Agenda of Council Meeting - Tuesday, 24 May 2022

No.	Option	Advantages	Disadvantages
1	Withdraw $1 million from the Harbour T.Rowe Price Global Equity fund and invest in self-managed cash in the LTF.	Reduce the exposure to global equities at this stage in the economic cycle as a part of the ongoing de-risking strategy.	The potential yield from self-managed cash is less than the potential yield from global equities, however the risk with global equities is higher particularly at this stage in the economic cycle.
2	Maintain the current investment holdings of $3.16M in the Harbour T.Rowe Price Global Equity fund	The potential yield from global equities, however the risk with global equities is higher particularly at this stage in the economic cycle.	Greater risk exposure at this stage in the economic cycle.

No.	Option	Advantages	Disadvantages
1	Receive the Statement of Intent for RSHL	Compliant with legislative requirements. The RSHL SOI is received by council. Council’s investment is managed appropriately.	No material disadvantage.
2	Do not receive the Statement of Intent for RSHL	No advantage through not receiving the SOI.	Not compliant with legislative requirements. Potentially destroys council’s value in our CCO and council’s shareholding may not be managed appropriately.

Council Meeting item: 7.4

24 May 2022

TITLE:	Poplar and Willow Nursery Expansion
From:	Ruben Wylie, Land Management Programme Manager
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Jonathan Gibbard, Pou Tiaki Taiao – Group Manager Environmental Services, on 18 May 2022

Executive summary/Whakarāpopototanga

Council established a poplar and willow nursery in 2013 to supply poplar and willow poles to landowners with erosion prone land. This initiative is a key component of council’s long-term soil conservation programme. As part of the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan, council budgeted $1,270,000 to invest in the expansion of the nursery, split at $790,000 over 2021/22 and $480,000 spread over the two following years. Following a detailed analysis of investment options, staff recommend investing a portion of the available budget into the existing site, and retaining the remainder of the budget to expand the nursery once land becomes available nearby.

Recommendation(s)

1. That the report ‘Poplar and Willow Nursery Expansion ’ by Ruben Wylie, Land Management Programme Manager and dated 4 May 2022, be received.

2. That the capital budgets for the nursery expansion are retimed by:

a. allocating $200,000 in the 2022-2023 financial year to develop the existing poplar and willow nursery;

b. allocating the remainder of the capital budget to the 2023-2024 financial year to enable expansion of the existing nursery through the purchase of nearby land and associated site development.

3. That council acknowledges the poplar pole production targets:

a) contained within the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan will not be achieved;

b) for the current site will be 7000 poles per annum (following further site optimisation investment); and

c) need to be reassessed following the purchase of additional land to support nursery expansion.

4. That staff report back to council by March 2023 to provide an update on capital progress with nursery upgrades and further enquiries into potential land acquisition.

Options

No.	Option	Advantages	Disadvantages
1	Invest in existing site and retain funds to purchase nearby land.	Provides for a financially prudent approach for expansion that manages investment risk whilst optimising production at the existing nursery.	Dependant on land becoming available for expansion and recuses the amount of poplars able to be produced until additional land is able to be acquired.
2	Invest in a new site	A new site provides certainty that council will meet its poplar pole delivery targets.	Council does not have budget for this option and the availability of land is a substantial unknown.
3	Upgrade the existing site with no expansion.	This option is the least costly.	This option will limit poplar production to approximately 7000 poles per annum.

The staff’s recommended option is Option1

Considerations

1. Environmental Impact

The recommended decision will limit the amount of poplar and willow material available for soil conservation treatment until such time as new land is developed to expand the nursery. Although this outcome may limit the area of land under active soil conservation management in the short-term, it is considered that the long term environmental impact will not be significant given the multi-generational nature of soil conservation treatments.

2. Community views

Community views are not known. However, staff consider that the recommended option represents the best balance between financial prudence and environmental outcomes and it is expected that the community would generally be supportive of the recommendation.

3. Māori impact statement

It is recognised that Māori are likely to prefer the provision of native plant species above those of exotic species. At this stage however there are no known native species that have the same soil conservation properties while also enabling landowners to maintain their farming operations. It should be noted that the decision to expand the poplar and willow nursery was consulted on and a decision to expand the nursery was made as part of the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan process.

4. Financial implications

The recommendation will result in the deferring of capital expenditure that is already set down in the Long Term Plan 2021-2031. The key financial implication is therefore deferring of expenditure. Capital expenditure is funded from councils retained earnings. The majority of the capital expenditure will be applied to land purchase and therefore will not impact rates. The smaller proportion of expenditure will be on asset development and will have an impact on rates as these assets are capitalised (this was taken into account during LTP deliberations). The deferring of investment is therefore not going to result in any material rating impacts other than a small delay in when the rating impact occurs as it relates to asset depreciation.

5. Implementation issues

The key implementation issue relates to availability of land for expansion. It is assumed land will become available as a result of the land acquisition by KiwiRail associated with the Marsden Point spur line. Council has first right of refusal for any land disposal associated with the acquisition process. Delays in the aquation process by Kiwirail will limit council’s options for future land purchase.

Deferring the expansion of the nursery, and subsequent increase in production of poplar poles, will have an impact on Council’s ability to achieve its Long Term Plan KPI’s associated with poplar pool production. It is estimated that our current site, once optimised, will be able to produce 7000 poles.

6. Significance and engagement

In relation to section 79 of the Local Government Act 2002, this decision is of low significance when assessed against council’s significance and engagement policy because it is part of council’s day to day activities. This does not mean that this matter is not of significance to tangata whenua and/or individual communities, but that council is able to make decisions relating to this matter without undertaking further consultation or engagement. Policy, risk management and legislative compliance

There are no known policy or legislative compliance issues associated with this decision. The main risks of this decision are outlined in the Implementation Issues and Financial Implications sections of this report.

Background/Tuhinga

NRC established the poplar and willow nursery in 2013 to supply poplar and willow poles to land owners with erosion prone land. The Nursery is spread across 16 hectares of land at 185 Flyger Road in Mata. Average annual production from the nursery since 2018 is approximately 6000 poles per year

The nursery is a key asset of council’s long-term soil conservation programme. In recognition of the role poplar and willows contribute towards council’s soil conservation programme, the 2021-2022 Long Term Plan budgeted to invest $1.270,000 towards the expansion of the nursery. The phasing of that budget is $790,000 in 2021/22, with the remainder spread over the two following years. The purpose of the expansion was to increase production to 25,000 poles per year by 2031. That target is a key performance indicator within the 2021-2022 long term plan.

Implications of the Kiwirail Marden Spur

Kiwirail is planning to develop a new rail corridor to connect Marsden Point to the main rail line at Oakleigh, south of Whangarei. Kiwirail is currently in the land acquisition phase of the development. Approximately 4ha of the nursey site is designated for the rail corridor. The rail development will therefore result in a reduction in productive capacity of the current nursey area.

The rail development will also increase council’s options for land purchase for nursery expansion. As Kiwirail acquires land, it will dispose of land in excess of the requirements for the corridor. Council has an agreement with Kiwirail, that, amongst other things, gives first right of refusal for any land disposal associated with the rail development process.

Investment options

Staff commissioned a business case to identify investment options, and analyse these in the context of strategic, financial and economic drivers. Expansion options were developed and costed with a view to achieving the 2021-2022 long term plan production KPI of 25,000 poles per year.

Four options were considered and these are summarised below.

Scenario 1: Expand the current site

Under this scenario, the current footprint of the nursery would be expanded through purchasing approximately 15ha of land from neighbouring land parcels, bring the total area of the nursery to 22ha.

A critical constraint for this option is the availability of land surrounding the current nursey. Currently there appears to be no land available to purchase. Enquiries to date have confirmed that neighbouring landowners are currently not interested in selling.

Land suitable for expansion of the nursery is expected to become available as part of the acquisition and associated disposal process for the Marsden Spur. However, the acquisition process may be several years away from completion.

This scenario has an estimated capital cost of $1,500,000.

Scenario 2: upgrade and improve the existing site

This scenario envisages no expansion to the existing footprint but operational improvements to optimise the productive capacity of the existing nursery. The nursery is currently not fully optimised in terms of productive capacity due to a lack of infrastructure investment. By investing in improved irrigation, additional water sources and improved drainage, it is expected production could be increased to approximately 7000 poles per year, taking into account the land removed for the rail corridor.

This scenario has a total capital cost of $320,000, but will limit pole production to approximately 7000 poles per year, falling well short of the Long Term Plan target of 25,000 per year.

Scenario 3: Purchase a new site and sell the current site

Under this scenario, NRC would eventually withdraw from the current site and establish a new nursery at a new site with the appropriate size and conditions.

This scenario is the recommended option set down in the business case. The business case recommended this scenario because it is likely to provide the greatest certainty that council will be able to deliver on its pole production targets within the timeframes set down in the LTP. However, the capital expenditure associated with this option is $2,040,000, and so is substantially in excess of the LTP budget.

