defined in the Marine Pathways Plan.

Staff have been encouraged by the high compliance with our Pathways Plan rules this summer, particularly from visiting vessels, and are grateful for the overwhelmingly positive feedback our divers received during their surveillance efforts. With the huge increase in vessel ownership and domestic vessel travel this year, this will be an important trend to keep up, and constant vigilance is advised.

Conversely, we still continue to intercept occasional vessels that are very heavily fouled and often harbouring one or more invasive marine pests.

Two such examples were found in December and January in Whangārei Harbour. Both were recently arrived vessels inspected by council staff and found to be harbouring Undaria pinnatifida, Clavelina (yet to be identified to species level) and Meditteranean fanworm. While Whangārei Harbour has an established population of Mediterranean fanworm, Undaria is not known to be established in the harbour and Clavelina is new to Northland entirely. The vessels owners complied with staff by immediately arranging for their vessels to be hauled and cleaned.


A vessel hull in Whangārei Harbour heavily fouled with several invasive species, including Clavelina, Undaria and Mediterranean fanworm (Sabella spallanzii)		A council staff member inspects a vessel hull in Whangārei Harbour during regular checks of recently arrived vessels

Top of the North Marine Biosecurity Partnership (TON)

Development of a proposal for a Clean Hull Plan (formerly the Inter-regional Marine Pathway Management Plan) continues to progress and the partnership team have entered a period of early engagement and testing with Māori partners and key stakeholders. A formal consultation process is likely to commence late 2021.

National marine biosecurity

A cross partnership meeting was held in Wellington in December to discuss key learnings of the key marine biosecurity partnerships across New Zealand and plan the next steps for creating a nationally coordinated approach to managing domestic marine biosecurity risks.

Public reports of marine pests continue

Staff have welcomed an increase in public reports of marine pests over the warmer months – it is great to see so many people engaging with our programme and reporting anything unusual. A possible sighting of Mediterranean fanworm in Hokianga Harbour was promptly followed up by staff and confirmed to instead be a native fanworm species. Staff will continue to offer pest identification workshops across Northland to enable interested community members to learn how to distinguish the invasive species from some of the similar looking natives.

PEST PLANTS

Ÿ Spartina: Five staff have commenced annual herbicide treatment of Kaipara Harbour sites of the eradication pest plant, spartina. Three sites have been treated, including a challenging site at Tinopai.

Ÿ Pultenaea: Pultenaea removal and treatment contracts have been completed for three blocks with further works on-going.

Council staff tackle a spartina treatment site
in Tinopai under dense mangrove forest

freshwater pests

Red-eared slider turtles

There have been six turtle incidents in December and January. Two turtles were captured at Mangawhai and given to council for rehoming. One turtle was handed in at the Waipapa office and rehomed with staff. Two further turtles were handed into a veterinary clinic and have been rehomed. There was also a public report of a turtle at Langs Beach.

rivers

Long Term Plan Projects

Rivers	Comments
Awanui	The Southern Spillways are progress well, approximately 40% completed. Allan Bell Park works are schedule to start early Feb. Church Road Rock Stabilization tender closed 26 Jan with 3 bids, we expect this to be awarded the 1^st week in Feb.
Kerikeri-Waipapa	Resource Consent has been lodged with both NRC and FNDC.
Matangirau	Progress with key landowners has been slow, staff have incorporated the help of local Kaumatua to help progress.
Otiria/Moerewa	Working party meeting held on 27 Jan. Staff presented the hydraulic modelling to the committee. The committee supported staff to proceed with feasibility study and LTP inclusion.
Kawakawa	Working party agree to include proposal in LTP but to undertake engagement with affected business owners in parallel and report back to the next committee meeting on potential options.
Kaeo	Work is underway with the annual maintenance programme

NATURAL HAZARDS

Work Streams	Status	Comments
Coastal erosion hazard mapping	100% complete	Maps being prepared for publication
Coastal erosion research	Phase 1 complete	All Northland open coast historic shorelines digitised. Analysis underway with publication of results due mid-2021
Rangaunu harbour coastal flood mapping	100% complete	Maps being prepared for publication
Region-wide coastal flood mapping	99% complete	Final maps received and being prepared for publication, report under review
Region-wide river flood mapping	50% complete	Peer review report received; draft Whangārei district maps received
Whangārei river flood model	Initiation phase	Model update started
Public release of new coastal hazard maps	Planning phase	New coastal hazard zones (10 new coastal erosion zones plus coastal flood hazard zones for entire coastline) and communications plan to be presented to council 9 Feb 2021. Publication of maps to NRC website expected early April 2021. NRC staff working with TA planning teams to align with district plan reviews.

Climate Change Response

Work Streams	Status	Comments
NRC Climate Change Strategy	Draft	Draft strategy, including the proposed NRC carbon neutral plan, to be presented to Climate Change Working Party in March
Climate Adaptation Te Taitokerau - Adaptation Strategy	In development	Climate Risk Assessment 1 - Risk descriptions – draft complete and under internal review. Release planned March 2021 Climate Risk Assessment 2 - Coastal risk spatial analysis - community risk profile analysis underway Regional Adaptation Strategy due Late 2021
Joint Standing Committee on Climate Change Adaptation	Planning	Inaugural meeting 12 April at NRC

Northland Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)

Excellent feedback from the Northland community regarding the LiDAR data set. A final deliverable data set is expected by end of March.

