The
Chairperson opened the meeting and welcomed everyone present.
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 Manukau Harbour Forum:
a)
confirm the ordinary minutes of its meeting,
held on Friday, 14 December 2018, as a true and
correct.
|
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
Standing
Order 7.7 provides for deputations. Those applying for deputations are required
to give seven working days notice of subject matter and applications are
approved by the Chairperson of the Manukau Harbour Forum. This means that
details relating to deputations can be included in the published agenda. Total
speaking time per deputation is ten minutes or as resolved by the meeting.
|
8.1 Deputations
- Māui and Hector's dolphins
|
|
Te take mō te pūrongo
Purpose
of the report
1. To receive a deputation from Christine Rose, NZ Campaign Advisor for World Animal Protection regarding her concerns around Māui and Hector's dolphins.
Whakarāpopototanga matua
Executive
summary
1. Māui
and Hector’s dolphins are among the world’s smallest and rarest
dolphins and both are found on Waitakere’s coast. Already under
pressure from gill nets, disease and other natural causes, at least four
Māui of an estimated population of only 57 dolphins, were reported dead
in 2018. Untold others continue to perish in commercial fishing gear and
other human caused threats such as noise, seismic testing, climate change and
prey species depletion have set back previous conservation efforts. There are
very few observers on the fishing fleet and little monitoring and enforcement
or oversight of by-catch. The long planned camera observer programme has been
stopped.
2. The
Government is currently reviewing the Threat Management Plan for Māui
and Hector’s dolphins, with consultation expected to occur in March and
April.
3. This
deputation is to encourage the Board to proactively engage with the
Government and the community to improve stewardship of these taonga.
|
|
Ngā tūtohunga
Recommendation/s
That the Manukau Harbour
Forum:
a) receive
the presentation on Māui and Hector's dolphins and thank Christine Rose,
NZ Campaign Advisor for World Animal Protection, for her attendance.
|
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.”
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Manukau
Harbour Forum
15 March 2019
|
|
Our Water Future: Auckland's water
discussion - Manukau Harbour Forum feedback
File No.: CP2019/02918
Te take mō te pūrongo / Purpose of the report
1. To
provide an opportunity for the Manukau Harbour Forum to provide feedback to the
Our Water Future: Auckland's water discussion (Attachment
A), with public consultation being open 17 February 2019 to 19 April 2019.
Whakarāpopototanga matua / Executive summary
2. Both
freshwater and marine environments in Auckland are under pressure from historic
under-investment, climate change and rapid growth. The Auckland Plan 2050
identifies the need to proactively adapt to a changing water future and develop
long-term solutions.
3. In
response to these challenges, the Environment and Community Committee approved
the scope of a strategy for Auckland’s waters at its June 2018 meeting
(resolution ENV/2018/78). The strategy will provide strategic direction for the
council group to meet the challenges and opportunities for improved management
for water in all its forms. It will establish the outcomes needed for
Auckland’s waters, as part of implementation of the Auckland Plan.
4. Staff
from across Auckland Council, Watercare and Auckland Transport prepared the Our
Water Future: Auckland's water discussion document for public consultation (see
Attachment A), which forms the first step in the strategy’s development.
5. Our
water future steps through a proposed framework for how we think and make
decisions about water in Tāmaki Makaurau.
6. The
proposed framework includes:
· an aspirational
vision for our water future
· five values that
explain why water is important to us
· four big issues that
are at the core of our water challenge
· six principles that
guide our actions
· four processes that
we need to work on to support quality decisions.
7. At
its 4 December meeting, the Environment and Community Committee approved the
discussion document for consultation alongside the 2019-20 Annual Plan
consultation.
8. A
comprehensive engagement programme had occurred to develop the Our Water
Future: Auckland's water discussion material. This has included mana whenua
engagement through the Mana Whenua Kaitiaki Forum, as well as separate
workshops with operational kaitiaki. Staff have also attended workshops with
all 21 local boards, the governing body and subject matter experts to introduce
key topics to be addressed in the strategy.
9. The
Manukau Harbour Forum is a collective comprised of representatives of the nine
Auckland local boards on the shores of the Manukau Harbour.