Scenario 4: Retain the existing site and purchase a new site

This scenario is premised on NRC retaining the current nursery site and purchasing a new land parcel to establish a second nursery, replicating production processes across both sites.

This option would result in operational inefficiencies resulting from the need for staff to move between nurseries and either share equipment or duplicate assets to manage both sites. For these reasons, this option was identified as having the highest operational cost. Capital costs associated with this option were estimated to be $1,500,000M.

Discussion

Council does not have sufficient budget for any of the options required to meet the 25,000 pole target. Moreover, due to staff resourcing constraints, even with sufficient budget, delivering $790,000 of capex this year to invest in the nursey would have been a major practical challenge. Although the business case recommend scenario 3 (develop a new site and sell the old site) as the best option, that recommendation was on the basis of solely meeting the 25,000 pole target within the timeframes specified within the LTP.

The LTP pole KPI assumed substantial demand from the Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR) programme. That demand has not eventuated to date because at present KMR is focused on delivering riparian fencing and native riparian planting, and it is yet to decide on whether the programme will fund exotic trees as an erosion treatment. With the above taken into account, poplar pole demand is likely to lag behind the targets set down in the LTP. However, the pole target remains relevant. It is expected that implementation of Freshwater Farm Plan regulations, and as landowners become more accustomed to the multiple benefits associated with establishing poplars on highly erodible land, that demand will continue to increase. For this reason, it is considered appropriate to invest in the nursery to meet demand in a manner that is generally aligned with the the 2021-2031 LTP, but that the investment should be deferred to ensure the investment is financially prudent, takes into account staff and land availability constraints and matches the demand generated by future legislative and strategic initiatives.

With the above factors taken into account, it is recommended council defer the capital expenditure for the nursery expansion to enable the existing nursery to be upgraded over the 2022-2023 financial year, and reprofile the remaining budgets to allow for land purchase and development at an adjoining (or nearby) site over years 3 and 4 of the LTP. This timing will enable staff to significantly improve the productive capacity of the existing site, and will enable sufficient time to investigate land acquisition options, including those presented by the Kiwirail Marsden Spur development. Retiming the investment will also allow time for the statuary changes that are likely to affect pole demand to come into effect, in addition to council having greater certainty as to the role poplars and willows will play in respect of delivering the KMR programme.

Investment required at the existing nursery includes:

· Additional groundwater source;

· Additional irrigation and associated electrical work;

· Earthworks and drainage works to improve site conditions;

· Plant and equipment to improve operational efficiency.

· Improved site storage.

The total cost of these improvements is estimated to be $200,000, and staff recommend that this quantum of the budget is deferred to the 2022/2023 financial year to enable the productive capacity of the nursery to be improved through capital investment in assets and infrastructure. It is proposed that the remaining budget ($1,070,000) is deferred to 2023/2024 to provide budget for land purchase and site development in year 3 of the LTP.

Finally, it is recommended that the poplar pole production target is capped at 7,000 poles per annum with a review of appropriate production targets as part of the 2024-2034 Long Term Plan process. This review will enable staff to determine appropriate poplar pole targets and the associated land requirements for budgeting purposes for the 2024-2034 Long Term Plan process.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil

Council Meeting item: 8.2

24 May 2022

TITLE:	Chief Executive’s Report to Council
From:	Malcolm Nicolson, Tumuaki - Chief Executive Officer
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Malcolm Nicolson, Tumuaki - Chief Executive Officer, on

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘Chief Executive’s Report to Council’ by Malcolm Nicolson, Tumuaki - Chief Executive Officer and dated 2 May 2022, be received.

8.2.1 Highlights

Tutukaka Annual Structure Surveys

Surveys of all structures and the seafloor were completed in Tutukaka by contractor divers. This survey has been completed annually since 2015 where fifteen Mediterranean fanworm (Sabella spallanzanii) were discovered on vessels and the seafloor after a heavily infested vessel was found in the harbour. Although our hull surveillance does detect fanworm occasionally on newly arrived vessels, there has been no new recruitment on structures since 2017 and this species is now considered to be eliminated in the harbour. This successful eradication highlights the importance of early detection and a rapid response, while also illustrating the success of council’s vector control programme.

Marine Vessel Portal

Marine biosecurity staff continue to collaborate with regional Top of the North partners and central government (Auckland Council, Waikato Regional Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Ministry for Primary Industries, and the Department of Conservation) to develop and populate a marine vessel portal. The portal will facilitate data collection by users, stakeholders and partner councils, including marinas, haul out facilities, and eventually individual vessel owners empowering them to manage their biofouling and hull cleaning records more easily.

The Marine Vessel Portal is a centralised vessel database that will be crucial to the implementation of the Clean Hull Plan by mapping and recording vessels moving between regional boundaries and allowing members of the public and marinas to access certain information about their vessel or vessels entering their facilities. There are an estimated 20,000 vessels on moorings and marina berths in the Top of the North area (equating to approximately 90% of all New Zealand’s vessels). Since the start of this financial year, the Top of the North collaboration has captured vessel information for over 9,000 of these vessels. In the absence of vessel registration this represents a very valuable tool for the marine biosecurity team as well as other departments in Council.

A screenshot of the Marine Vessel Portal.

2022 Whakamānawa ā Taiao Environmental Awards

Entries to the fourth annual Whakamānawa ā Taiao Environmental Awards closed on 20 April and judging of applications is now underway. A total of 52 entries were received across the 9 categories, including to the new Youth environmental leader category introduced this year. This new category has been included to celebrate and recognise the many young people who are making a positive difference to the environment now and for the benefit of future generations.

Also new in 2022 is the Kiwi Coast Outstanding group or project award, recognising high achieving Northland groups and projects who have proven their commitment to restoring the health of their local native forests and wildlife, including kiwi. This special award has been introduced to broaden the reach of the awards and to support NRC partners to celebrate and recognise mahi specific to their core focus. There are 10 applications being considered for this award.

The winners of the fourth annual Whakamānawa ā Taiao - Environmental Awards be revealed at an awards celebration in Dargaville on Thursday 26 May.

This year 22 finalists have been announced. The full list of finalists can be found on the awards.nrc.govt.nz website.

8.2.2 CEO’s Office

Current Legal Proceedings

Department	Description	Status
Consent decision appeal	Two separate consent applications for replacement and new consents relating to a proposed expansion of, Doug’s Opua Boat Yard in Walls Bay, Ōpua	No further update. Awaiting direction from the Environment Court.
Consent decision appeal	Irrigation of avocado orchards and horticulture crops	Court Hearing to commence Monday 9 May 2022.

8.2.3 CORPORATE SERVICES

Enterprise System Update

Fraud Declaration

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

8.2.4 regulatory services

Consents in Process

During April 2022, a total of 203 Decisions were issued. These decisions comprised:

Ÿ Moorings	1
Ÿ Coastal Permits	26
Ÿ Air Discharge Permits	2
Ÿ Land Discharge Permits	4
Ÿ Land Use Consents	140
Ÿ Water Permits	25
Ÿ Bore Consents	5

The processing timeframes for the April 2022 consents ranged from:

Ÿ 188 to 1 calendar days, with the median time being 43 days;

Ÿ 79 to 1 working days, with the median time being 27 days.

Thirty-eight applications were received in April 2022.

Of the 176 applications in progress at the end of April 2022:

Ÿ 29 were received more than 12 months ago;
Reasons for being more than 12 months old:
- Awaiting additional information (including CIAs)	12
- Consultation with affected parties/stakeholders	4
- On-hold pending new rules becoming operative	6
- Other	7
Ÿ 16 were received between 6 and 12 months ago (most awaiting further information from the applicant);
Ÿ 131 less than 6 months.

Appointment of Hearing Commissioners

No commissioners were appointed in April 2022.

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

The current level of notified application processing activities at the end of April 2022 is (by number):

Ÿ Applications Publicly/Limited Notified During Previous Month	0
Ÿ Progress on Applications Previously Notified	4
Ÿ Hearings and Decisions	0
Ÿ Appeals/Objections	2

COMPLIANCE MONITORING

The results of compliance monitoring for the period 1 – 30 April 2022 (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	14	11	0	0	0	3
Bore Consent	15	15	0	0	0	0
Coastal Air Discharge	4	4	0	0	0	0
Coastal Discharge	12	9	1	1	0	1
Coastal Permit	196	134	30	25	6	1
FDE – Discharge permit	4	0	0	2	0	2
FDE – Permitted activity	1	0	0	1	0	0
Land Discharge	94	59	7	0	1	27
Land Use Consent	136	51	4	0	0	81
Water Discharge	69	35	9	2	2	21
Water Permit	76	32	3	0	0	41
Water Take	144	83	16	16	0	29
Total	765	433	70	47	9	206
Percentage		56.6%	9.2%	6.1%	1.2%	26.9%
Year to date	5500	3921	662	367	67	483
Percentage		71.3%	12.0%	6.7%	1.2%	8.8%

Coastal

All Hokianga and Whangaroa Harbour-based coastal permit field inspections have been completed.

