I hereby give notice that an ordinary meeting of the Great Barrier Environment Committee will be held on:
Date: Time: Meeting Room: Venue:
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Thursday, 27 February 2014 10.00am Claris
Conference Centre |
Great Barrier Environment Committee
OPEN AGENDA
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MEMBERSHIP
Chairperson |
Susan Daly |
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Deputy Chairperson |
Judy Gilbert |
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Members |
Jeff Cleave |
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Izzy Fordham |
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Christina Spence |
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(Quorum 3 members)
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Emma Cordery Democracy Advisor
17 February 2014
Contact Telephone: (09) 373 6221 Email: emma.cordery@AucklandCouncil.govt.nz Website: www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
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Great Barrier Environment Committee 27 February 2014 |
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1 Welcome 5
2 Apologies 5
3 Declaration of Interest 5
4 Confirmation of Minutes 5
5 Leave of Absence 5
6 Acknowledgements 5
7 Petitions 5
8 Deputations 5
9 Public Forum 5
10 Extraordinary Business 5
11 Notices of Motion 6
12 Infrastructure and Environmental Services Update Report 7
13 Fish Passages at Culverts Assessment and Inanga Spawning Surveys 11
14 Successful Great Barrier applications to the Environmental Initiatives Fund and the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund 55
15 Community involvement in Great Barrier Environment Committee 65
16 Consideration of Extraordinary Items
1 Welcome
2 Apologies
At the close of the agenda no apologies had been received.
3 Declaration of Interest
Members are reminded of the need to be vigilant to stand aside from decision making when a conflict arises between their role as a member and any private or other external interest they might have.
4 Confirmation of Minutes
That the Great Barrier Environment Committee: a) confirm the ordinary minutes of its meeting, held on Wednesday, 11 December 2013, as a true and correct record.
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5 Leave of Absence
At the close of the agenda no requests for leave of absence had been received.
6 Acknowledgements
At the close of the agenda no requests for acknowledgements had been received.
7 Petitions
At the close of the agenda no requests to present petitions had been received.
8 Deputations
At the close of the agenda no requests for deputations had been received.
9 Public Forum
A period of time (approximately 30 minutes) is set aside for members of the public to address the meeting on matters within its delegated authority. A maximum of 3 minutes per item is allowed, following which there may be questions from members.
At the close of the agenda no requests for public forum had been received.
10 Extraordinary Business
Section 46A(7) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:
“An item that is not on the agenda for a meeting may be dealt with at that meeting if-
(a) The local authority by resolution so decides; and
(b) The presiding member explains at the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public,-
(i) The reason why the item is not on the agenda; and
(ii) The reason why the discussion of the item cannot be delayed until a subsequent meeting.”
Section 46A(7A) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended) states:
“Where an item is not on the agenda for a meeting,-
(a) That item may be discussed at that meeting if-
(i) That item is a minor matter relating to the general business of the local authority; and
(ii) the presiding member explains at the beginning of the meeting, at a time when it is open to the public, that the item will be discussed at the meeting; but
(b) no resolution, decision or recommendation may be made in respect of that item except to refer that item to a subsequent meeting of the local authority for further discussion.”
11 Notices of Motion
At the close of the agenda no requests for notices of motion had been received.
Great Barrier Environment Committee 27 February 2014 |
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Infrastructure and Environmental Services Update Report
File No.: CP2014/01048
Purpose
1. To inform the Great Barrier Environment Committee (the Committee) about the activities of the Infrastructure and Environmental Services (I&ES) department during the period from November 2013 to January 2014. This includes both local board based and regional activities undertaken by the three units of I&ES – Environmental Services, Solid Waste and Stormwater.
2. This report also tracks the delivery and expenditure of environmental budget lines from the 2013/2014 Local Board Agreement (LBA), as assigned to I&ES.
Executive Summary
3. I&ES delivers on the Auckland Plan and local board plans through the provision of environment and sustainability programmes, regional waste and stormwater services, as well as the maintenance and enhancement of Auckland's natural environment.
4. This report has been written to inform the local board about the delivery of activities and work programmes by I&ES. A number of these regional activities have a distinct local involvement and impact and are detailed in the attachments to this report.
That the Great Barrier Environment Committee: a) Notes the information in the Infrastructure and Environmental Services update report. |
Discussion
5. This report and attachments specifically detail the activities delivered by the three units of I&ES within the local board area which support and contribute to the Great Barrier Local Board priority of “protect and enhance our environment and showcase our unique qualities”.