MĀORI ENGAGEMENT

Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu “Referring to the tiniest piece of pounamu that still has significance”

Ÿ Te Oneroa ā Tōhe Beach Management Plan has been confirmed. Formal launch to be cofirmed for February 2021

Ÿ Te Whāriki will commence in February 2021 with the remainder of Level 1 participants yet to undertake training workshop.

Ÿ Iwi Hapū Environmental Management Plans: IHEMP funding round is closing mid-February 2021. This fund totals $20,000 which is designed to support tangata whenua in creating environmental management plans in their rohe.

9.3.6 STRATEGY, Governance And Engagement

NATIONAL INITIATIVES

National Policy Statement-Freshwater Management (NPS-FM)

A workshop to brief council on key aspects of the plan change process was held on 1 December 2020.

The Primary Sector Liaison Group met for the first time on 14 December 2020. The introductory meeting included presentations from council staff on the latest round of Freshwater Reforms.

The first Tangata Whenua Water Advisory Group Meeting was held on 19 January 2021. The meeting was well attended, and the group appreciated council staff presence at the Pōwhiri and the attendance of the Chair, Penny Smart and Cr Marty Robinson.

The Chief Freshwater Commissioner, Professor Peter Skelton is tentatively scheduled to visit the Northland Regional Council on 9 March 2021. He will meet with councillors and council staff to discuss the new Freshwater Hearings Panel and associated freshwater planning process.

MfE has also indicated that they intend to revise the National Environmental Standard Freshwater (NES-F) to remove typographic errors and to improve clarity. MfE are also hosting various workshops across the country for council staff to discuss implementation of the NPS-FM with the Upper North Island workshop to be held on 17 March in Hamilton.

The NRC website has been updated with a web page providing guidance on the Government’s Essential Freshwater reforms: www.nrc.govt.nz/essentialfreshwater

PROPOSED REGIONAL PLAN

Since the last update provided to council, Environment Court hearings have been held on unresolved aspects of Topic 11 (in relation to Significant Ecological Area mapping at Marsden Point) with a decision due end of March/April 2021. The Court has also recently released its decision on water quantity appeals that were heard at the end of last year and the findings will be discussed at the next Planning & Regulatory Working Party meeting on 24 February.

A decision on the legal questions as to the jurisdiction of the NES-F, and related definitions (particularly impacting wetlands and mangrove definitions) was issued 10 February. At the time of writing staff had not yet analysed the decision to determine its implications.

Topic 8 (agrichemicals) has been set down for hearing in April 2021, Topic 5 (water quality) early May, and Topic 14 (marine protected areas/fishing controls) for July 2021. The Court has advised that its calendar is now very full and any other matters that require hearing time will unlikely be heard until later in 2021. Negotiations on other unresolved matters are ongoing.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Investment and Growth Reserve – Projects Report

Project	Update	Future developments/ reporting
Extension 350	Meet with evaluators to discuss methodology and data that NRC could provide.	Quarter Two 2020/21 report to be received.
Te Hononga		Awaiting project completion report (was due in November).
Manea Footprints of Kupe		Awaiting project completion report (due February).

Other Work Undertaken

Ÿ Joint economic development initiative – Second meeting of the Regional Economic Development Service Delivery Working Party took place on Tuesday 8 December 2020.

Ÿ Letter of Expectations for the Statement of Intent 2021-2024 sent to Northland Inc.

Ÿ Internet Speed Survey 2020/21 launched 17 December 2020 and closing end of February 2021. The Digital Enablement Group (comprising the four Northland councils and Northland Inc) are running the internet speed survey to gather information that will assist us in the group’s work with central government to expand and improve broadband coverage in Northland.

Ÿ Ngāwhā Innovation and Education Centre – work with Northland Inc. on the proposed Centre, which will be part of and support the Ngāwhā Innovation Park development

Ÿ NEST loan agreement – NEST have formally written to council informing us that they do not require to draw down the funds available through the second loan facility.

ONLINE CHANNELS

Most popular content on Facebook:

Ÿ December 2020

December’s most popular content on Facebook: An alert to be aware that a single seeding for the Batwing Passionflower has been found in the Whangārei Heads area and to be on the lookout for any of these invasive pest plants. The post reached 20,500 people and engaged with just over 2,000 people.

Ÿ January 2021

Tū i Te Ora Scholarship - a post encouraging whānau to find someone they know, who could be eligible for a $3000 Tū I Te Ora scholarship and have them to apply. The post reached 6,873 people and engaged with 216 people.

