Agenda of Rural Advisory Panel - Friday, 14 April 2023

I hereby give notice that an ordinary meeting of the Rural Advisory Panel will be held on:

Date:

Time:

Meeting Room:

Venue:

Friday, 14 April 2023

12.30pm

Reception Lounge, Auckland Town Hall
301-305 Queen Street, Auckland

Ngā Hui a te Rōpū Kaitohutohu Take ā-Taiwhenua / Rural Advisory Panel

OPEN AGENDA

MEMBERSHIP

Chairperson	Cr Andy Baker	Auckland Council
Deputy Chairperson	Alan Cole	Franklin Local Board, Auckland Council
Members	Tim Holdgate	Rodney Local Board, Auckland Council
	Mike Bramley	Dairy New Zealand
	Trish Fordyce	National Forest Growers Levy Trust
	Annaliese Morgan	Young Farmers
	Jesse Brennan	Federated Farmers of NZ
	Steve Levet	Rural Contractors New Zealand
	Greg McCracken	Fonterra Shareholders Council
	Andrew McKenzie	Beef and Lamb New Zealand
	Brian Mason	Land Owners and Contractors Protection Association (Wellsford)
	Leanne Roberts	Horticulture NZ
	Cr Greg Sayers	Auckland Council
	Wayne Scott	Aggregate and Quarry Association
	Geoff Smith	Equine Industry
	Peter Spencer	NZ Forest Owners Association
	Linda Potauaine	Waitākere Ranges Local Board, Auckland Council
	Keith Vallabh	Pukekohe Vegetable Growers Association
	Glenn Wilcox	Māori representative

(Quorum 10 members)

Sandra Gordon

Kaitohutohu Mana Whakahaere Matua / Senior Governance Advisor

5 April 2023

Contact Telephone: (09) 8908150

Email: sandra.gordon@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Website: www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

1 Ngā Tamōtanga | Apologies

An apology from Member A Morgan has been received.

2 Te Whakapuaki i te Whai Pānga | 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.

3 Te Whakaū i ngā Āmiki | Confirmation of Minutes

There are no minutes for confirmation.

4 Ngā Pakihi Autaia | 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.”

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Rural Advisory Panel Terms of Reference 2022-25	11

Rural Advisory Panel

14 April 2023

Auckland Council Draft Annual Budget 2023-2024 update

File No.: CP2023/03936

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide an update on the progress of the Annual Budget 2023/2024 including the detail relating to the consultation material used to support public consultation with Aucklanders in March 2023.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. All councils are required by legislation to adopt an annual plan every year (except once every three years when the long-term plan acts as the annual plan). We refer to Auckland Council’s annual plan as the annual budget and its long-term plan as the 10-year budget.

3. The process to develop council’s annual budget began on 10 November 2022 when the Governing Body was provided with details on the legislative requirements associated with the preparation and adoption of an annual budget as well as a high-level summary of both the economic trends impacting on council’s financial position and the options available to mitigate.

4. Council is facing an estimated budget shortfall of $295 million for the activities that are planned for the 2023/2024 financial year – the third year of the Long-term Plan 2021-2031 (10-year Budget).

5. While the previous annual budget in 2022/2023 had signalled a potential shortfall for 2023/2024 of between $90 million and $150 million, this gap has widened due to factors outside the control of council such as the ongoing impacts of persistently high inflation and the rapid increase in interest rates.

6. On 7 December 2022, the mayor released a draft mayoral proposal setting out a plan to address the estimated $295 million budget shortfall. This proposal was discussed at a Governing Body workshop on the same day and included a mix of operating budget reductions across the group, changes to rates, modest use of additional debt, and the proposed sale of our shares in Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL).

7. At the 15 December 2022 Governing Body meeting, council agreed to the mayoral proposal and its preferred mix of proposed budget levers to address the estimated $295 million operating budget gap for 2023/2024, as the basis for consultation on the Annual Budget 2023/2024.