Compliance monitoring inspections have been completed for all marine farms, with compliance letters being prepared for consent holders. Follow up of non-compliance and enforcement action has commenced.

Several incidents and requests were received regarding asbestos containing materials in the coastal marine area, use of unconsented grids and discharges from vessel dry sanding and hull cleaning.

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

Ÿ Contaminated Land Management

Six incidents involving the discharge of hazardous substances and 13 enquiries regarding contaminated land were received and responded to. 380kg of hazardous waste was disposed of at the amnesty day, and two sites were added to the Selected Land-Use Register.

Ÿ Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants

WWTP/Consent Status	Issues (May 2022)	Enforcement Action/Response
Far North District
Ahipara Expires 2033	Ongoing non-compliance with bacteriological consent limits	Under AN FNDC investigating land disposal options; UV system to be installed in 2022/2023 to reduce bacteriological concentrations
Hihi Expires 2022	No recent issues; replacement consent application yet to be received	None currently
Kāeo Expires 2022	No recent issues; replacement consent application yet to be received	None currently
Kaikohe Expires 30 November 2021	Intermittent non-compliances with ADW flow, ammonia & bacteriological consent limits. System overdue for de-sludging	None currently Issues will be addressed in replacement consent
Kaitaia Expires 30 November 2021	No recent issues; FNDC discussing with iwi/hapū potential consent conditions	Under AN (reticulation overflows) Issues will be addressed in replacement consent
Kawakawa Expires 2036	No recent issues	None currently
Kerikeri Expires 2036	No obvious issues from new plant (commissioned in December 2020)	Under AN
Kohukohu Expired 2016 (replacement consent application on hold)	Occasional issues with bacteriological conditions of consent; CIA still awaited before public notification occurs	None currently
Opononi & Ōmāpere Expired 2019	Non-compliances with bacteriological consent limits; desludging overdue; still intended to jointly process with Kohukohu replacement consent application	Under AN Issues will be addressed in replacement consent; desludging to be undertaken
Paihia Expires 2034	Plant upgraded 2019; alkalinity issues preventing optimal ammonia treatment	None currently Alkalinity improvement project still in progress
Rangiputa Expires 2032	No recent issues	None currently
Rāwene Expires 2023	System overdue for de-sludging	Infringement notices issued in February 2022 in relation to a discharge from the reticulation
Russell Expires 2024	Occasional non-compliances with E. coli consent limit post UV	Under AN Infringement notices issued January 2022
Taipā Expires 2029	No recent issues	None currently
Whatuwhiwhi Expires 2025	Elevated TSS levels (consent limit may be unnecessarily restrictive)	FNDC to seek consent variation to address TSS levels – however this is not a priority
Whangarei District
Hikurangi Expires 2025	Intermittent issues with plant performance	None currently Plant performance being reviewed to identify improvements
Ngunguru Expires 2035	No recent issues	None currently
Ōākura Expires 2025	Occasional spikes in E. coli	None currently
Portland Expires 2024	No recent issues	None currently
Ruakākā Expires 2046	No recent issues	None currently
Tutukaka Expires 2024	No recent issues	None currently
Waiōtira Expires 2030	No recent issues	None currently
Waipū Expires 2030	No recent issues	None currently
Whāngārei City Expires 2022	Odour issues; replacement consent application received and will be publicly notified shortly	Abatement notice issued requiring actions to be implemented to mitigate the odour emanating from the treatment plant
Kaipara District
Dargaville Expires 2022	Non-compliances with WQ discharge volume consent limits, replacement consent application received	Under AN
Glinks Gully Expires 2024	No recent issues	None currently
Kaiwaka Expires 2022	No recent issues; replacement consent application yet to be received	None currently
Mangawhai Expires 2042	Odour complaints and occasional exceedances of TDS consent limit	Under AN
Maungaturoto Expires 2032	Intermittent non-compliances, generally due to high rainfall	Under AN
Te Kopuru Expires 2044	Intermittent minor non-compliances	Second aerator installed 2020

Environmental Incidents

There were no environmental incidents reported in April which resulted in a significant environmental impact.

ENFORCEMENT

Abatement Notices, Infringement Notices and Formal Warnings

The following is a summary of the abatement and infringement notices issued:

Action Type	Number
Abatement Notice	4
Infringement Notice	1

Other Enforcement

· Open burning on industrial/trade property – Whangārei

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. There are two charges against the individual who pleaded not guilty on 30 April 2021. The Court has allocated new hearing dates to 25 – 27 May 2022. Witnesses have confirmed their availability.

· Farm dairy effluent – Parapara

Charges were laid in the Kaitaia District Court on 6 May 2021 against a farm owner for offences which occurred in August 2020. There are four charges against the farm owner. Following reports that were received confirming that the farm owner was not able to enter plea and provide instructions, the judge has made the following two decisions:

1. The farm owner is unfit to stand trial.

2. Based on the NRC’s summary of facts, the farm owner caused acts that formed the basis of all four offences. Those offences are very serious. The psychologist will provide a final report by 16 May 2022.

The Court adjourned the case to 2 June 2022 with the farm owner to attend.

· Vessel occupying CMA & removal of asbestos from CMA – Town Basin, Whangārei

An enforcement order was applied for on 23 November 2021 against an individual for occupying the coastal marine with a boat without consent, and for reimbursement of costs associated with work to remove and dispose of cladding material containing asbestos that had been deposited within the coastal marine area. Following a joint memorandum filed in February 2022, the individual has arranged a place to legally moor the boat. Environment Court also issued enforcement orders against the individual requiring compliance with permitted activity rule C.1.2.1. of Proposed Regional Plan for Northland.
A proposal has been made to the individual for settlement of judicial review proceedings and costs.

· Earthworks & vegetation clearance within a wetland – Teal Bay

Charges were laid in the Whangarei District Court on 7 December 2021 against four parties for offences that occurred in December 2020. During a court appearance via Teams in March 2022, the defendants’ lawyers have requested more time to consider disclosure, provide advice, get instructions and discuss with NRC. Court has adjourned the case to 2 June 2022 with pleas having to be entered on that day.

8.2.5 ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

land management

Sustainable Hill Country and Regional Priorities

Milestones	Status
Farm Environment Plans (FEPs)	To date, 53 (39%) of 136 soil conservation plans have been completed in 2021-2022. Eight are in progress. We will not meet our soil conservation plan KPI’s for the SHaRP programme and are engaging with MPI around the reasons for this and seeking agreement on a way forward.

Poplar and Willow nursery

Objective

Status

Harvest

Currently processing orders with harvest starting later this month. For the first time the nursery is supplying 1 year old material as 1m wands in addition to traditional 3m poles that take three years to produce. This is in response to variable survival rates of poles in recent years and a likely loss of productive land at the nursery due to the rail corridor. We expect wands to be more resilient to drought compared to poles and we can produce significantly more 1 year wand material compared to poles that should help compensate for the loss of nursery area. Furthermore, wands will be cheaper to produce so can be planted at higher stocking rates to control erosion sooner.

Environment fund progress

The Environment fund grants for 2021/22 are nearing completion. Across the region (excluding the Kaipara catchment) there are 50 projects, totaling just under $500,000, that are still to be finished and reviewed before the end of the financial year. Land Management Advisors are busy in the field doing sign-off visits.

Whangārei urban awa project

The project is continuing at a slower pace than the first year. Year 2 Q3 reporting has been submitted to MfE on schedule. Key points:

· 2.9 kms of fencing completed across 5 properties (total of 5.5kms completed so far this year towards the target of 5.8kms).

· Most fencing projects now very small, so not particularly efficient.

· Million Meters funding project was closed at $13,302. This funding will go towards planting projects.

· Landowner engagement/interest has diminished relative to Y1. We are well on track to meet our fencing requirements for the year. However, demand for planting is still light.

· On track against the Y2 fencing budget but a carryover of planting budget to Year 3 is expected. In line with the reduced interest in the project shown over the past months, we are also working with MFE to extend the scope of the project slightly.

· We expect a deed variation to be approved soon to extend the timeframe for the project from June 2023 to January 2024. This will provide a full planting season next winter, as well as time for release spraying for the new plants.

· We’ve also requested that the project be extended to include the Otaika catchment. This will allow us to more efficiently reach our fencing and planting KPIs, by working with larger land holdings in the new catchment.

biodiversity

FIF Dune Lakes Project

Objective	Status
Aquatic weed and pest fish control	A report on the vegetation damage at Lake Tutaki was sent to Iwi partners, EPA, MFE and NRC compliance. Vegetation plots were established at Lake Tutaki to monitor the effect of aquathol on the wetland vegetation. Further application of aquathol to control hornwort has been postponed till spring 2022 and summer 2023 as lakes have poor water visibility, meaning post-application LakeSPI monitoring has not been possible. The EPA will be undertaking an investigation, including against consents issues by NRC, into the unintended vegetation damage and whether formal compliance action is warranted.
Sediment and nutrient mitigation	A planning assessment confirmed resource consent is required for the constructed wetlands at Black Lake, Kai Iwi Lakes. A contract for this work and engineering plans and project management is out for tender and closes first week of May.
Partnerships	Ngā Roto Tapokapoka Tūhono Wānanga is being hosted by Te Roroa and the FIF programme and will take place on 16-18 May at Kai Iwi Lakes.