Key Performance Indicators	Sept 20	Oct-20	Nov-20	Dec-20	Jan-21
WEB
# Visits to the NRC website	29,396	29,500	30,400	32,213	36,300
E-payments made	11	12	5	7	6
# subscription customers (cumulative)	1,260	1,265	1,255	1,257	1,270
SOCIAL MEDIA (cumulative)
# Twitter followers	1,536	1,540	1,546	1,549	1,551
# NRC Facebook fans	9,880	9,920	10,065	10,144	10,200
# NRC Overall Facebook Reach	74,00	61,000	149,121	216,341	189,600
# NRC Engaged Daily Users	5,229	4,681	9,203	10,133	7,365
# CDEM Facebook fans	21,200	21,200	21,200	21,200	21,300
# CDEM Overall Facebook Reach	86,900	20,400	49,400	50,561	83,600
# CDEM Engaged Daily Users	5,764	4,681	2,570	3,123	14,800
# Instagram followers	1,241	1,256	1,284	1,315	1,320

NOTES:
Sept – decrease in Facebook reach & engagement due mostly to being one FTE down in Online Services team this month.

Nov – increased in reach due to increase in post volume and extremely popular post on toxic seas slugs.

ENVIROSCHOOLS / EDUCATION

Freshwater day held at Pawarenga

On 12 January 2021 a ‘Getting to know your awa day’ was held at Wharerimu, Pawarenga. A sprinkling of staff from the Enviroschools, Biodiversity and Biosecurity teams joined in Te Noho Taiao o Te Rarawa for a day of hands-on learning. Topics covered included: fish – pest and native, tuna (eels), amphibious plants, terrestrial pests and water quality testing. Approximately 60 rangatahi and 40 adults participated.

Enviroschools communities facilitated

Despite the school holidays, during January and February, Enviroschools Facilitators held 88 specific interactions with school and early childhood communities.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL INFORMATION (LGOIMA) REQUESTS

Month	LGOIMA requests received 2019/20	LGOIMA requests received 2020/21
July	15	25
August	22	17
September	16	12
October	29	14
November	11	14
December	12	17
January	14	16
February	21
March	13
April	12
May	13
June	15
TOTAL LGOIMA REQUESTS RECEIVED	193	115
LGOIMA requests not responded to within 20 working days*	18	5

9.3.7 Customer Service – Community Resilience

TRANSPORT

Draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2021/2027

At the December 2020 Regional Transport Committee (RTC) meeting a report was tabled updating the committee on the progress made on the Draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2021/2027 (RLTP). Elected representatives and their support managers were linked to the “Strategic Front End” of the document via OneDrive with a request to include their comments and recommendations. These will be reviewed at the RTC meeting of 10 February 2021.

Following the meeting, both the elected representatives, their support managers and members of the Project Team attended a State Highay and Local Road Improvement (large projects) project prioritisation workshop in accordance with Section 16 (3) (d) of the Land Transport Management Act 2003. The elected representatives agreed on the prioritisation of the projects for inclusion in the Draft RLTP.

Due to the number of amendments made to the State Highway Improvements list, another workshop has had to be scheduled following the RTC meeting on 10 February 2021 to reprioritise these projects.

It is planned to have the Draft RLTP out for public consultation from 24 February 2021 to 26 March 2021.

Draft Regional Public Transport Plan

An update report on the Draft Regional Public Transport Plan 2021/2031 (RLTP) was also tabled at the December 2020 RTC meeting.

In addition, members of the Joint Whangārei District Council - Northland Regional Council Whangārei Public Transport Working Party were also invited to put forward comments and recommendations on those sections that covered the Whangārei services.

Passenger Transport Administration

*BusLink figures are reported one month in arrears, due to the required information being unavailable at the time of the agenda deadline.

Bus Link stats for December 2020 (revenue ex GST)	Actual	Budget	Variance	Year/Date Actual	Year/Date Budgeted
City Link Passengers	21,413	25,848	-4,435	165,018	17,4216
CityLink Revenue	$27,417	$34,895	-$7,478	$208,958	$235,192
Mid North Link Passengers	200	168	32	970	960
Mid North Link Revenue	$710	$840	-$130	$3,526	$4,800
Hokianga Link Passengers	143	84	59	641	474
Hokianga Link Revenue	$625	$584	$41	$3,275	$3,297
Far North Link Passengers	255	461	-206	2,260	3,486
Far North Link Revenue	$766	$1,253	-$487	$5,750	$9,568
Bream Bay Link Passengers	60	30	30	305	162
Bream Bay Link Revenue	$340	$108	$232	$1,978	$583
Hikurangi Link Passengers	52	60	-8	70	108
Hikurangi Link Revenue	$83	$156	-$73	$149	$280
Whangārei Heads Link Passengers	24	30	-6	42	54
Whangārei Heads Link Revenue	$87	$130	-$43	$167	$234

Buslink Christmas Promotion / Event

In partnership with the Community engagement team, there was a Buslink Christmas promotion. All Buslink services were free, Christmas Eve Thursday 24th December, passengers received Christmas gifts on the day of travel. NTA and NRC staff were present at the Rose Street bus terminus spreading some Christmas cheer.

Total Mobility

Total Mobility (TM) figures are reported one month in arrears, due to the required information being unavailable at the time of the agenda deadline.

	Total Clients	Monthly Actual Expend	Monthly Budgeted Expend	Monthly Variance	Year/Date Actual Expend	Year/Date Budgeted Expend	Annual Variance
Nov 2020	1,575	$21,010	$25,000	-$3,990	$106,534	$125,000	-$18,466
Dec 2020	1,552	$21,625	$25,000	-$3,375	$128,159	$150,000	-$21,841

Total Mobility Renewal process

Ridewise the (electronic swipe card system) has now been live/ in operation for 3 years, Total Mobility cards expire every 3 years. NTA staff are currently going through the renewal process of issuing new cards while doing a database cleanse.