6. The local board is supporting the delivery of this priority through its budgets for biosecurity and pest management programmes and environmental enhancement. Key project highlights and milestones are noted in Table 1 below with additional detail provided in Attachment A.
Budget Line |
Highlights: |
Biosecurity / Pest Management Programmes |
· Tracking tunnels and visual searches have found no additional populations of rainbow skinks on Great Barrier. |
7. Local environmental initiatives are also supported through regional funding. Highlights of our regional activities are noted in Table 3 below with additional detail provided in Attachment B.
Unit |
Highlights: |
Environmental Services |
· A total of 132 successful applications shared $619,512 of funding from the annual Environmental Initiatives Fund to 132 applications. Funding was approved at the December 2013 meeting of the Environment Climate Change and Natural Heritage Committee. · Organised and facilitated a national kauri dieback symposium, attended by 200 people including scientists, policy makers, land managers and community groups. The symposium was an excellent opportunity to showcase the leadership of scientists and Auckland Council staff in actively managing this disease. |
Solid Waste |
· Successful trial of new inorganics collection model held in October-November 2013. Over 50% of material collected was recycled or reused. · A total of $293,878 was awarded to 33 different projects through the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund. · Upcoming trial of organic food waste collection to be held on the North Shore from March to May 2014. |
Consideration
Local Board Views
8. The environmental enhancement budget line is not fully allocated. The Committee Chair and Deputy Chair have requested that this funding be allocated towards a community-based rat eradication programme. The Biosecurity team are assessing the feasibility of such a programme, including other potential programmes, and will provide a full report at the next Committee meeting.
Maori Impact Statement
9. While this report is for information only and does not require any decision making, it is recognised that environmental management, water quality and land management has integral links with the mauri of the environments and concepts of kaitiakitanga.
General
Implementation Issues
10. The activities detailed in this report are within budget. Any decisions arising from discussions and planned changes to work programmes will have financial and resourcing implications which will need to be managed.
No. |
Title |
Page |
aView |
Infrastructure and Environmental Services Update |
9 |
Signatories
Authors |
Mara Bebich - Senior Relationship & Engagement Advisor Emma Joyce - Relationship Advisor |
Authorisers |
John Dragicevich - Manager Infrastructure and Environmental Services John Nash - Senior Local Board Advisor |
Great Barrier Environment Committee 27 February 2014 |
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Fish Passages at Culverts Assessment and Inanga Spawning Surveys
File No.: CP2014/01270
Purpose
1. To provide the Great Barrier Environment Committee (the Committee) with a report on investigations into improving fish passage on Great Barrier Island and, as a secondary objective, identifying and protecting inanga spawning habitat on Great Barrier Island.
Executive Summary
2. Staff from Council’s Biodiversity and Research, Investigations and Monitoring Unit (RIMU) teams undertook an investigation into opportunities to improve fish passage through culverts associated with Great Barrier Island’s roading network. This report presents the results of that investigation to the Committee for their information.
That the Great Barrier Environment Committee: a) Receives the Fish Passage at Culverts Assessment, Great Barrier Island – Culvert Remediation Options and Inanga Spawning Surveys Great Barrier Island reports. b) Notes that regional Stormwater funding is available for remediation of the majority of culverts on Great Barrier Island. |
Discussion
Background – report one: Fish Passage at Culverts Assessment, Great Barrier Island – Culvert Remediation Options
3. Poorly installed and sized culverts represent some of the most frequent and pervasive artificial fish barriers in New Zealand, preventing fish from reaching kilometres of upstream fish habitat.
4. A total of 34% of culverts assessed on Great Barrier Island were found to create a significant obstacle for juvenile freshwater fish species moving from the ocean into adult rearing habitat (referred to as diadromy). All barriers were caused by perches developing after the streambed has scoured and fallen away below the outlets of the defective culvert. Approximately a third of the culverts had perches exceeding a metre in height, so improving fish passage in these culverts at least will require significant (including engineering) interventions.
5. The appended report (Attachment A) details options for remediating the culverts. Since completion of the field survey, the Stormwater Unit has advised that regional funding of $50,000 is available to fund the remediation of defective culverts identified in the Great Barrier Island survey. Subject to detailed assessments of costs, this funding will support the remediation of the majority of defective culverts. However, the remediation of all culverts may require local board funding.