CoastCare

A hui was held with NRC Biodiversity and Natural Resources staff and Patuhareke Te Taiao Environment Unit to debrief on the pilot Bream Bay dune monitoring programme run over the summer and to discuss longer term goals and visions. In this pilot, which also involved collaboration with Northtec, various methods were used to monitor dune health, with a focus on the animals (fauna) that live in the dunes. This was aligned with vegetation monitoring to get a fuller understanding of dune health, and the relationships between flora and fauna in the dunes. Patuharakeke are keen to continue the monitoring and intend to use the information about the dune fauna to support their advocacy work around vehicle use and human behaviour in our precious dune systems. As well as continuing monitoring at Bream Bay, we plan to use learnings from this study to incorporate fauna surveys into our dune monitoring programme at other Northland sites to get a fuller understanding of dune health and how our restoration work can enhance the ecology of these environments.

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An endangered native katipō spider with egg sacs found in a shelter on Ruakākā dunes

Wetlands

The Envirolink project for the design of a Northland wetland SOE monitoring programme has been progressed with a workshop with NRC, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research (MWLR), NIWA and DOC specialists held late April to compile a draft list of wetlands to monitor. Further mapping and analysis are to be carried out and a final report from MWLR is due at the end of June.

The wetland condition index monitoring programme has continued this month with a further three site visits carried out and remaining sites, out of more than 30 wetlands monitored, planned for May.

Natural resources

Coastal/Water Quality Operations

· A new quarterly Litter Intelligence monitoring site at Pah Road in Onerahi, (a Significant Ecological Area) was surveyed in early February 2022. Plastic accounted for the most common item found. An article summarising our collaboration with various organisations is in the NZ Coastal Society March 2022 Newsletter. https://www.coastalsociety.org.nz/assets/Uploads/files/CN-77-2022-3.pdf

· Shellfish surveys have concluded for 2022. Surveys were conducted at Houhora Heads, Taipā, Kelly’s Bay and Hokianga (Koutu and Pakanae) with the help of whanau, hapū and local schools.

· Work has progressed for the implementation of water quality modelling for our popular recreational bathing swimming locations, through Auckland Council’s Safeswim platform, safeswim.org.nz. Following the successful trial of seven sites over the past summer, key contracts have been signed for delivery of all sites next summer. Discussions are continuing on a service level agreement with Auckland Council for ongoing ‘access’ to Safeswim.

Natural Resources Science

Air quality and carbon emission

· Natural Resource Science air quality is in the process of implementing the outcome of the environmental monitoring network review and searching for new air monitoring sites in the Kaitaia and Whangārei airsheds.

Coastal

· The final audit of the stormwater litter project has been completed. In total 20,450 items were captured by the 51 littatraps over the twelve-month study period. The worst sites were a transport and logistics site in Whangārei, which captured a total of 2,416 items, and a city center car park which captured 2,172 items. In contrast, a residential street in Dargaville captured just 24 items over the twelve-month period. The next stage of the project is to analyse and understand the large differences in the quantity of litter and plastic captured at different sites and to estimate the total quantity of plastic entering our coastal marine area each year.

Hydrology

Rainfall

Diagram

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· April rainfall was above average in Eastern and Central areas of Northland, and below average in the West.

· The Eastern Hills (North-East of Whangārei) received the most rain with the Hatea at Glenbervie Forest HQ recording 285mm for the month, which is 252% of expected.

· Western areas were much drier with the Hokianga at Opononi recording 38.5mm for 62% of expected, and Pouto Point recording 33.5mm for 61% of expected.

Rivers

Map

Description automatically generated

River flows for the month followed the general pattern of rainfall with primarily normal to above normal flows in Northland’s Eastern and Central catchments, ranging down to low, to very low, flows in some Western catchments.

Groundwater

Map

Description automatically generated

Groundwater levels continue to re-charge and all aquifers are in the normal to above normal range for April 2022.

Climate Outlook

Regional predictions for Northland in NIWA’s climate outlook for May to July 2022 can be summarised as follows:

· Temperatures are very likely to be above average (70% chance).

· Rainfall totals are equally likely to be near normal (40% chance) or above normal (35% chance).

· Soil moisture levels and river flows are about equally likely to be near normal (40% chance) or below normal (40% chance).

POLICY AND PLANNING

Freshwater Plan Change

The Primary Sector Liaison Group were given an update on the role of the Land Management Team and NRC’s Freshwater Plan Change communication plan. Currently setting up confidentiality agreements so that the water quality scenario modelling and costing can be released to the group.

The Tangata Whenua Water Advisory Group completed its Stage 1 Report and will present this to TTMAC in May for endorsement before presenting it to council. Work is now progressing on their Stage 2 work which includes their recommendations for the plan change and advice to council on how council can best engage with mana whenua. This advice is anticipated in July.

Proposed Regional Plan Appeals

· Topic 1 (coastal activities) council staff circulated a suite of 22 rules, six policies, one objective, six definitions and maps to the appellants and Section 274 parties with a view of filing consent documents with the Environment Court by the end of May 2022. The provisions relate to the management of coastal structures and how vessels use Northlands coastal marine area.

· Topic 1 (coastal activities) council staff continue to work towards agreement on how and when rules refer to mapped significant ecological and significant bird areas.

· Topic 14 (Marine protected areas/fishing controls). The results of a tikanga led process, including hui and wānanga in March and another planned in April are due to be reported 6 May. The court decision it still awaited, in the absence of any all-party agreements.

· Topic 15 (Mangroves) The court hearing that opened two years ago finally closed 5 May after legal submissions. The court has indicated that an interim decision is likely to direct text refinements, before the final decision is made. All parties agree it will then be the role of council to deal with the interplay between these rules and natural wetland regulations in the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater.

· We reported progress on appeals to the Court on 29 April. We have requested a further reporting date of 30 June on topics 1 (Coastal activities), 6 (Damming and diverting water and land drainage), 10 (Infrastructure, energy and natural hazards) and 1A (Vehicles on beaches). If appeals remain unresolved after 30 June, council staff will confer with parties and request that these matters be set down for a hearing.

8.2.6 BIOSECURITY

INCURSION RESPONSE

Suspected wallaby sighting

A suspected sighting of a wallaby was recently reported just North of Dargaville. A field investigation was conducted, and no further evidence was found. It is thought the member of the public who reported it could have instead seen a large hare which are common in the area. Further enquiries are continuing as an incursion of wallabies into Northland would place the regions forests at serious risk.

WILD ANIMAL CONTROL

Feral deer

· Russell goat cull: Contractors carried more goat control work at Russell using indicator dogs and preferred habit to target areas ending up with a tally of 17 goats, 15 pigs, and one sika deer. The sika DNA has been sent to see if it matches the early DNA samples.

· Kaimahi training: A kaimahi training wānanga being organized for young hunters in May. This is a three day course will be held at the Rāwhiti marae.

· Fallow deer release: A release of 20 fallow deer in the Tangihua Ranges was reported. The reported release site has been identified and the investigation is continuing with a high priority.

· Deer farm escape: A deer farm awaiting full Department of Conservation approval has reported sign of a deer on the outside of the wire. The farmer has been proactive and is working with council staff to trap this animal or destroy it.

Feral pigs

· Feral pig report: A large number of feral pigs were reported being seen in public areas around the Kohumaru area and staff are assisting landowners with requests for pig control.

A large number of feral pigs have been reported in the Kohumaru area.

FRESHWATER

· Lake Taharoa drone surveillance: A contractor completed drone surveillance work at Lake Taharoa and did not detect any koi carp. The drone method has a lot of potential for detecting larger koi carp in the lake with the right weather conditions and some fine tuning and calibration of the drone and operator observations.

· Koi carp river surveillance work (outside the containment zone): Department of Conservation joined Biosecurity staff to set gill, trammel and fyke nets, alongside eDNA samplers in the Mangatete (Kaitāia) and Parapara Rivers (Taipā) looking for koi carp. No koi or other pest species were captured in any of the nets, but lab results of eDNA samples still pending.

PARTNERSHIPS

Supply chain issues

With global supply chain disruptions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and high seasonal demand, there have been some significant price increases from our suppliers of traps and toxins, that support much of the work delivered by our communities in collaboration with the Biosecurity Partnerships team. The team are working through the implications of these changes of the delivery of our work programmes as further increases are expected.

Northland Regional Council – Kiwi Coast partnership

· New projects: With two new projects linking into Kiwi Coast over the last month (Bream Bay College Rat Patrol and Kauaepepe Landcare) there are now 202 entities linked into Kiwi Coast, managing approximately 225,640 ha.