International Day of People with Disabilities – 3 December

This year the theme was “Happy to be Here” celebrating living in Whangārei and being part of the community. There was entertainment, and stalls where disabled people were selling their arts, crafts and products. NTA staff promoted the Total Mobility Scheme, and along with WDC the Northland Wide Accessibility Survey.

Ridewise two

RW2 workshops with User Acceptance Testing (UAT) councils, which includes Northland, will begin in 2021. The project needs to be re-scoped and we need to work towards producing a (MVP) minimum viable product, not the RW2 functions that were originally promised. In addition, there are serious performance issues with RW1, so there a matter of urgency to move forward.

ROAD SAFETY UPDATE

Road Trauma Update: 2020 Year to date road death statistics

Provisional Road Death Statistics for 2020:

Ÿ National = 320 deaths compared to 352 in 2019.

Ÿ Northland = 28 deaths compared to 29 in 2019.

Over the past ten years, more than 3,200 people have died in road crashes in New Zealand, and an estimated 23,000 have been seriously injured according to Greg Lazzaro the Waka Kotahi General Manager, Safety, Health & Environment in a press release on the 2020 road toll.

Separate Crash Analysis (CAS) Data for Northland shows that between 1980 and 2020 there have been 1,190 fatal crashes killing 1,378 people. The peak deaths of 54 occurred in 1989 and the lowest number of deaths being 7 occurred in 2011. During this period there were no other times total annual deaths were 10 or below.

There have only been two years (2012 and 2014) where there have been under 20 total deaths, in those years there were 18.

Christmas Fatalities	2016/2017	2017/2018	2018/2019	2019/2020	2020/2021
National	19	12	9	4	11
Northland	3	3	1	0	1

Fatalities this year	Far North	Whangārei	Kaipara	Northland	National
Local roads	1	0	0	1	8
State highways	2	1	0	3	13
TOTAL	3	1	0	4	21

Road Safety Delivery:

Motorcycle Safety - Ride Forever (R4E) Rider Training Update: For the 2020/21 financial year ending June 2021, 91 riders have participated in the Ride Forever (R4E) rider training programme across Northland.

The breakdown included riders participating in the following courses totals 91:-

Ÿ 30 on the Bronze course;

Ÿ 30 on the Silver course; and

Ÿ 31 on the Gold course.

Truck Education and Health Stops

Two Truck Education and Health Stops were held on 11 and 18 November 2020 at Uretiti and Northport respectively. There was a lot of support from the Northland Freight Group partners along with St John Bream Bay, who carried out basic health checks on drivers.

Fatigue/Driver Reviver Stops

The stop scheduled for 18 December 2020 was cancelled due to the big CVST Operation covering north and southbound trucks involved with shifting containers from Northport back to Auckland.

The stop scheduled for 29 January 2021 was cancelled due to the recent positive Covid case visiting the Bream Bay area where a large number of our volunteers reside and underwent testing.

The Fatigue/Driver Reviver Stop scheduled for 5 February (Waitangi Weekend) is set to go ahead.

Heavy Vehicle Operation

Both NorthPort and the Auckland/Northland Police Commercial Vehicle Safety Teams (CVST) carried out a campaign during the period that containers were being transported from NorthPort back to Auckland and some to Whangārei.

A number of issues with vehicles and drivers were addressed by the safety teams. Some road safety resources targeting driver behaviour were also handed out to truck drivers while they were down at NorthPort awaiting access to the unloaded containers.

Road Safety Promotion/Media

Road safety promotion work continues supporting Police and partners with road safety promotion at events such as the Driver Reviver/Fatigue Stops and Truck Education and Health Stops, Waitangi Weekend events, with key messaging such as ‘RIDS’ – Restraints, Impairment, Distractions, Speed which continue to feature too frequently in our serious injury and fatal crashes.

Advertising themes in the Road Safety Advertising Calendar 2020/21 for the months of January and February are ‘Speed, Young Drivers, Motorcycling, Seatbelts’.

Additional social media messaging occurred on the Northland Road Safety Facebook and Instagram platforms with short road safety video tips filmed and posted daily throughout December and into January 2021.

A collage of participants is shown to the right

CUSTOMER SERVICES

Telephone inbound call statistic & enquiries

	December 2020	January 2021	Target
Call volume via Customer Services	1.952	1,872
Conversion rate	97.9%	97.6%	>95%
Average wait time	5 sec	5 sec
Calls answered in under 30 sec	96.7%	96.6%	>90%

Call volumes were particularly high during the first two Mondays in December. Enquiry volumes tailed off in the last week before the holiday break, as is the normal pattern. The first week back after the break was relatively quiet on phones but there was a notable increase in walk-in customers with pest plant enquiries. Call volumes steadily picked up, although January 2021 was considerably quieter than previous years.

The Customer Services team triaged over 1,300 new phone enquiries during the December – January period, resolving 38% of calls at first point of contact.

Biosecurity continue to make up the bulk of new enquiries, with the maritime and consents also receiving a large number of requests.