8. The decision to consult on the proposal to amend our Auckland International Airport Shareholding Policy to enable either the full or partial sell down of our shares in AIAL requires an amendment to our 10-year Budget 2021-2031. Information on the proposal to amend our 10-year budget was included in consultation material and was subject to an external audit from Audit New Zealand on behalf of the Office of the Auditor General.

9. In response to the recent storm event that hit the region beginning 27 January 2023, staff worked closely with the mayor to ensure any potential financial impacts and responses were flagged in the consultation material. This included signalling the need to reprioritise capital investment to address urgent asset renewals and a proposal to increase operating expenditure to enable the council to better prepare for, and respond to, future storm events. Funding this additional operating expenditure will likely require a higher rates increase.

10. The Audit and Risk Committee plays a key role in advising the Governing Body on key matters of compliance including compliance with the Local Government Act 2002. Among other things, the committee is also responsible for oversight of preparation of the 10-year budget (including amendments), annual report, and key risks relating to the annual budget.

11. Local boards held workshops and meetings in November and December 2022 to agree their feedback on regional items for consultation. Local boards then met in early February 2023 to agree their local content which was included in the consultation material.

12. The Tūpuna Maunga Operational Plan must be prepared and adopted concurrently with the council’s annual budget and must be included in summary form in the annual budget consultation documentation. The Draft Tūpuna Maunga Operational Plan 2023/2024 was approved by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority on 23 January 2023 and was agreed to by the Governing Body on 15 February 2023.

13. At the 15 February 2023 Emergency Committee, Governing Body adopted the consultation material and approach to support public consultation on the budget.

14. Public consultation on the budget was held from 28 February to 28 March 2023 with staff supporting over 150 consultation events across the region. Consultation closed with a total of 28,850 online submissions, breaking the previous record of 21,000 online submissions for the Emergency Budget 2020/2021 during COVID-19 lockdowns.

15. While this number is preliminary and doesn’t include feedback received through other channels, the overall submissions are expected to almost triple last year’s Annual Budget 2022/2023 consultation, which received 11,500 submissions.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Rural Advisory Panel:

a) whiwhi / receive the report on the draft Auckland Council Annual Plan 2023-24.

Horopaki

Context

16. All councils are required by legislation to adopt an annual plan (also known as the annual budget) every year (except once every three years when the long-term plan acts as the annual plan). We refer to Auckland Council’s annual plan as the annual budget and its long-term plan as the 10-year budget.

17. The starting point for the budgets, priorities and funding envelopes for the Annual Budget 2023/2024 is that set out in the third year of the current 10-year budget. Any significant or material changes to the budget or service levels from that set out in the 10-year budget require consultation.

18. Auckland Council is also required to include local board agreements and the Tūpuna Maunga Operational Plan in summary form in its annual budget. Proposed content relating to each of the local board agreements and the agreed summary of the draft Tūpuna Maunga Operational Plan must be included in annual budget consultation material.

19. The consultation material included a proposal to amend our 10-year Budget 2021-2031 to enable either the full or partial sell down of our shares in AIAL. The information provided in the material includes information required by section 93D and 93E of the Local Government Act 2002.

20. Content included in the consultation material relating to the proposed amendment to the 10-year Budget was audited by Audit New Zealand on behalf of the Auditor-General. The final report from the Auditor-General was included in the material.

Tātaritanga me ngā tohutohu

Analysis and advice

21. In November 2022, a report was provided to Governing Body that included details on the legislative requirements associated with the preparation and adoption of an annual budget as well as a high-level summary of both the economic trends that continue to impact council’s financial position and options available to mitigate this.

22. Several workshops were held to discuss the Annual Budget 2023/2024 in November and December 2022. Further details were provided on the operating gap, options to mitigate the gap including operating budget reduction discussions with Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU), Eke Panuku, Auckland Transport and Auckland Council. The use of debt, rates and the potential sale of our shares in AIAL were also discussed.

23. On 7 December 2022, the mayor released a draft mayoral proposal setting out a plan to address the estimated $295 million budget shortfall. This proposal was discussed at a Governing Body workshop on the same day and included a mix of operating budget reductions across the group, changes to rates, modest additional use of debt, and the proposed sale of our shares in AIAL.