10. The
forum was created in 2010 following the amalgamation which formed Auckland
Council in response to concern about the deteriorating state of the Manukau
Harbour and the urgent need for a collaborative response to improve its
condition.
11. The
Manukau Harbour Forum’s objectives are to:
· raise the profile of
the Manukau Harbour
· ensure there is a
robust knowledge base to support integrated management
· champion and
advocate for the development and implementation of planning frameworks and
projects to support the integrated management of the Manukau Harbour
· ensure there are
sufficient resources, including staff input and budget, to support the forum to
deliver on its vision.
12. This
report provides an opportunity for the Manukau Harbour Forum to develop and
provide feedback on the Our Water Future: Auckland's water discussion document.
|
Ngā tūtohunga / Recommendations
That the Manukau Harbour
Forum:
a) provide
feedback on the Our Water Future: Auckland's water discussion document
(Attachment A) and the framework elements of:
· an aspirational
vision for our water future
· five values that
explain why water is important to us
· four big issues
that are at the core of our water challenge
· six principles that
guide our actions
· four processes
that we need to work on to support quality decisions.
b) delegate
authority to the forum Chair and Deputy Chair and finalise feedback on behalf
of the forum.
c) request
that the forum’s feedback is circulated to all nine member local
boards.
d) note
the Our Water Future discussion framework is out for public consultation from
17 February 2019 to 19 April 2019.
|
Horopaki / Context
Identifying the key issues in relation to
Auckland’s waters
13. The health of Auckland’s waters is a
significant issue. Decades of pressure have had negative impacts on water
quality, and on freshwater and marine environments. This pressure will continue
to increase if changes are not made to the way that water is valued and
managed. Population, growth and climate change will further amplify the
challenges, with greater demand for water services, and an increased risk of
flooding and coastal inundation.
14. The
Auckland Plan notes a key challenge of ‘environmental degradation’
and identifies the need to proactively adapt to a changing water future and
develop long-term solutions (focus area five of the Auckland Plan’s
environment and cultural heritage outcome). Other focus areas of the Auckland
Plan speak to the need to future-proof Auckland’s infrastructure, make
sustainable choices, and fully account for past and future impacts of growth.
15. The
Environment and Community Committee agreed to the development of the Auckland
Water Strategy at its 12 September 2017 meeting. The committee noted that water
is often described and managed in categories, such as stormwater, wastewater
and drinking water. An overarching strategy for Auckland’s waters, in all
their forms, was identified as the best way of ensuring the full range of
desired outcomes for water are defined and achieved in an integrated way.
16. Several
drivers give weight to the timely development of the strategy. These include
heightened public awareness of water quality risks, and strong support from the
public for improvements to water quality through the ten-year budget, central
government initiatives (such as the National Policy Statement for Freshwater
Management and the Department of Internal Affairs review of three waters
outcomes) and the need to update existing strategies due to significant
population growth. It also responds to mana whenua aspirations surrounding te
mauri o te wai.
Engaging with local boards, mana whenua and key
stakeholders
17. Since
the strategy’s initiation in September 2017, staff have undertaken
preliminary analytical work and engagement across the council group. This
includes resolving the intersection of the strategy with the section 17A three
waters review, mapping the council group’s current water-related
activities, and analysing the public feedback on the proposed Auckland Plan and
10-year budget.
18. An
extensive local board and mana whenua engagement programme has been undertaken.
In September and October 2018, staff presented the proposed topics to be
addressed through the water strategy at workshops with all 21 local boards.
Formal feedback on the proposed topics for inclusion in the water strategy was
also sought at local board business meetings throughout November 2018. Informal
local board feedback has been summarised later in this report.
19. Mana
whenua have been engaged at both a governance and operational level. The Mana
Whenua Kaitiaki Forum provided strategic direction while operational kaitiaki
provided direction on the values. Subject matter experts from across the council
group, local boards and the governing body have also provided feedback on the
key topics.
20. The
Our Water Future: Auckland's water discussion document
is out for public input alongside of the Annual Budget consultation.
Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu / Analysis and advice
21. The
Auckland Water Strategy will provide strategic direction for the council group
on how to meet the challenges and opportunities for improved water management.
It is expected that the overarching strategy will define the approaches taken
around water in other supportive strategies and plans as they are subsequently
developed and reviewed.