Feedback cards, compliments and complaints

Feedback cards have been included with the tallies for compliments and complaints, as appropriate.

Compliments received	Total
Information Ÿ Monitoring	1
Overall service Ÿ Bus - Citylink Ÿ Strategy and Governance	2
Service provided by a specific person/people Ÿ Biosecurity - C Sharp Ÿ Consents - M Musa (2), J Giles Ÿ Monitoring - M Lakin Ÿ Rivers - J Camuso, D Foster	5
Total compliments recorded	8

Complaints received	Total
Standard of service provided Ÿ Bus - CityLink	4
Staff or contractor behaviour/attitude Ÿ Bus - CityLink	1
Disagree with decision or process Ÿ Land Management Ÿ Maritime	2
Lack of information or communication Ÿ Bus - Citylink Ÿ Monitoring	1
Issue has occurred repeatedly for me Ÿ Bus - Citylink	1
Total complaints recorded	9

It is pleasing to see our customers acknowledging our staff by name for their work. In recent months the Consents team, in particular, has been getting a lot of positive feedback on their efficiency and communication.

Most of the complaints regarding the bus service relate to the holiday period when there were some problems with buses not running true to timetable.

All complaints raised in the reporting period have been resolved or have been provided with an explanation to support our decision.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

National

The All of Government COVID-19 Resurgence Plan was disseminated to CDEM Groups in December 2020.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) continues to develop its new organisational structure.

Regional

The Northland CDEM Group engaged in the response and monitored the developing situation during the recent COVID-19 situation in Northland. The group disseminated information to key stakeholders, updated various high-level groups, including governance representatives and maintained a high level of awareness if a wider response was required. The group is also maintaining an active watch on the developments of the vaccine programme.

Regional arrangements for managing any potential drinking water or drought issues over the Christmas period were put in place by the Northland CDEM Group and the Northland branch of the Ministry of Social Development. The Northland CDEM Drought Plan was updated and disseminated before Christmas and regular contact has been maintained with councils and commercial water delivery businesses to monitor the water situation across the region. This work is ongoing throughout the summer months.

On-call CDEM staff supported Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) during the fire response to a rural fire in Ahipara on Tuesday 29 December 2020. CDEM staff supported public information and communication, community welfare support including a site visit to the evacuation centres at the rugby club and the Roma Marae.

Two applications have been made to the National CDEM Resilience Fund for support of two regional CDEM initiatives; the development of a regional electronic emergency needs assessment tool and a contribution towards supporting a CDEM Community Resilience role in building the engagement of Iwi and Maori within Emergency Management in Northland.

Further discussions and investigations continue towards the proposed Northland Multi Agency Emergency Coordination Centre, including the draft Long-Term Plan proposed budget allocations by councils, agency participation, possible building specifications requirements and location.

The region’s 90+ tsunami information boards at coastal locations are undergoing their annual checks to identify any maintenance issues, with repairs being carried out by local council contractors.

The Northland CDEM Group Plan 2016-2021 continues to be reviewed, with an external stakeholder and partners consultation workshop to be held in late March as part of the process.

MARITIME

Forty-five incidents were received over December and January, most Incidents being bylaw offences. Two notable incidents being the boat fire in the Bay of Islands in which a vessel burnt to the waterline, with some public feedback being received concerning the perceived lack of response from Emergency Services and the Harbourmaster’s office. Given the location and nature of the incident, response options were limited. Recovery of the wreck is in progress.

Both Whangārei vessels attended the McLeod’s Bay Bank Party, held on 16 January 2021. The party is an annual event and is held on a bank accessible only by boat that exposes at low water. Estimates would have numbers of vessels attending this year at 150 – 200, with in excess of 1,000 people on the bank at the height of the event. One vessel flipped at speed shortly before dark - two persons ended up in the water and were rescued by Harbourmaster staff. Neither had life jackets and both were heavily intoxicated.

The Summer Patrol Programme, run in collaboration with Maritime New Zealand and their “No Excuses” Campaign, ran over the holiday period with 351 interactions recorded. A significant increase of recreational vessels was observed on the water throughout the region. However, behaviour was generally good, and staff generally well received during interactions.

FED Funding from Maritime New Zealand also covered the employment of a Summer Safety Ambassador for the Far North, working closely with local Iwi and remote communities. In addition to the regular harbours patrolled, staff also undertook patrols in Houhora, Mangonui and Waipū Estuary.

A pre-summer meeting was held with representatives from both Customs and NZ Police with an objective to conduct coordinated on water patrols. Police officers accompanied staff on several of the harbour patrols throughout the region.

Two large container ships called to Northport during the months of December and January - the Constantinos P at 261m and the Tianjin Bridge at 294m. Both vessels are the largest to have called into Northport facilities and the second largest vessels to call into Marsden Point. The Harbourmaster and Deputy Harbourmaster worked closely with Northport and the Marine Pilots during the risk assessment, simulations and feasibility assessments.

The simulator model for the Bay of Islands has also been put to use to maintain license currency as well as to assess contingency options for various equipment or gear failure. The simulator is also proving valuable in reassessing and establishing further defined maximum weather operating criteria.