· 2021 pest control results: The collation of the 2021 results continues. Kiwi Coast are working with Trap.NZ to pioneer a new method to bulk download the data required into spreadsheet format from projects that use this trapping management software. If successful, this will bring a vast increase in efficiency for this annual exercise.

· Annual kiwi call count survey: Preparations are underway to support the Department of Conservation led 2022 Annual Northland Kiwi Call Count Survey in late May. Kiwi Coast is updating its purpose-built App, developing online training resources and contributing financially to the Departments publishing of the 2021 report.

Bream Bay College Rat Patrol.

· Predator Free Whangārei support: Kiwi Coast has continued to assist Predator Free Whangārei with boosting the 60,000 ha predator suppression zone between Te Whara/Bream Head, Whananaki, and Pukenui. A small but significant milestone achievement has been the trapping of the first stoat in a Predator Free Whangārei funded trap, in the new network of mustelid traps installed by Kiwi Coast trapper, with Parihaka Community Landcare (full story here: https://kiwicoast.org.nz/first-stoat-caught-in-boosted-60000ha-whangarei-mustelid-control-network/).

Kiwi Link High Value Area

· Weed control: Kiwi Link’s coordinated Weed Action Program is now in full swing. Monthly educational newsletters are now being sent out, and two Working Bees have been held, one hosted by Ngunguru Ford Landcare, and one by Pātaua North Landcare. While these volunteer events will take a break over the wetter late autumn and winter months, the education campaign will continue.

· Pest control materials: Almost all projects involved in Kiwi Link have received further possum, rat, wasp, and plant pest control products in April in response to landowner requests for additional resources to help control pests on local properties. Training and advice was given with each product supplied.

Whangārei Heads High Value Area

· Weed control: The skip bin provided to the community for moth plant pods last month has been filled and disposed of appropriately. With up to 1000 seeds per pod the skip bin represents a huge number of potential plants removed from the Whangārei Heads area.


Whangārei Heads residents have collected thousands of moth plant pods in April.

Piroa Brynderwyn High Value Area

· Freshwater field day: Piroa Brynderwyns Landcare Group has partnered with Fonterra, Patuharakeke, Whitebait Connection, New Zealand Landcare Trust and Waipū Water Watch to deliver a fresh water field day. The aim of the field day was to help local farmers and lifestyle block owners better understand the health of these catchments for native species.

Landcare Research taking eDNA samples
from streams in the Waipū area.

· Royal New Zealand Air Force volunteer support: Efforts to improve the Piroa/Brynderwyn High Value Area have received help from an unexpected quarter, the Royal New Zealand Air Force. A team of ~ 25 Air Force volunteers joined other volunteers in Mangawhai for a week to cut a new section of walking trail (which may be incorporated into the Te Araroa Trail). Biosecurity staff worked with the volunteers to install a bait station network in the adjoining Department of Conservation Reserve. The Air Force’s help enabled the team to complete the project within just five working days and meet major milestones in conservation and recreational plans in the area that would otherwise take many months to complete. This work will assist in securing safe corridors for kiwi to safely disperse and other rare and unique species present in the Piroa-Brynderwyn hills such as Hochstetter frogs and long tailed bats.

Biosecurity staff joined Air Force volunteers in bait station installation.

Tutukaka High Value Area

· Predator control: Cat and mustelid catches have now exceeded 200, whilst possum catches have generally decreased.

· Advocacy: A Kiwi Aversion Training event was held at Tawapou with around 30 dogs and their owners in attendance. The event was very successful, with many of those dogs returning for refresher training exhibiting full aversion to kiwi.

· Weed control: The Specialist Weed Action Team have helped two significant landowners during the month with plant pest work plans; both of which have used this information to seek external funding. Two planned weed action events were cancelled due to rain and wind. There are no further events planned until spring 2022. The top 12 priority weeds (the “Dirty Dozen”) are being reclassified and new educational material (including our recommended control methods.

Good sense overcomes good scent as this Labrador chooses to back off when
it encounters a kiwi.

Western Northland

An online meeting was held on 3 May with Te Roroa and groups that have Community Pest Control Areas in the wider Waipoua area (eg. Kaitiaki Kiwi, Native Forest Restoration Trust, Waipoua Forest Trust, Wekaweka Landcare Group, Pūpūrangi Nature Sanctuary) as well as other key stakeholders that are also doing pest control work (eg. Department of Conservation and Forestry) or aspire for increased pest control (eg. The Waimamaku community). Discussion covered how best to set up council funding now that there are a lot of linkages and existing collaboration between projects in this area and potential for this to grow further. There was a consensus that a community led High Value Area was something the collective wished to pursue further and a face-to-face meeting to brainstorm the concept further is being planned.

PREDATOR FREE

Predator Free Whangārei

Predator Free Whangārei have reached a milestone by activating devices in Working Block 1 and surrounding areas (Te Whara/Bream head, and adjacent private land at Ocean Beach). 10 possums were caught in traps over this trial period and potentially more via toxin delivery. Surveillance cameras are showing possum activity and it is expected there are a good number in the area.

Predator Free Pēwhairangi Whānui (Bay of Islands)

The Pēwhairangi Whānui (Bay of islands) projects have also continued to progress well with draft eradication plans completed for all three peninsula and are now being critiqued by landcare groups.

MARINE BIOSECURITY

Hull surveillance

No hulls were surveyed this month as part of the annual hull surveillance programme because of heavy rainfall creating poor visibility and contractors succumbing to COVID-19. WorkSafe New Zealand has recommended occupational divers that have had COVID-19 do not dive for at least one month after they test positive which has added further delays to the progression of this programme.

PEST PLANTS

Community weed action

Biosecurity staff assisted Weed Action Piroa Brynderwyns with dune control work. Species removed included pampas in the reeds, and lupins on the dunes. This is an important ecological area for fairy terns and other shore birds.


Weed Action Piroa Brynderwyns, (left) removal of pampas seedlings growing among the native grasses, (right) the troops walk out.

Exclusion plants – climbing spindle-berry

A potential climbing spindle berry (Celastrus orbiculatus) infestation has been observed near an historic site of this weed in Onerahi. Autumn is the time to find this exclusion species as the leaves turn yellow and are very visible against the green of the native bush.

Eradication plants

With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, field inspections for eradication plants have resumed:

· Firethorn: Three Pyracantha potential sightings were followed up, one of which was confirmed as Pyracantha angustifolia. Survey of surrounding bushland found no further spread.

· Bat-wing passionflower: Inspection of Department of Conservation reserve at Whangaroa by contractors are underway with around half the reserve completed so far. A lot of adult bat-wing plants (more than were expected) have been removed.

· Mickey mouse plant: An infestation has been found in Tutukaka remote from other known sites.

A stunning blaze of colour – berries of the
Firethorn (Pyracantha augustifolia) infestation.

Progressive containment plants

· Mile a minute: The southern regime inspections are half completed with regrowth found at all seven of the 12 sites inspected to date.

· Pultenaea: One site (outside containment) has been inspected and found clear of regrowth.

· Lantana: Two sites have been found in Tutukaka.

· Manchurian wild rice: April saw the start of Manuchurain wild rice aquatic sites being treated in accordance with the new Environmental Protection Agency rules.

Sustained control plants

Staff continue to work through numerous requests for advice around control and enforcement of boundary rules for sustained control species including privet and woolly nightshade.

8.2.7 GOVERNANCE AND ENGAGEMENT

MĀORI ENGAGEMENT

Regional Workshop – Economic Development

The focus of the Te Taitokerau Māori and Council Working Party's (TTMAC) regional workshop held on 14 April was the TTMAC Strategic Intent Ngā Whainga for economic development:

· Whai Rawa: Restore and boost tangata whenua self-reliance and self-determination.

· Whai Mana: Maximise economic opportunities for tangata whenua.

· Whai Oranga: Economic growth is compatible with the protection and enhancement of ecological, spiritual and cultural values of tangata whenua.

The workshop opened with guest speaker, Willie Te Aho, Te Whānau ā Apanui Hapū Chair, who spoke on Te Whānau ā Apanui Vision, Aspirations and Strategic Issues and emphasised the importance of economic development initiatives ensuring the sustainability and wellbeing of the environment first and foremost. Willie outlined aspirations and options for power sharing that recognised the mana of the hapū. He discussed the challenges experienced by hapū in their relationship with local and central government and the importance of being able to assert tinorangatiratanga in the development of land, building of housing and working with partners to leverage of their asset base and investments. As such Te Whānau Apanui and hapū have seen significant investment in housing and whānau, have been able to purchase/own their homes and build an economic base that has employed their own workforce, and secured central government funding to achieve this.

Discussion followed raising important issues about asset base and the need for council to consider how hapū can build capability to manage their own resources, support kaitiaki and whānau that are currently living on their whenua, what economic data/research is available through councils to understand what this means for hapū in Te Taitokerau.