6. The Biodiversity team will provide technical oversight of any remediation works. In order to establish the effectiveness of the culvert retrofits, monitoring (within one to two years) will be required following completion of the physical works.
Background – report two: Inanga Spawning Surveys Great Barrier Island (Attachment B)
7. A number of Great Barrier Island waterways were also investigated for their spawning potential for inanga, the fish species that make up the majority of the whitebait catch. The loss of inanga spawning sites, particularly in wetland habitat, is widely acknowledged as a bottleneck to the whitebait fishery and inanga now hold the threat ranking of ‘in decline’ (Allibone et. al. 2010).
8. The upstream limit of the saline wedge, which can be used as a proxy for spawning activity, was identified at four stream and one wetland site using a combination of saline habitat mapping and existing site information. Only two of the sites, Maybeys wetland and Aotea Road Reserve, contained reasonable spawning habitat, particularly Maybeys wetland, where amply vegetated multiple side drains contained banks angles conducive to spawning.
9. The remaining (stream) sites had over steepened banks bereft of vegetation and as such contained only marginal habitat. In these streams, spawning opportunity for inanga could only be improved with significant interventions, including major earthworks.
10. The inanga spawning surveys took place predominantly at sites identified by the Department of Conservation. There are many additional sites on Great Barrier Island that would benefit from saline surveys to help locate spawning habitat. These surveys provide opportunities for community-based restoration activity through communities undertaking surveys themselves and any resulting restoration work.
11. Improving fish passage, and identifying and protecting inanga spawning grounds, also provides an opportunity to engage the Great Barrier community in supporting ecological restoration activity. There is opportunity for community, using a model similar to that used by Wai Care and Trees for Survival on the mainland, to participate in future surveys and potentially lead inanga spawning habitat restoration initiatives. This could include the community becoming involved in the propagation and planting of wetland plants as part of inanga spawning habitat restoration. As a start, spawning habitat at Aotea Road Reserve could be improved by planting, fencing and minor streambank contouring. The Committee will be asked to consider funding such a programme as part of its deliberations on its 2014/2015 environmental enhancement budget.
Consideration
Local Board Views
12. Improvements to fish passage support the Board’s priority of actively protecting and enhancing the ecological values of Great Barrier Island.
13. The Committee is asked to agree its environment work programme annually in July or August. The Committee will be asked to consider funding for the monitoring of culverts following remediation and inanga spawning habitat restoration at that time.
14. In addition, the Board is already funding fencing of the rare native button daisy (Leptinella squalida subsp. squalida) population at Awana through its environmental enhancement budget. The fencing of this native plant will bring complementary benefits to the wider Awana Stream system, including enhancement of inanga fish spawning habitat. A private landowner adjacent to the Awana Stream also received funding to erect stock proof fencing through the Environmental Initiatives Fund. This will greatly enhance fish spawning habitat in the area as well through further stock exclusion.
Maori Impact Statement
15. No consultation with Maori was undertaken for the purposes of this report. It is recognised that environmental management, water quality and land management has integral links with the mauri of the environments and concepts of kaitiakitanga.
16. Consultation with iwi would precede implementation of any project to improve fish passage on Great Barrier.
General
17. No external consultation was required for the purposes of this report. The fish passages survey was undertaken by freshwater experts from Council’s Biodiversity and RIMU teams.
18. Improvements to fish passage support the objectives of restoring habitat included in the Indigenous Biodiversity Strategy.
Implementation Issues
19. Regional stormwater funding is available to support remediation of culverts.
20. The Board may wish to consider funding a Wai Care or Trees for Survival-type project as noted in paragraph nine above at a future date as part of its environmental enhancement programme.
No. |
Title |
Page |
aView |
Fish Passage at Culverts Assessment, Great Barrier Island – Culvert Remediation Options |
15 |
bView |
Inanga Spawning Surveys - Great Barrier Island |
37 |
Signatories
Authors |
Matt Bloxham – Senior Regional Advisor (Freshwater) Alastair Jamieson – Team Leader: Biodiversity (Regional) |
Authorisers |
Rachel Kelleher – Biodiversity Manager Gael Ogilvie – Environmental Services Unit Manager John Dragicevich – Infrastructure and Environmental Services Manager John Nash – Relationship Manager John Nash - Senior Local Board Advisor |
Great Barrier Environment Committee 27 February 2014 |
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Successful Great Barrier applications to the Environmental Initiatives Fund and the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund
File No.: CP2014/02048
Purpose
1. The purpose of this report is to advise the Great Barrier Local Board on successful applications to the Environmental Initiatives Fund and the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund.