Staff have also been working to remove oils and pollutants from a large fishing vessel in Whangārei in preparation for scrapping.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil

[1] Page 98, Northland Regional Council Delegations Manual.

TITLE:	Receipt of Action Sheet
ID:	A1404896
From:	Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
Authorised by:	Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager, on 17 February 2021

*Projects removed from the 20/21 Annual Plan*
Tangata Whenua capability	$30,000
Modelling of aquifers	$100,000
Enviroschools staff and seminars	$86,565
Pest plant prevention work stream	$110,000
Biodiversity FIF dune lake position	$75,131
Biosecurity marine position	$60,092
Economic policy advisor	$85,701
Kaiarahi Mahere Māori technical advisor	$82,784
Northland Inc. business case assessment	$100,000
Campaigns & engagement coordinator role	$41,392
Building reconfiguration (capital works)	$106,000
Biodiversity contractors	$30,000
Planning & Policy BAU - for LTP contract work	$10,000
Offsite storage of consent files (building reconfiguration)	$17,000
Internal Audit BAU	$27,000
Total AP projects reinstated	$961,665

*New projects approved by council*
BOI harbour modelling	$58,000
ReCoCo obligations	$100,617
Otiria-Moerewa Flood Modelling and Pre-feasibility Study	$80,000
NRC Water Allocation Tool	$40,000
Climate change advisor	$57,511
Storage facility security fence (capital works)	$65,000
Enterprise system advance	$55,000
Fan worm eradication	$98,000
Total new projects	$554,128
Grand total	$1,515,793

Work Programmes, Salaries and Projects removed from, or reduced in, the 2020/21 Annual Plan to remedy the deficit arising from the impact of COVID‐19. Listed in no particular order.
Description of Programme Position or Project	Estimated Amount/Value	Approved/Removed/No decision
Tangata whenua capability and capacity	$30,000	Approved
Modelling highly allocated aquifers	$100,000	Approved
Enviroschools staff and seminars	$86,385	Approved
Off‐site storage of consent files	$17,000	Approved
Pest plant prevention	$110,000	Approved
Project costs associated with Northern Wairoa and lakes projects (Biodiversity contractors)	$41,854	Approved at $30,000.
~~Conferences and training~~	~~$25,000~~	~~Removed~~
S17a reviews	$20,890	No decision
Long Term Plan costs	$10,000	Approved
~~Communications – casual staff and promotions~~	~~$15,000~~	~~Removed~~
WNW Catchment Group	$35,352	No decision
Lab testing costs	$100,000	No decision
Citizen panels	$10,000	No decision
~~Backup staff~~	~~$10,000~~	~~Removed~~
FIF Dune Lake Position	$75,131	Approved
Biosecurity Marine Position	$60,092	Approved
FIF Wairoa position	$80,897	No decision
Junior hydrology officer	$69,000 Operational Exp. $4,700 Capital Exp.	No decision
~~National wells database~~	~~$20,000~~	~~Removed~~
Freshwater accounting system	$100,000	No decision
Māori engagement, Environmental awards extension and Intern	$68,880	No decision
~~Coastal water quality consultants~~	~~$7,231~~	~~Removed~~
~~Reg Services lab testing costs~~	~~$7504~~	~~Removed~~
Reg Services mobile device purchases	$3,000	No decision
~~Maritime teams overtime budget~~	~~$15,000~~	~~Removed~~
NIWA Kingfish legal fees	$10,000	No decision
Economic Policy Advisor Position	$85,701	Approved
Environmental Science Reporting Officer Position	$81,894	No decision
Kaiarahi Mahere Māori ‐ Māori technical advisor position	$101,000 Operational Exp. $82,784 $4,700 Capital Exp.	Approved. Reduced to $82,784.
~~Northland Māori representation on national committee 'Te Maruata'~~	~~7000~~	~~Removed~~
~~Data asset management~~	~~75000~~	~~Removed~~
Campaigns and engagement coordinator position	$40,000 Operational Exp. $4,700 Capital Exp.	Approved
Technology upgrades	$200,000	No decision
Far north poplar and willow nursery manager position	$70,322	No decision
~~Eastern Bays Hill country staff~~	~~$82,206~~	~~Removed~~
Painting of Water Street building, vehicle costs	$104,004	Approved. Redirected this to Union East fencing @ $65,000
Internal Audit	$27,000	Approved
IT Consultants and other Corporate Excellent BAU	$15,000 $61,210.	Approved. $10,000 approved for LTP contract work.
Water Street Reception and Ground Floor Meeting Rooms Renovation and fit out:	$105,663 Capital Exp.	Approved
OTHER ADJUSTMENTS MADE TO 2020/21 Annual Plan to remedy the deficit arising from the impact of COVID‐19.
Utilisation of Community Investment Fund Capital in lieu of Investment income – as Economic Development funding	$1,700,000
Utilisation of Community Investment Fund Capital in lieu of Investment and general income – as General funding	$200,000
Utilisation of Infrastructure Investment Fund Capital in lieu of Investment and general income – as General funding	$250,000
Utilisation of Equalisation reserve as General funding	$150,000
Reduction in Economic Development Project Development budget	$300,000	Approved at $100,000

Name:	Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence,
Title:	Group Manager - Corporate Excellence
Date:	10 February 2021

No.	Option	Advantages	Disadvantages
1	Approve amendment to Delegations Manual.	Allows for more prompt responses to expenditure requirements of externally funded projects.	Minor reduction in council's financial oversight, however the policy requires the reporting of unbudgeted expenditure back to the next council meeting.
2	Decline amendment to Delegations Manual.	Retain greater financial oversight regardless of funding source.	Could lead to future delays in obtaining equipment for funded projects like PF2050.