24. At its 15 December 2022 meeting, the Governing Body resolved to consult on a set of budget proposals via the Annual Budget 2023/2024 (GB/2022/134).

25. To support consultation on the budget, staff drafted a consultation material give effect to those Governing Body decisions. The material also included references to potential flooding implications and possible response to the recent storm event.

26. At the 15 February 2023 Emergency Committee, Governing Body adopted the consultation material and approach to support public consultation on the budget.

Developing local board agreements and consulting on local issues

27. Each year a local board agreement is developed for each local board that sets out priorities, budgets and intended levels of service for local activities, and the capital and operating expenditure required to fund these activities. Local board agreements are agreed between each local board and the Governing Body as part of the annual budget or 10-year budget process.

28. The proposal to reduce local board funding by $16 million as part of the overall budget package was included in consultation material. The local board consultation content included details for each local board on how this could be achieved and what the implications might be for each local community if the proposal is agreed to as part of final decision-making by the Governing Body in May/June.

Amendment to the 10-year Budget 2021-2031

29. The decision to consult on the proposal to amend our Auckland International Airport Shareholding Policy to enable either the full or partial sell down of our shares in AIAL requires an amendment to our 10-year Budget 2021-2031. Information on the proposal to amend our 10-year budget was included in the consultation material and was subject to an external audit from Audit New Zealand on behalf of the Office of the Auditor-General.

30. The consultation material included information on the proposal of a full sell-down of our shares in AIAL, as well as alternative options of a partial sell-down or maintaining the status quo as agreed by the Governing Body in December.

31. The Audit and Risk Committee plays a key role in advising the Governing Body on key matters of compliance including compliance with the Local Government Act 2002. Among other things, the committee is also responsible for oversight of preparation of the 10-year budget (including amendments), annual report, and the annual budget.

32. A report was provided to the Audit and Risk Committee on 14 February 2023 on the key controls employed and management of risks related to the development of the proposal included in the consultation material.

Financial implications and response to the recent storm event

33. In response to the recent storm event that hit the region beginning 27 January 2023, staff worked closely with the mayor to ensure any potential financial impacts and responses were flagged throughout the consultation material where possible.

34. This includes the potential need to reprioritise capital investment to address urgent asset renewals and a proposal for a storm response fund collected through rates.

35. Staff have also signaled issues that will need to be considered as part of the next 10-year budget in response to the need to make Auckland more resilient to the impacts of extreme weather.

36. While the impacts from the storm event could be significant over time, the budget options to address the estimated $295 million shortfall remain valid. However, it may take longer to implement some cost reductions.

37. Detail in the consultation material included signalling the need to reprioritise capital investment to address urgent asset renewals as well as the inclusion of a proposal to increase operating expenditure to enable the council to better prepare for, and respond to, future storm events. Funding this additional operating expenditure will likely require a higher rates increase.

38. Specifically, an additional operating budget of $20 million is proposed to increase our capability to prepare for and respond to future storm events. This could include more frequent clearing of drains as well as increased provision for things such as emergency management, waste disposal, building inspections and support for affected people. This additional operating expenditure would need to be supported by additional funding. To be sustainable, this could mean a higher rates increase of around 1 per cent. It would not be appropriate to continually borrow to pay for operating activities such as cleaning the drains on a regular basis.

Ngā koringa ā-muri

Next steps

39. The key steps for finalising the Annual Budget 2023/2024 are:

Annual Budget Timeline	Date
Public consultation period	28 February 2023 – 28 March 2023
Governing Body workshop – receive regional feedback and analysis	26 April 2023
Governing Body workshops – annual budget topics (including local board input)	May 2023
Governing Body workshop – mayoral proposal	31 May 2023
Extraordinary Governing Body meeting – final annual budget decisions	6 June 2023
Governing Body workshop – adoption of final Annual Budget 2023/2024	29 June 2023