22. As
the development of the strategy has progressed, it has become clear that it
will need to be developed in stages. Many of the water challenges that have
been identified require more analysis and public engagement before a strategy
can be agreed. For this reason, the Our Water Future:
Auckland's water discussion document was released for
public consultation in early 2019 focuses on identifying and agreeing the water
issues that Auckland faces within a proposed framework of vision, values and
principles. From there, the governing body will be able to review and agree a
staged programme that builds on the framework towards a final strategy.
Identifying topics for inclusion in the Auckland Water
Strategy
23. The
topics included in this discussion document have been developed through the
review of the existing policies and strategies, and through a series of
workshops and discussions with staff from Auckland Council family, including
Watercare and Auckland Transport, feedback received from 21 local boards and
mana whenua.
24. The
discussion document proposes a framework for how we think and make decisions
about water in Tāmaki Makaurau, which includes:
· an aspirational
vision for Auckland’s water future
· five values
describing the reasons we attach importance to water
· four key issues that
are at the core of Auckland’s water challenge
· six principles that
will guide the council’s actions as we move forward
· four processes that
we need to work on to support quality decisions.
Proposing a vision for the Auckland
Water Strategy
25. The following vision guided by the Mana Whenua Kaitiaki Forum is
proposed as an aspirational statement of where Aucklanders would like to be by
2050: Te mauri o te wai o Tāmaki Makaurau
– the life supporting capacity of Auckland’s waters – is
protected and enhanced.
26. Te
mauri o te wai has many layers. It is about the health of water but also about
the deep connections between water, the environment and people.
27. While
Aucklanders will have different ideas as to how te mauri o te wai can be
enhanced and protected, the development of an Auckland Water Strategy provides
an opportunity to open this up for public discussion. It will help Aucklanders
to recognise the consequences of actions across the whole water cycle. Te mauri
o te wai is an aspirational statement to unify Auckland’s approach to
water.
28. While
the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management speaks of ‘te
mana o te wai’, te mauri o te wai is regarded as a better description of
the aspiration that could unite Aucklanders. Waters with healthy mauri nourish
us and allow us to meet our obligations to care for one another (manaakitanga).
As mana whenua have observed, there can be no mana without mauri.
Why we love water - describing our values
29. A
value-based approach will help in connecting the council’s decisions back
to what Aucklanders think matters most in relation to water. The proposed values
for the Auckland Water Strategy will ensure the council is on track for
delivering on the strategy’s vision:
· ecosystems: healthy
water systems nourish the natural environment
· water use: we can
meet our everyday water needs safely, reliably and efficiently
· recreation and
amenity: we enjoy being in, on and near the water
· culture: water
contributes to our identities and beliefs, as individuals and as part of
communities
· resilience: our
water systems are resilient to changing conditions, and we are resilient to
water hazards.
Addressing the big issues - what we need to work on
30. Staff
identified four key issues that are at the heart of Auckland’s water
future, and work forward from the proposed vision and the five proposed values.
These issues are:
· cleaning up our
waters
· growth in the right
places
· meeting future water
needs
· adapting to a
changing water future.
How we will work - applying a principles-based approach
31. The
following six principles are proposed to guide the council, as the four key
issues as outlined above are addressed:
· recognise that water
is a treasure (taonga)
· work with ecosystems
· deliver catchment
scale thinking and action
· focus on achieving
the right-sized solutions with multiple benefits
· work together to
plan and deliver better water quality outcomes
· look to the future.
Working better - processes we need to work on
32. There
are four key processes that need to improve, to help in applying the principles
above to the council’s work:
· applying a
Māori world view
· creating our water
future together
· setting priorities
for investment
· achieving net
benefits for catchments.
Ngā whakaaweawe ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te
poari ā-rohe /
Local impacts and local board views
33. Local
boards have a strong interest in improving water quality across the Auckland
region and currently fund many local projects focused on restoration of local
waterways.
34. Staff
attended a local board chairs’ meeting on 13 November 2017 to introduce the
concept of the strategy and expected range of activities arising from the
strategy. Board chairs indicated their interest in continued involvement.
35. Staff
presented the scope, summary and the progress on the strategy’s
development to all 21 local boards between 30 August 2018 and 23 October 2018.