In attendance for the second item was Northland Inc Chair and director, Nicole Anderson and board member, Kris MacDonald who provided a verbal update on the progress of the development of a regional economic development strategy and a recognition that key stakeholders need to be represented in the steering group that is being formed to deliver on the vision and aspirations of Te Taitokerau, Northland: Te Ōhanga Rautaki Whānui o Te Tai Tokerau | Northland-inc - Northland, New Zealand (northlandnz.com).

Local Government Elections – Tū Mai Māori Mā

In council’s commitment to support Māori seats $20,000 was allocated in 2021/2022 for the provision of resource, support and information for iwi and hapū to engage in the local government election processes. This directly aligns with the TTMAC strategic intent and whainga “Māori representation – Tangata Whenua are equitably represented in all council decisions and operations.”

Accordingly, a Māori media campaign has been designed with advice being provided by TTMAC tangata whenua representatives and staff. External consultants have been engaged to provide a more nuanced approach with targeted messages for a kaupapa Māori approach including building collateral pertaining to standing for council, enrolment and voting in local government elections. It aims to build a better understanding of the Māori and general roll so that iwi and hapū can determine make up of new constituencies, nomination processes etc.

The following actions are currently in progress:

· Engagement and brief provided to Māori radio stations (Te Hiku, Ngātihine, Tautoko) to promote the local government elections and relevance for iwi and hapū in terms of Maori representation ability to influence decisions in local government.

· Engagement of youth leaders/champions to present information at hui/marae, on radio, on social media and in te reo Māori.

· Provision of information for iwi and hapū hui on request to facilitate a kānohi ki te kānohi grass roots community approach on marae and in more isolated rural communities.

· Regional local elections website updated regularly going live June with TTMAC initiatives.

· Online webinar with TTMAC representatives facilitated by youth champions.

· Kete of resources developed and shared end May with iwi, hapū and promoted via appropriate communications platforms.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Investment and Growth Reserve – Projects Report

Project	Update	Future developments/ reporting
REL	Respond to NZ Insolvency and Trustee Service regarding council’s position in relation to liquidation of REL at the request of IRD. Received formal repayment proposal from Maher Jammal.	Respond to proposal

Project

Update

Future developments/ reporting

REL

Respond to NZ Insolvency and Trustee Service regarding council’s position in relation to liquidation of REL at the request of IRD.

Received formal repayment proposal from Maher Jammal.

Respond to proposal

Other Work Undertaken

Ÿ Joint Regional Economic Development Committee (JREDC) – The Joint Committee meeting took place on 29 April. Items included finalising the shareholder comment on Northland Inc’s draft SOI 2022-25 and director remuneration.

Ÿ Economic Information – Provided an update to Te Hiku Iwi Development Trust joint working party on the ‘Te Hiku Iwi’ cluster as part of Infometrics regional profile for Northland.

Ÿ Regional Projects Reserve – Revised draft criteria and procedures for the allocation of funding from this Reserve.

Ÿ CLUES scenarios and costings – Worked with the Policy Team on scenario costing, additional scenarios options and key messaging.

ONLINE CHANNELS

Most popular content on Facebook: Media release on the revamped section of Te Araroa trail opening in Kerikeri (posted 20 April 2022). Reaching 6,538 customers with engagement of 1,468.

*Engaged – number of people who ‘reacted’, commented or shared the post

Key Performance Indicators	Dec-21	Jan-22	Feb-22	Mar-22	Apl-22
WEB
# Visits to the NRC website	34,526	41,600	34,400	35,900	37,900
E-payments made	18	7	16	14	7
# subscription customers (cumulative)	NA*	1,263	1,385	1,378	1,368
SOCIAL MEDIA (cumulative)
# Twitter followers	1,564	1,567	1,566	1,564	1,570
# NRC Facebook fans	10,469	10,510	10,600	10,600	10,600
# NRC Overall Facebook Reach	244,777	157,700	207,200	189,900	62,700
# NRC Engaged Daily Users	4,821	2,755	4,807	8,442	3,838
# CDEM Facebook fans	26,120	26,117	26,200	26,300	26,300
# CDEM Overall Facebook Reach	NA*	214,100	171,100	103,300	111,100
# CDEM Engaged Daily Users	NA*	26,600	19,500	5,564	7,168
# Instagram followers	NA*	1,488	1,506	1,520	1,526

NOTES: *NA – Data not available due to Christmas break.

ENVIROSCHOOLS / EDUCATION

Enviroschools celebrations

During April, councillors joined in Enviroschools celebrations with He Kakano Early learning Centre - Bronze– and with Tangiteroria School -Silver with Chair Penny Smart officiating.

Enviroschools communities facilitated

School holidays accounted for 2 weeks of April, but Enviroschools Facilitators safely held specific interactions with 41 school and early childhood communities.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Communications

Communications issued in April included 5 media releases covering the following topics:

· Extension to deadline for environmental awards

· Poplar and willow sales

· Announcement of new CE

· Opening of revamped stretch of Te Araroa Trail in Kerikeri

· Opening of Kaipara Service Centre

LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL INFORMATION (LGOIMA) REQUESTS

Total LGOIMAs	Mar 2020 to Apr 2021	Mar 2021 to Apr 2022
Total LGOIMAs	15	16
Number of LGOIMAs not responded to within 20 working days		0

CUSTOMER SERVICES

Telephone inbound call statistics and enquiries

	Feb 2022	Mar 2022	April
Call volume via Customer Services	2003	2254	1847
Average wait time	5.2 secs	7.6 secs	8.4 secs

Telephone call volume over the last three years

	1 July 2018 – 30 June 2019	1 July 2019 – 30 June 2020	1 July 2020 – 30 June 2021
Call volume via Customer Services	20,812	30,566	31,130

Mailroom email processing performance

	Feb	Mar	April
Mail processed	684	851	736

Six compliments and five complaints and have been received for the month of April

Compliments received

Total

Biosecurity

City Link

Total Mobility

Total compliments recorded

Complaints received

Total

City Link

Environmental Data Hub

Hotline

Total complaints recorded

Four out of Five complaints have been resolved.

8.2.8 COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

TRANSPORT

REGIONAL TRANSPORT PLANNING

Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits Rule

The Transport Minister recently signed off the new Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022 (the Rule). The Rule will come into force on 19 May 2022, replacing the previous Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2017. 

The Rule is part of a new regulatory framework designed to improve how road controlling authorities plan for, consult on, and implement speed management changes. It is one of the tools used to support Aotearoa New Zealand’s Road to Zero Road Safety Strategy by taking an integrated speed management planning approach that considers the appropriateness of safety infrastructure, safety cameras and the setting of safe and appropriate speed limits in a combination that most effectively and efficiently moves the transport network towards a Safe System.

 The Rule:

· Takes a whole of network approach where decisions about safety infrastructure improvements, speed limit changes and safety camera placement are made together

· Requires road controlling authorities to follow a new speed management planning process to set new speed limits, shifting from a risk-based to a principles-based approach

· Specifies a process for preparing speed management plans as the primary means by which proposed speed limit changes are developed, shared, and certified

· Introduces a regional speed management planning approach on a three-year cycle that aligns with the three-year cycle of the National Land Transport Programme

· Transitions to lower speed limits around all schools (including kura) by 2027 (40% by 2024)

· Removes the requirement to set speed limits through bylaws

· Requires all speed limits (other than temporary speed limits) to be entered into a national register which will give legal effect to all speed limits (other than temporary speed limits)

· Acknowledges the status of Māori as our Treaty partners and specifies that Māori are involved in the development of speed management plans and consulted with on aspects of the plan that are important to them.

Te Huringa Taraiwa: Te arotake I te pūnaha utu kaiwhakamahi rori | ‘Driving Change: Reviewing the Road User Charges System’

The Government states that the current Road User Charges (RUC) legislation is focussed on recovering the costs of damage to our road network, especially that caused by heavy vehicles, and ensuring that operators of vehicles that cause the damage pay the appropriate amount but does not recognise other costs imposed by vehicle use, such as pollution or congestion.

Currently the RUC legislation provides for the setting of RUC rates to be in proportion to the costs that the vehicles generate. These costs have historically been limited only to the direct costs of damage caused by the vehicles’ use of the roads, along with the wider costs of building and maintaining the transport system.

There is reported to be a growing interest in using the RUC system to also capture some of those other costs, or to offset the higher costs faced by some emerging technologies, ahead of their widespread adoption.

The Government is progressing policies to support these outcomes by developing programmes that focus on road safety, vehicle emissions, regulatory development, and smart infrastructure investments. The RUC system could also potentially support these outcomes.

The Regional Transport Committee made a submission to the proposed Te Huringa Taraiwa: Te Arotake I te Pūnaha utu Kaiwhakamahi Rori | ‘Driving Change: Reviewing the Road User Charges System’.

The consultation period ended on 22 April 2022.