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author	Tamsyn Matchett - Programme Manager
Authoriser	Warren Maclennan – Lead officer

Rural Advisory Panel

14 April 2023

Essential Freshwater update - Auckland Council staff input into regulatory instrument and guidance publications

File No.: CP2023/03882

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide an update on central government’s Essential Freshwater programme and an overview of input from Auckland Council staff into the programme’s national and regional implementation and refinement.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Central government’s Essential Freshwater programme encompasses several regulatory instruments that came into effect from 3 September 2020. Key regulatory instruments of relevance to this update include:

a) the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPS-FM)

b) the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater Management 2020 (NES-F)

c) the proposed Resource Management (Farm Planning) Regulations (FWFP).

3. Central government has been working with various interests to address implementation concerns with the 2020 regulatory instruments. Remedies have principally included the 2022 NPS-FM and NES-F regulatory amendments (effective 5 January 2023), which have been overviewed in 2022 updates to the Rural Advisory Panel.

4. The last significant regulatory instrument within the Essential Freshwater programme to be introduced is the farm planning regulations, publicly consulted on in 2021. These regulations are expected to be gazetted by May 2023.

Auckland Council feedback to central government

Freshwater farm plan regulations

5. Exposure draft Freshwater farm plan regulations were released for consultation to representatives across the regional sector, industry, iwi, and environmental NGOs on 25 January 2023 under non-disclosure agreements. Representatives had until 10 February to submit their views on the draft regulations.

6. Auckland Council staff made a submission on the exposure draft and also contributed to a regional sector submission through Te Uru Kahika. The short submission timeframe, as well as constraints under the non-disclosure agreement, meant internal engagement on the draft regulations was limited.

7. Key concerns staff raised were the short roll-out and process timeframes, a need for greater direction around mapping requirements, the lack of performance-based quality control mechanisms, and the need for greater clarity around council compliance and monitoring roles and cross-over with FWFP certifying and auditing functions.

Nitrogen cap national database

8. The national nitrogen cap (N-Cap) reporting tool was released to the public on 29 August 2022 for the reporting period 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022. Farmers have three options of how they can submit their N-Cap data; directly through the national Te Uru Kahika N-Cap webform, or through Balance or Ravensdown fertiliser tools which feed into the national database.

9. The national N-Cap reporting rate by December 2022 was 40% with 2% of those farms submitting their data in non-compliance. For the Auckland region a 31% overall reporting rate was observed, with 3% of farms who have submitted their data non-compliant with the N-Cap maximum application rate.

10. Auckland Council staff are in the process of following up with the non-compliant farms and the farms who have not reported their synthetic nitrogen fertiliser usage for the 2021-22 reporting period. This is done through targeted communication and our existing dairy monitoring programme. We expect to see an increase in N-Cap reporting for the 2022-23 reporting period.

11. Prior to the next reporting deadline of 31 July 2023, the regional sector will focus on sending out nationally aligned communication to farmers. Auckland Council will also confirm and publicise our approach to non-compliance looking ahead.

12. The main challenge with the rollout of these regulations have been the complexity of the data capture and processing required by the farming community to report their usage. Other challenges have been linking the national database to council systems to aid council evaluation of data submitted. Work is underway to make improvements to the national reporting tool based on regional sector and stakeholder feedback.

Guidance documents / reports published

13. MfE is working with the regional sector and industry bodies to develop technical and policy guidance documents to accompany the roll-out of the freshwater farm plan framework. While council staff are aware of intentions to provide policy and CCCV guidance material, we do not yet have detail on the scope of wider guidance material to be released.

14. The Manaaki Whenua Landcare report that maps intensive winter grazing using satellite imagery for the 2022 winter has been completed. This report has been made available to regional / unitary councils. This work was commissioned by the regional sector with imagery from the 2021 winter being used as a baseline. The expansion of ground-truthed field data across a greater number of regions (nine of New Zealand’s 16 regions) has helped improve the accuracy of identifying specific forage crops as well as improving regional accuracy. Only 5 hectares of intensively grazed winter forage crop area (excluding heavily grazed pasture) was identified for the Auckland region for the 2022 winter while 152 hectares was identified in the 2021 winter analysis.