TITLE:	Declaration by Whangārei Urban Constituency councillor
ID:	A1403176
From:	Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
Authorised by Group Manager:	Ben Lee, GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement, on 17 February 2021

TITLE:	Announcement of the result of Whangārei Urban Constituency By-election 2021
ID:	A1403138
From:	Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
Authorised by Group Manager:	Ben Lee, GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement, on 17 February 2021

TITLE:	Confirmation of Minutes - 15 December 2020
ID:	A1411207
From:	Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
Authorised by Group Manager:	Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager, on 17 February 2021

TITLE:	Introduction of Three New Private Equity Funds into the Long-Term Investment Fund
ID:	A1408862
From:	Simon Crabb, Finance Manager
Authorised by Group Manager:	Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence, on 17 February 2021

TITLE:	Regional Rates Collection - update to 31 December 2020
ID:	A1409030
From:	Simon Crabb, Finance Manager
Authorised by Group Manager:	Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence, on 17 February 2021

TITLE:	Financial Report to 31 January 2021
ID:	A1410512
From:	Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant

TITLE:	Policy on the appointment of directors to council organisations
ID:	A1399125
From:	Linda Harrison, Organisational Project Manager
Authorised by Group Manager:	Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence, on 23 December 2020

TITLE:	Delegations Manual Amendment for Unbudgeted Expenditure
ID:	A1404935
From:	Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant
Authorised by Group Manager:	Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence, on 09 February 2021

TITLE:	Adoption of Policy on the Appointment of Independent Advisors to Council
ID:	A1406880
From:	Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence
Authorised by Group Manager:	Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence, on 17 February 2021

TITLE:	Draft Submission - Water Services Bill
ID:	A1409345
From:	Justin Murfitt, Strategic Policy Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager:	Ben Lee, GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement, on 17 February 2021

Date	Addressed To	Subject
15.12.20	Sarah Petersen and Murray Reade Northland Inc.	Northland Inc. Ltd Statement of Intent 2021-2024 – Letter of Expectations
15.12.20	Geoff Copstick Independent Financial Advisor	Acknowledgement of service
16.12.20	Ian Reeves Prosper Northland Trust	Oruku Landing decision to consult
16.12.20	Maureen Hicky Te Arawhiti	Kaipara Moana Treaty Settlement – iwi and hapū interests other than Kaipara Uri
22.12.20	Hon Nanaia Mahuta Minister of Local Government	Relationships with Tangata Whenu of Te Taitokerau Region
23.12.20	Hon James Shaw Minister of Climate Change	Meeting with NRC
06.01.2021	Minister Andrew Little Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations	Meeting with NRC – Treaty Settlements

TITLE:	Draft submission - Climate Change Commission advice package
ID:	A1409639
From:	Justin Murfitt, Strategic Policy Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager:	Jonathan Gibbard, Group Manager - Environmental Services, on 10 February 2021

TITLE:	Local Electoral (Maori Wards and Maori Constituencies) Amendment Bill - submission
ID:	A1411109
From:	Ben Lee, GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement
Authorised by Group Manager:	Ben Lee, GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement, on 17 February 2021

TITLE:	Regional Economic Development Service Delivery Working Party - An additional objective and a request for recommendations
ID:	A1410349
From:	Darryl Jones, Economist
Authorised by Group Manager:	Ben Lee, GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement, on 17 February 2021

TITLE:	Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party appointment of Co-Chair and proxy Co-Chair
ID:	A1411967
From:	Auriole Ruka, Kaiwhakahaere Hononga Māori
Authorised by Group Manager:	Ben Lee, GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement, on 15 February 2021

TITLE:	Health and Safety Report
ID:	A1406493
From:	Kelcie Mills, Health and Safety Advisor
Authorised by Group Manager:	Bruce Howse, Group Manager - Corporate Excellence, on 16 February 2021

TITLE:	Chair's Report to Council
ID:	A1410621
From:	Penny Smart, Chair
Authorised by Group Manager:	Penny Smart, Chair, on 17 February 2021

TITLE:	Reporting on the Long Term Plan 2018-2028 performance measures for quarter two of the 2020/21 year
ID:	A1404614
From:	Robyn Broadhurst, Policy Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager:	Ben Lee, GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement, on 17 February 2021

1.1 Governance
1.1.1 Maintain effective, open and transparent democratic processes
Percentage of official information requests that are responded to within 20 working days.	100% compliance	98% – not achieved An explanation as to why individual LGOIMA requests are not responded to within 20 working days is reported monthly via the CEs Report.
Percentage of time that elected members attend council meetings.	90% compliance	96% – achieved
1.2 Māori relationships
1.2.1 Establish enduring and robust governance relationships between council and Māori of Taitokerau
Ten meetings (five formal meetings and five marae-based meetings) of the Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party are held each 12-month period.	10 meetings held annually	On track to achieve Two regional hui and one formal meeting held in Q2.
1.3 Communication and engagement
1.3.2 Promote effective community engagement
Number of subscribers to online and social media channels (includes social media, eNewsletters and web alerts).	25% annual increase (number and percentage increase to be reported)	3% – not on track to achieve End of Dec 2020: 19,243 subscribers This is due to an ongoing change to the way this target is set – no longer focused on straight increase in number of subscribers, more on engagement levels.