PASSENGER TRANSPORT ADMINISTRATION

*Bus Link 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 March 2022 (revenue ex GST)	Actual	Budget	Variance	Year/Date Actual	Year/Date Budgeted	Variance
CityLink Passengers	28,244	30,085	-1,841	202,833	238,751	-35,918
CityLink Revenue	$30,878	$38,810	$7,932	$257,269	$307,989	-$50,720
Mid North Link Passengers	168	120	48	1,271	1,368	-97
Mid North Link Revenue	$621	$600	$21	$4,737	$6,140	-$1,403
Hokianga Link Passengers	70	60	10	664	678	-14
Hokianga Link Revenue	$375	$417	-$42	$3,614	$4,716	-$1,102
Far North Link Passengers	269	446	-177	2,066	3,445	-1,379
Far North Link Revenue	$593	$1,129	-$536	$5,061	$8,716	-$3,655
Bream Bay Link Passengers	56	30	26	392	234	158
Bream Bay Link Revenue	$392	$108	$284	$2,580	$842	$1,738
Hikurangi Link Passengers	14	30	-16	177	222	-45
Hikurangi Link Revenue	$37	$78	-$41	$420	$610	-$190

National Bus Driver Shortage

Ongoing conversations with other regional councils have shown that the bus driver shortage nationally is progressively getting worse with some councils being unable to cover all timetabled services. It is anticipated that this situation will continue to worsen over the coming months.

The adverse impact on the contracted Link services in Northland is beginning to be felt. Staff remain in talks with operators on how best to manage the situation.

The planned Whangarei urban scholar services have had to be put on hold as the operator is struggling to source drivers to cover these services. Staff will be meeting with the operator during April to address this issue going forward.

Half Price Fares

Unfortunately, there has been no noticeable increase in the number of people using the Link services during the month of April 2022.

The CityLink Whangarei passenger figures for April 2022 were not available at the time of this report therefore no meaningful comparisons can be made for this service.

In addition, it must be noted that the number of passengers carried in April will be lower due to school holidays and the number of public holidays observed.

Rose Street Bus Terminus Upgrade

The Rose Street upgrade is running two weeks behind schedule.

Staff are struggling to find anyone to undertake the upgrade of the Rose Street Terminus office accommodation.

The use of temporary stops in Vine Street has been successful to date, however since the commencement of the new school term, incidents of antisocial behavior has begun. There is an increasing number of bicycles being ridden in Vine Street and on the pavements in and around the temporary bus stops.

Total Mobility (TM)

*Total Mobility Scheme 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

March 2022

1,264

$20,001

$25,000

-$4,999

$172,519

$225,000

-$52,481

Total Mobility Scheme – Far North

NRC staff have commenced work with approved transport operators and other agencies on the implementation of the Total Mobility Scheme in Kerikeri on 1 July 2022.

A budget of $75,000 for the 1-year trial has been confirmed, with the funding coming from Waka Kotahi and Far North District Council.

The maximum fare allowable will be $15 per trip.

ROAD SAFETY UPDATE

Road Trauma Update

Road Fatalities Statistics for the period 1 January 2021 – 3 May 2021

Fatalities Jan – April 2021	Far North	Whangārei	Kaipara	Northland	National
Local roads	2	2	1	5	58
State highways	5	2	2	9	48
TOTAL	7	4	3	14	106

Road Fatalities Statistics for the period 1 January 2022 – 3 May 2022

Fatalities Jan - April 2022	Far North	Whangārei	Kaipara	Northland	National
Local roads	3	2	0	5	75
State highways	2	2	2	6	58
TOTAL	5	4	2	11	133

Motorcycle Safety - Ride Forever (R4E) Rider Training Update

· R4E – 2020/2021 – 186 riders completed the three courses

· R4E – 2021/2022 – 151 riders have completed courses to date:

o Bronze Course – 70

o Silver Course – 40

o Gold Course – 41

Northbound Driver Reviver/Fatigue Stop Easter

A successful Driver Reviver/Fatigue Stop took place on Thursday 14 April 2022 on SH1 at Uretiti. This Stop was jointly carried out with the AMI Driver Reviver Team, Red Cross, Fit for Duty resources, supporters from Northland Road Safety Association, Ruakākā 60’s Up, Taimahi Trust, Northland Police, Northland Transportation Alliance, Northland Road Safety Trust, ACC, Waka Kotahi, Altura, and Fulton Hogan.

There were approximately 300 visitors with 120 cars, trucks, caravans, camper vans etc, which stopped and enjoyed the hospitality and road safety resources.

Waka Kotahi & NZ Police Road Safety Promotion/Media themes for April/May 2022

Road safety promotional and media related themes for April/May 2022 continued to concentrate around the Road to Zero:

· Speed – Both Waka Kotahi & Northland Road Safety have had speed related radio advertisements playing across Northland radio networks. Waka Kotahi have also been running a lot of regular television advertisements as well. A new Northland safety video based on a poem written by a mid-north Fulton Hogan Road Worker maintenance crew member has been produced (link attached). This message around slowing down through road works has also been supported by radio advertisements and a Bus Back promotion with very favourable feedback. https://northlandroadsafety.co.nz/fulton-hogan-northland-road-worker-video/

· Safe Vehicles

· Alcohol/drugs

· Young drivers

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Charges against NEMA in relation to the Whakaari White Island eruption were dismissed on 4 May 2022. WorkSafe alleged that NEMA’s functions under the CDEM Act and Plan gave rise to duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA). They laid a charge against NEMA alleging that NEMA should have done more to influence the conduct of activities on Whakaari.

NEMA’s position has been that HSWA duties do not extend to public safety functions such as civil defence emergency management and that, in any event, CDEM does not encompass regulating adventure tourism activities. The court in dismissing the charges said that the intent of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) was to regulate the workplace and workers and it was never intended to extend to the type of situations that NEMA found itself in.

Work continues the Trifecta programme - NEMA's Regulatory Framework Review. Timeframes for the delivery of the bill have been extended, and a new timeline has yet to be released or confirmed.

On 5 and 6 April 2022 Gary Knowles, Chief Executive Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and two other support staff (Anthony Richards and Chloe Marshall) from the Agency visited Northland. They met with the new CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Far North District Council, the Northland CDEM professionals and Victoria Harwood, the CEG (Coordinating Executive Group) chair.

The purpose of the meetings was to meet with the new FNDC CEO and establish an understanding of his CDEM expectations and to discuss and understand local and regional arrangements and to provide an overview of NEMA work programmes to staff.

The Northland Tsunami Siren Network was tested on Sunday 3 April 2022, the first of the twice-yearly testing regime. Most test results have been received but are yet to be finalised. There have been five reports of sirens where the lights did not flash.

Work continues to progress on the Northland Tsunami Siren Network Upgrade. The project manager has identified 20 potentially suitable locations for the first 20 new sirens, to be installed in Year 1 of the programme, 14 of which will be within the Whangarei District. The next step is to gain permission from landowners (most sites are council owned land) and to engage with the individual communities.

The Northland CDEM Team has been impacted by sick and bereavement leave, from COVID19, other health matters and two recent resignations. Over the past months the team has been at less than 50% of its usual work force capacity. As of 29 April 2022, an appointment to the vacant role of: Public Information Management Specialist had been made. Leaving a vacancy for a Recovery Management Specialist. Despite this a core group of people have continue to ensure that capacity exists for response and on call.

Work is underway to strengthen the on-call roster with assistance for Whangarei District Council staff being more closely integrated into the operational response arrangements than has been the case in the past.

Multiagency Coordination Centre the feasibility study and concept design for the Multi Agency Coordination Centre are being finalised. Discussions have also commenced between the contributing stakeholders on the ownership model.

MARITIME

There were 12 maritime incidents reported in April. An infringement notice was issued after a collision between a yacht and an anchored powerboat in Whangārei Harbour.

One vessel was wrecked in Tutukaka after a storm. The owners organised the clean-up of debris. Equipment from Rocket Lab trial of rocket recapture by helicopter was recovered from the sea near Mangawhai.

The rest of the incidents were a mix of bylaw infringements and minor incidents.

Replacement of Navigation sign panels in various locations at boat ramps in the North and maintenance work in Rangaunu Harbour was undertaken.

One abandoned vessel in the Bay of Islands and two in Whangārei were removed and disposed of by maritime staff and contractors.

Work on drafting the Navigational safety bylaw changes is ongoing including consultation with key parties.

The Maritime team were impacted by COVID19 with two staff in Opua and one in Whangārei affected.

RIVERS AND NATURAL HAZARDS

RIVERS

Awanui

Favourable Autumn weather conditions and 3 contracts currently in progress (1 completed).

Contract 21/05 - Northern Stopbanks. Approx. 70% complete. Satisfactory progress with stopbanks and benching earthworks with minimal issues. Reinstatement of first few sites now complete and prep for over-wintering of remaining sites in hand.

Contract 21/09 - Switzer Bench. Earthworks are now 90% complete and rock revetment at rear of Bell’s Produce well underway (25%) and will progress into winter (materials supply & river levels permitting).

Contract 21/10 - Rugby Club. Earthworks 80% complete. Rock revetment is phased to continue into winter (materials & river levels permitting) and has the advantage that we have rock storage on hard stand, so less risk from wet weather.