15. Additional guidance and fact sheets released by central government departments in the past six months include:

a) MfE – Guidance document for using the New Zealand national pasture assessment tool for assessing potential wetland areas that may meet the pasture exemption criteria

· Pasture exclusion assessment methodology (published 8 December 2022)

b) MPI – Updates to the Intensive Winter Grazing (IWG) module to align it with the latest updated IWG regulations that came into effect on 1 November 2022

· MPI Intensive Winter Grazing site

c) MfE – Guidance on a series of subjects to support people who manage and monitor IWG activities. This includes new guidance for pugging, ground cover, and the identification and management of critical source areas

· Introduction to the intensive winter grazing guidance package (published 21 March 2023)

d) MfE – Updated guidance on the National Objectives Framework (NOF), published in July 2022, is being updated following the December 2022 amendments to the NPS-FM. The updated guidance was expected to be released by the end of March 2023 (now expected in April).

· National Objectives Framework Guidance

Regulatory and planning updates

NPS-FM and NES-F amendments

16. On the 5 and 8 of December 2022 central government gazetted amendments to the NES-F and NPS-FM respectively, following consultation with interested parties which included submissions from councils, regional sector bodies, and industry groups over 2022. Further minor corrective amendments were made on 23 February 2023.

17. Amendments to the NPS-FM have largely focused on changes to the wetland regulations and providing greater definition around council processes and decision-making clauses. Amendments have also been made to ensure alignment with the amendments to the NES-F.

18. Amendments to the NES-F were gazetted in December which have helped address some of the concerns raised by the regional sector. Auckland Council had submitted specific feedback around the lack of separation between coastal wetlands and natural inland wetlands. The amended regulations now appropriately distinguishing the regulatory framework that applies in each of these domains. Other relevant amendments of note were:

a) expansion of the permitted and restricted discretionary activities within or within the required setback of a natural inland wetland to provide for a greater level of wetland maintenance, restoration, and biosecurity activities

b) new provisions for the discharge of water in or within 100 m setback of a natural inland wetland

c) the inclusion of the requirement to apply the effects management hierarchy across permitted and restricted discretionary activities in or within the designated setback of a natural inland wetland across scientific research activities and construction of wetland utility structures

d) amendments to regulation 75 What local authorities may and may not charge for to exclude councils from charging to receive or review notifications of intended permitted activity work for wetland restoration, wetland maintenance, or biosecurity, in contrast to a council’s ability to charge for other permitted activity work.

Specified Vegetable Growing Areas, as specified in section 3.33 of the NPS-FM

19. Section 33.3 ‘Specified vegetable growing areas’ acknowledges the importance of vegetable production in Pukekohe and Horowhenua in regard to their contribution to national food security. It seeks to provide greater flexibility to improve water quality issues in a way that acknowledges the risks to vegetable production and food security.

20. An iwi / Crown governance group has been set up (Ngaati Te Ata, Ngaati Tamaoho, Waikato-Tainui, the Ministry for the Environment, and the Ministry of Primary Industries) as well as a project working group, consisting of members of the governance group plus representatives from the horticulture sector (HortNZ & Pukekohe Vegetable Growers Association), plus Auckland and Waikato council staff representatives.

21. MfE are funding consultants to support and facilitate the development of a Pukekohe Integrated Catchment Management Plan (ICMP) with the intention of having the final plan completed in October 2023. As part of the ICMP project plan, there is a process for identifying early actions and projects with the intention of having some of these underway or close to underway at the end of the year. $10 million has been set aside from the MfE Essential Freshwater Fund for this purpose for expenditure prior to June 2025.

22. Since the August 2022 update to the Rural Advisory Panel, there have been three working group hui (7October, 7 December, 7 March). Progress to date has focused on formulating a comprehensive understanding and framing of the Pukekohe SVGA context. This will then help ensure the ICMP is aligned to the aim of improving water quality to meet minimum bottom lines while ensuring domestic fresh vegetable supply and food security is maintained.