Executive Summary
2. The Auckland Council Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund (WMIF) is a regional fund that has an annual funding pool of $500,000.00. There are three categories of funding; small (up to $5,000.00), medium ($5,000.00 - $25,000.00) and large (over $25,000.00). The fund covers 50 percent of the cost of the project.
3. In the October 2013 WMIF funding round, Auckland Council awarded $293,878.33 to 33 different groups. This included two Great Barrier groups; the Department of Conservation and Orama Christian Trust. A table showing all successful applications is included at Attachment A. The next round of the fund will open on 1 April 2014 for small grants (up to $5000.00) only and has $25,000.00 to distribute. A further round for all three categories will open in October 2014 with $500,000.00 to distribute.
4. The Auckland Council Environmental Initiatives Fund (EIF) is a regional fund to support community led conservation, heritage and environmental enhancement projects. There is one funding round per year and for 2013, $619,512 was available for distribution. In total 132 applications received funding, of which five were from Great Barrier groups and individuals; Orama Christian Trust, Motu Kaikoura Trust, Windy Hill Rosalie Bay Catchment Trust, June Brookes and the O’Shea Brothers.
5. A memo and table outlining details of the EIF and showing all successful applications is included at Attachment B.
That the Great Barrier Environment Committee: 6. Receives the report advising on successful applications to the Environmental Initiatives Fund and the Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund.
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No. |
Title |
Page |
aView |
Successful applications to Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund |
57 |
bView |
Successful applications to Environmental Initiatives Fund |
61 |
Signatories
Authors |
Guia Nonoy - Relationship Manager PA/Office Manager |
Authorisers |
John Nash - Senior Local Board Advisor |
Great Barrier Environment Committee 27 February 2014 |
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Community involvement in Great Barrier Environment Committee
File No.: CP2014/02191
Purpose
1. The purpose of this report is to obtain agreement from the Great Barrier Environment Committee to a new committee meeting operating model which provides greater opportunity for formal and informal community and interest group input into the meeting.
2. The purpose of the proposed change is to enable enhanced engagement with groups with an interest in, and value to add to the work of the committee and to establish a more collaborative and inclusive approach to advancing the wider environmental agenda for Aotea/Great Barrier.
Executive Summary
3. The Great Barrier Local Board has established an environment committee in recognition of the importance of the environment to Great Barrier and to enable environmental matters to have a specific forum for discussion separate from the board’s ordinary business. The committee is a formal committee of the board and as such generally follows a standard operating model with a formal agenda consisting mainly of council officer and board generated reports, public forum, minutes etc.
4. The committee has only held one meeting to date in December 2013. In recognition of the importance of community participation in the business of the committee, and the time commitment of attendees, the committee agreed to relax provisions around length of public forum items and to allow more open interaction between the committee, officers and community participants. This was also in response to requests from these participants for enhanced interaction with the committee, and recognition by the committee that the community is integral to its work.
5. It is now proposed that the committee agree to community groups and agencies with an interest in the environment placing items on the agenda for consideration by the committee. This would be subject to approval by the committee chair and relationship manager and reports would need to be lodged by the standard agenda cutoff date – ten business days before the committee meeting. The items would come under a “community reports” section on the agenda. It is anticipated that reports would be regularly received from the Department of Conservation, the Great Barrier Island Environmental Trust and other parties.
6. It is expected that the default committee resolution responding to such reports will be that the report be received. Having such reports on the agenda will however enable the committee to pass resolutions in response as it sees fit.
7. The committee would reserve the right to not place an item on the agenda, or request it be changed if it considered any material was inappropriate. The committee would also reserve the right alter this arrangement if isn’t working or problems arise.
That the Great Barrier Environment Committee: a) Agrees to create a “community reports” item on its meeting agenda to enable community groups with an interest in the environment on Great Barrier to have material formally considered by the committee noting that this approach may be discontinued at any time if the committee finds it necessary.
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There are no attachments for this report.
Signatories
Authors |
John Nash - Senior Local Board Advisor |
Authorisers |
Karen Lyons - Manager Local Board Services |