2.2 Consents
2.2.1 Provide efficient and effective processing and administering of resource consents
Percentage of all resource consent applications that are processed within the statutory timeframes.	98% compliance	99.8% – achieved
2.3 Monitoring (compliance monitoring)
2.3.1 Provide efficient and effective compliance monitoring of resource consents
Percentage of monitored resource consents that are not graded as significantly non-compliant.	90%	95.27% – achieved
Percentage of monitored permitted farm dairy effluent activities that are not graded as significantly non-compliant.	90%	88% – not achieved This measure is dependent on landowner behaviour which, while influenced by council activities, is also influenced by factors outside of council’s control.
Percentage of consents for industrial, municipal sewage and farm discharges, and major water takes requiring monitoring, that are monitored as per the council's consent monitoring programme.	100%	75% – on track to achieve This is an end-of-year target that we are currently on track to achieving.
2.3.2 Efficient and effective response to and resolution of reported environmental incidents
Percentage of environmental incidents with more than minor effects reported to the Environmental Hotline resolved within 30 working days.	80% resolved within 30 working days	69% – not achieved Of the 23 incidents that had more than minor adverse environmental affects, seven were not able to be resolved within 20 working days. However, end-of-year target may still be achieved.
2.4 Monitoring (State of the environment monitoring)
2.4.2 Monitor the life-supporting capacity of water (fresh and marine), uses and values
Comprehensively monitor at least 40 coastal sites monthly for general water quality.	40 sites monitored annually	On track to achieve This is an end-of-year target that we are on track to achieve. Sampling is undertaken each month.
2.4.3 Monitor the standard of ambient air quality in Northland
Percentage of air sheds meeting the national air quality environmental standards.	100% compliance	100% – achieved

3.2 Hydrology
3.2.1 Provide information on water resources including rainfall, flood levels and ground water
Percentage of time that flood level monitoring is accurate to enable flood warnings to be developed.	100% compliance	100% – achieved
3.3 Biosecurity
3.3.1 Promote community involvement in pest management
Increase in hectares of land under Community Pest Control Area Plans (CPCAs) per annum.	Increase by 5000 ha annually	On track to achieve Proposed CPCAs currently being planned include: Waipoua Forest Trust (284ha); Opara/Wharekawa (1000ha); Waipunga (979ha); Pukenui (2000ha); and Te Orewai (2832ha).
3.4 Biodiversity
3.4.1 Maintain and enhance indigenous biodiversity and eco-systems around our rivers, lakes, wetlands and coastal margins
Number of plants provided through CoastCare programme.	2019/20: 12,000	6,242 – on track to achieve
3.5 Land and water
3.5.1 Promote improved water quality by providing advice and funding on sustainable land management, soil conservation, and biodiversity through farm management and catchment management initiatives
Area in hectares (ha) of land being actively managed under a sustainable farm environment plan.	Increase 25,000 ha per annum	Not on track to achieve This is due to a change in direction for Farm Management Advisors, whereby farm plans are no longer being written.
Number of subsidised poplar poles provided for erosion-prone land by the Flyger Road nursery.	2019/20: 7,000	Subsidised poles will not be provided until the next planting season (May 2021) and therefore haven’t been reported on here.
Kilometres of waterway margins protected to reduce sediment, nutrient run-off and general contamination of water, funded by the Environment Fund.	Increase (from baseline data)	162.7kms – on track to achieve The baseline is 297km.

TITLE:	Legislative compliance for the period 1 Juy - 31 December 2020
ID:	A1411605
From:	Kyla Carlier, Acting Strategy Policy and Planning Manager
Authorised by Group Manager:	Ben Lee, GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement, on 17 February 2021

TITLE:	Receipt of Committee Minutes
ID:	A1411062
From:	Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager
Authorised by Group Manager:	Chris Taylor, Governance Support Manager, on 17 February 2021

TITLE:	Working Party Updates and Chairpersons' Briefing
ID:	A1406160
From:	Sally Bowron, Strategy, Governance and Engagement Team Admin/PA
Authorised by Group Manager:	Ben Lee, GM - Strategy, Governance and Engagement, on date 17 February 2021

Item No.	Item Issue	Reasons/Grounds
11.1	Confirmation of Confidential Minutes - 15 December 2020	The public conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of information, as stated in the open section of the meeting.
11.2	Receipt of Confidential Committee Minutes	The public conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of information, as stated in the open section of the meeting -.
11.3	Human Resources Report	The public conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of information, the withholding of which is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons s7(2)(a).
11.4	Enterprise System	The public conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of information, the withholding of which is necessary to enable council to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities s7(2)(h).