Farm planning

23. As mentioned above, the FWFP regulations are expected to be gazetted in April 2023. Activation of the regulations across the Auckland region is likely to be in late 2024 at the earliest. Indications from MfE are that the Minister is wanting all farm plans nationally to be certified by the end of 2025, which would limit the ability to phase the roll-out across the Auckland region. We estimate between 1900 and 2100 freshwater farm plans will be required across the region.

24. Auckland Council have established an internal staff FWFP working group to identify and work through key workstreams associated with the Freshwater farm plan roll-out for the Auckland region. This working group is being led by the Natural Environment Strategy Unit. A key focus for the working group is ensuring strong linkages between the farm planning framework and existing NPS-FM workstreams.

25. Over coming months, the FWFP working group will align several workstreams with wider programmes of work being undertaken at both the national and regional sector level. This will include communications, guidance material, and reporting systems.

26. Auckland Council are also engaging with staff from Waikato Regional Council to understand their learnings from their involvement in the pilot farm plan roll-out as well as learnings from their preparation as a phase one roll-out council.

NPS-FM implementation update

27. Auckland Council is working on a AUP plan change to give effect to the NPS-FM. The Regional Policy Statement and Regional Plan changes will be notified together in late 2024 as required by the RMA. Action plans will be developed at the same time as the plan change to provide integration between regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to achieving freshwater management goals.

28. A region-wide approach is being used in the engagement process and in drafting the planning provisions. The council is undertaking ongoing engagement with mana whenua through a series of hui with 19 iwi entities, and regular communication with stakeholders, including rural stakeholders.

29. The phase one NPS-FM community engagement seeking public views on freshwater values, long-term visions, management outcomes, and Freshwater Management Units (FMUs) was completed in June - July 2022. The phase two NPS-FM community engagement will be held in October - November 2023, via the “AK Have Your Say” website. The focus of the phase two NPS-FM engagement will be:

a) seeking public views on proposed policy directions for freshwater management. This may include timeframes for freshwater long-term visions, outcomes, and resources use limits

b) seeking public views on what will be covered in a freshwater action plan, to clarify regulatory and non-regulatory methods to achieve freshwater management outcomes identified by mana whenua and communities.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Rural Advisory Panel:

a) whiwhi / receive the council staff update on central government’s Essential Freshwater programme and refinements to the regulatory framework and its interpretation.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author

Andrew Bird - Senior Analyst Natural Environment Strategy

Authorisers

Jacques Victor – General Manager Auckland Plan Strategy and Research

Warren Maclennan – Lead officer

Rural Advisory Panel

14 April 2023

Resilient Auckland - planning for coastal and flood hazard management

File No.: CP2023/03872

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide information on the current investigation into recent flooding impacts, implications and improvements to Council policies to ensure Auckland’s communities are more resilient to water related hazards, and to indicate their preferences for providing their views on the impact as part of the investigation.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. Flooding in late January and early February followed by Cyclone Gabrielle meant that Auckland experienced several natural disasters within a period of three weeks, culminating in declarations of both local and national States of Emergency. The flooding and winds meant that people were displaced from homes, buildings were unable to be accessed, there was widespread flooding and land instability, limitations on road access and limited infrastructural services in specific areas. The disruption to communities, whanau and peoples’ daily lives, is ongoing.

3. The transition from response to recovery has commenced. Recovery Managers have now been appointed and a Recovery Co-ordination Office for Tamaki Makaurau has been established.

4. Shortly after the floods, the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee delegated a sub-group of members to approve a scope of work to:

- investigate the regional and localised impacts of flooding, and the implications for land use planning, regulatory, current plan changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan (including Plan Change 78), infrastructure and other policy settings.

5. This was confirmed at the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee at its meeting on 2 March 2023 (refer to Attachments A and B).