Primary School bench now 100% complete and community incredibly happy with reinstatement of Showgrounds areas. FNDC cycle path ties in very nicely with NRC reinstatement.

Planting planned for several completed areas and local (Māori-owned) contractors being lined up for this work.

Otīria/Moerewa

Stage 1 work is progressing

Kerikeri

Waipapa Industrial Estate Flood Mitigation is approximate 55% completed.

View of Awanui River looking upstream at Kaitaia A&P Showgrounds

NATURAL HAZARDS    

Work Streams	Status	Comments
Whangārei (CBD) River Catchment Flood Model	70% complete	No change from last month
Website Natural Hazards Portal	91% complete	No change from last month
Raupo Drainage Scheme – Coastal Flood Hazard Analysis & Mitigation Options	85% complete	No change from last month
Natural Hazards technical and planning support to District Councils on Plan Changes and Rules	Ongoing	No change from last month
Te Taitokerau Climate Adaptation Strategy (TTCAS): Professional Services Panel	Ongoing	NRC, in collaboration with and on behalf of Kaipara District Council, Whangarei District Council and Far North District Council will be going out for Request(s) for Proposal (RfPs), 6 May 2022, to establish a regional Panel of Professional Services to support the implementation of the TTCAS actions, e.g., district’s pilot projects and beyond. This will provide all four Councils with informed and preselected providers, being able to have shared services, cost, and time effective. Subsequent contracts will be directly with the respective Council as per respective procurement procedures. Closing date of submissions is 23 May 2022; assessment completion and agreement with preferred respondents will be by 7 June 2022. The assessment will be completed by representatives from all four councils.

CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE

Work Streams	Status	Comments
NRC Climate Change Strategy “Ngā Taumata o te Moana” and Implementation Plan	Implementation Ongoing	Progress is ongoing. This Strategy touches every aspect of Council business. In undertaking a ‘stocktake’ of current actions, Staff are meeting with teams across Council to build relationships, identify current climate-related actions and areas where more could be done. Over the last month this includes discussions with the science team, land management team, CoastCare, biodiversity, corporate teams, maritime & transport teams, and communications team. This stocktake will form a baseline for work to set up a monitoring, evaluation, review, and reporting system to track our progress. The next implementation plan update will be presented to the Climate Change Working Party meeting on 25 May 2022. We are also forging ahead with engagement of Toitū to baseline our GHG emissions, certify our accounting and provide advice on where further reductions could occur.
Te Taitokerau Climate Adaptation Strategy (TTCAS)	Adopted by NRC 26 April All councils now adopted	Joint Strategy now adopted by all four (4) Councils. Robust debate occurred during WDC (Whangarei District Council) and KDC meetings to adopt the Strategy. This is a significant milestone for the region and the country – this Strategy represents NZ’s first collaborative (multiple Councils and multiple tangata whenua reps) region-wide adaptation strategy. See www.catt.org.nz The release of the NZ SeaRise data on Monday 2 May generated significant media interest in the region and across the country. This provided us with a fantastic opportunity to communicate about climate adaptation mahi. Consultation on a draft National Adaptation Plan (NAP) is also underway. Given the short timeframes, the Climate Change team will be looking to influence the direction of the NAP through direct involvement on expert working groups, LGNZ fora, and the Aotearoa Climate Adaptation Network (which Tom founded and convenes).
Te Taitokerau Climate Adaptation Strategy (TTCAS) - Programme Implementation	Implementation Ongoing	A foundational hui for KDC’s adaptation pilot project is being held at the hall in Ruawai on Friday 6 May 2022. This work is supported by Priority Actions 1, 2, 9, and 10 and will seek to identify ways council can support iwi/hapū led adaptation processes. The CATT forum is being used to share lessons from this pilot and inform work ongoing in other councils, and to aid KDC where required. WDC have recently hired a Climate Adaptation Coordinator to dive their adaptation programme. FNDC have not been successful in filling their advertised position. NRC will shortly go to the market to again advertise a position to support adaptation across the region. The initiation and development of a communications and engagement plan to support the Te Tai Tokerau Climate Adaptation Strategy has opened discussions about governance and identity of CATT. Interim branding work has been completed (see website above). However, a coherent governance structure with appropriate representation is missing. Staff will be working to propose and refine current arrangements over the next few months. This will be critical as we transition into the ‘doing’ part of the mahi. For example, clear arrangements (from community, government agencies, through staff, tangata whenua and Councils) will provide greater mandate to enact integrated policy changes (e.g., RPS (Regional Policy Statement) through to District Plans and building consents), identify funding and co-funding, delineate responsibilities etc.

NORTHLAND WIDE LIDAR SURVEY

Work Streams	Status	Comments
Regional LiDAR Survey	In progress	Payment for final delivery initiated and dataset expected within 1^st Quarter.

8.2.9 KAIPARA MOANA REMEDIATION

Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR) continues to make good progress in scaling up the programme, and systematising key systems and processes to support this.

As at the end of April, the KMR programme had achieved the following year-to-date milestones (see infographic), which are tracking well against our annual targets in most cases. Our headline metric – number of Sediment Reduction Plans (SRPs) contracted – is now at 135 SRPs (31 March 2022, i.e. at the end of Quarter 3, Year 2), compared to 90 SRPs at the end of Quarter 2, Year 2, and 61 SRPs at the end of Year 1. The SRP pipeline is also growing, with KMR now engaging with over 222 landowners (31 March 2022). In part, the scaling up reflects our Foundation (winter) Planting campaign now in train to ensure we can get as many trees/plants in the ground as possible over the 2022 winter. Pleasingly, KMR’s progress was acknowledged by participants in our resumed public Zui, with last week’s Zui attended by 69 external participants from across the primary sector, local government, iwi/Māori representatives, consultancy and contractor sectors, as well as landowners in the catchment.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil

TITLE:	Confirmation of Minutes - Council Meeting 26 April 2022
From:	Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist
Authorised by:	Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist, on 17 May 2022

Date	Addressed To	Subject
05.04.22	Te Matakirea o Ngunguru Working Group	Response letter to Te Waiariki re Ngunguru Sandspit
07.04.22	Chairman, Te Runanga o Te Rarawa	Wairoa stream water quality concerns by Te Rarawa
29.04.22	GM Environmental Services, Northland Regional Council	Position Offer: Chief Executive Officer

3.1 Governance
Level of service	Target	Compliance	Potential impact	Potential impact to budget	Mitigation options
Percentage of official information requests that are responded to within 20 working days	100% compliance	Q1: 91.70% – not achieved Q2: 86.70% – not achieved Q3: 100% –achieved	Delays for customers seeking information, reputational impact	N/A	We’re looking to improve our administrative processes so that these types of errors do not occur again.
Percentage of time that elected members attend council meetings	90% compliance	Q1: 88.90% – not achieved Q2: 97% – achieved Q3: 88.90% – not achieved	Reduced quality of decision making	N/A	Non-achievement for this quarter was due to two councillors being absent – one in their capacity as a fireman and one on leave.

Item No.	Item Issue	Reasons/Grounds
10.1	Confirmation of Confidential Minutes - Council Meeting 26 April 2022	The public conduct of the proceedings would be likely to result in disclosure of information, as stated in the open section of the meeting -.
10.2	Receipt of Committee CONFIDENTIAL 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 -.

TITLE:	Financial Report to 30 April 2022
From:	Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant and Taka Skipworth, Financial Accountant
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 18 May 2022

TITLE:	Regional Rates Collection - update to 31 March 2022
From:	Vincent McColl, Financial Accountant
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 18 May 2022

TITLE:	Regional Projects Reserve: Criteria and procedures for the allocation of funding
From:	Darryl Jones, Economist and Simon Crabb, Finance Manager
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 18 May 2022

TITLE:	Fund Manager Withdrawal
From:	Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 06 May 2022

TITLE:	Regional Software Holdings Limited - Reporting and 2023-2025 Statement of Intent
From:	Carol Cottam, Information Services and Technology Manager
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 13 May 2022

TITLE:	Chair's Report to Council
From:	Penny Smart, Chair
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Penny Smart, Chair, on

TITLE:	Reporting on Long Term Plan 2021-2031 performance measures for quarter three of the 2021/22 year
From:	Robyn Broadhurst, Policy Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Bruce Howse, Pou Taumatua – Group Manager Corporate Services, on 04 May 2022

TITLE:	Receipt of Committee Minutes
From:	Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Chris Taylor, Governance Specialist, on 19 May 2022

TITLE:	Working Party Updates and Chairpersons' Briefings
From:	Sally Bowron, Strategy, Governance and Engagement Team Admin/PA
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Auriole Ruka, Pou Manawhakahaere - GM Governance and Engagement, on date 18 May 2022

TITLE:	Taumarere Flood Management Working Group Update
From:	Erica Wade, Personal Assistant - Environmental Services
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Victoria Harwood, Pou Tiaki Hapori - GM Community Resilience, on date 11 May 2022