Key themes in the feedback provided by local boards at these workshops included
the need to:
· acknowledge water as
being a precious commodity that needs to be preserved as the population grows
· increase the focus
on the health of Auckland’s harbours
· identify future
drinking water sources
· educate people
around resilience, water usage, and the impacts of their activities on the
environment
· strengthen
regulation and compliance to protect waterways.
36. Formal
feedback on the proposed topics of the discussion document was requested from
local boards at their November 2018 business meetings, and local board feedback
will be incorporated where possible into the development of the strategy.
Tauākī whakaaweawe Māori / Māori impact
statement
37. Mauri
(life force) is a fundamental concept of the Māori world view. The state
of mauri is an indicator of overall environmental, cultural and social
wellbeing. All water sources have an inherent mauri that can be diminished or
enhanced.
38. Enhancing
the mauri of waterways is of key significance to mana whenua in their role as
kaitiaki of Auckland waters. Early engagement with mana whenua to promote
kaitiakitanga and embed mana whenua values into this work is critical to the
success of the actions outlined in this report.
39. The
development of the Auckland Water Strategy has been
guided by the strategic advice provided by the Mana Whenua Kaitiaki governance
forum. The forum has determined it will provide its own strategic advice, to
ensure that core mana whenua principles and values are given the attention they
need. The forum requested that one of their members be included on the
governance group for the development of the strategy. This has been achieved
with the Auckland Water Political Reference Group, and recognises the
longstanding whakaaro and kōrero that mana whenua have provided on this
kaupapa.
Ngā ritenga ā-pūtea / Financial implications
40. A
budget of $500,000 to develop the Auckland Water Strategy was approved as part
of the Long-term Plan 2018-2028. This budget covers operational expenses,
primarily staff time, and will be used to support public engagement.
41. The
budget required to deliver any actions arising from the strategy will be sought
through the Long-term Plan 2021-2031 process.
Ngā raru tūpono / Risks
42. An
initial risk assessment for the programme has been carried out, as shown in
Table 1 below:
Table 1
- Auckland Water Strategy work programme risks and proposed mitigations
|
Risk type
|
Risk description
|
Consequence description
|
Rating
(High-Medium-Low)
|
Mitigation or control
|
|
Scope expansion
|
Water is a broad subject,
and the level of detail and number of topics to cover can grow and change
rapidly
|
Unable to deliver to time
and cost
|
Medium
|
Guidance from the
Political Reference Group and Executive Steering Group
|
|
Central government changes
to legislation and policy
|
There are several central
government work programmes focusing on water underway such as the Department
of Internal Affairs Three Waters review and the Office of the Auditor
Generals Water Programme. The strategy will need to adapt to any changes in
direction from central government
|
Unable to deliver to time
and cost
|
Medium
|
Anticipate where possible,
communication plans to include government stakeholders
|
|
Inconsistent practices and
adoption of the strategy
|
The strategy is not
adopted and reflected in the plans of the operational and delivery
organisations of the council group
|
Outcomes of the strategy
are not delivered, substantive actions to deliver the strategy are not
undertaken
|
Medium
|
Ensure that the delivery
teams of the council group are engaged in the development of the strategy
|
Ngā koringa ā-muri / Next steps
43. The
next steps in the development of the Auckland Water Strategy have been outlined
in Table 2 below:
Table 2
- Timeframes for the development of the Auckland Water Strategy
|
Activity
|
Expected
timeframe
|
|
Public consultation
on the Auckland Water Strategy discussion document
|
17 February 2019 – 19 April 2019
|
|
Public engagement
feedback reviewed.
|
May - June 2019
|
|
Draft options for
the finalisation of the Auckland Water Strategy, and associated work
programmes to be presented to the Environment and Community Committee
|
June 2019
|
Ngā
tāpirihanga / Attachments
|
No.
|
Title
|
Page
|
|
a⇩ 
|
Our Water Future - Discussion document
|
19
|
Ngā kaihaina / Signatories
|
Authors
|
Brenda Railey - Democracy Advisor - Waitakere
Ranges
|
|
Authorisers
|
Glenn Boyd - Relationship Manager Henderson-Massey,
Waitakere Ranges, Whau
|