6. Timeframes in the report set out four phases and timeframes of work:

- responsive action – March-June

- gathering and assessment of evidence and insights – March-November

- design solutions/refine/decide – December 2023-June 2024

- deliver – June 2024 onwards

7. It will be important to ensure that the experiences and views of the rural sector are taken into account throughout this investigation that will take over a year to complete in full.

8. How do you as representatives of rural sector interests and communities wish to be involved in this work? Are you interested in sharing your views of the rural impacts of flooding as part of this study?

9. Representatives of the Community and Social Policy department will attend the meeting to discuss the project and hear the views of Panel members as to how they want to provide views and feedback. For example, a workshop could be organised in May to discuss the impacts on rural communities and the Council’s role in helping Auckland to become more resilient.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Rural Advisory Panel:

a) whakaae / agree to discuss the report and attachments and consider how members should best share their views and provide feedback.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

No.	Title	Page
a ⇩	Report back on Scope of Work - recent flooding impacts, implications and improvements	35
b ⇩	Proposed Scope - recent flooding impacts, implications and improvements	37

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Author and authoriser

Warren Maclennan – Lead officer

Rural Advisory Panel

14 April 2023

Healthy Waters operational flood response update

File No.: CP2023/03870

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide an update on the Healthy Waters flood response.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

2. The Auckland Anniversary weekend storm and Cyclone Gabrielle caused significant damage to Auckland’s homes, businesses and infrastructure. Healthy Waters and Watercare actively prepared for the events based on expected rainfall. The response was immediate and continues based on urgency, including stream works, pipe repairs, and assessing impacts on properties.

3. Rural communities in north, west, and south Auckland were significantly affected by power cuts, road closures, inundation, and land subsidence. This delayed some initial flood assessment and responses. While this was experienced across rural and urban Auckland, there are additional impacts to rural residents. For example, approximately 1,500 properties with onsite wastewater systems have received a Rapid Building Assessment placard impacting the use of the property.

4. Work is being undertaken across council to respond to the immediate and long term need to reduce the impact of future severe weather events. The Healthy Waters and Watercare proposal for a Flood Recovery Programme for Three Waters Operations as part of the council’s recovery programme was approved by the Transport and Infrastructure Committee on 16 March 2023. Healthy Waters is also providing technical expertise to the Chief Planning Office work to investigate potential changes required to land use planning and policy.

5. The four-year Flood Recovery Programme will include a mix of blue-green infrastructure projects, community empowerment, overland flow path monitoring, and increased maintenance activities. This will be presented in more detail through the Governing Body.

6. Healthy Waters is seeking input from the Rural Advisory Panel to target appropriate responses for the rural community. Further detail specific to rural communities will be provided as a presentation to the 14 April Rural Advisory Panel meeting.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation

That the Rural Advisory Panel:

a) tuhi ā-taipitopito / note the update on the Healthy Waters flood response.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Elizabeth Johnson – Senior Healthy Waters Specialist

Nicholas Vigar – Head of Planning, Healthy Waters

Authorisers

Barry Potter - Director Infrastructure and Environmental Services

Warren Maclennan – Lead officer

Rural Advisory Panel

14 April 2023

Auckland’s Future Development Strategy - Rural section

File No.: CP2023/03937

Te take mō te pūrongo

Purpose of the report

1. To provide an update on the review of the rural section of Auckland’s Future Development Strategy and request feedback on the key question about rural issues.

Whakarāpopototanga matua

Executive summary

Background

2. This report sets out the background for updating the rural section of Auckland’s Future Development Strategy (FDS).

3. As part of the current quality compact approach to accommodating growth in the Auckland Plan 2050 Development Strategy, limited growth is anticipated in rural areas. This is intended to maintain rural values and support ongoing rural production.

4. The review of the Development Strategy (now called the FDS) is required under the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 (NPS UD) and will replace the existing Development Strategy in the Auckland Plan 2050. The purpose of the FDS is to provide the basis for integrated, strategic, and long-term planning. It will set out how, when and where growth is anticipated over a 30-year period.

5. The updated FDS will incorporate requirements of new national policy initiatives. It will also respond to new information on environmental, social, cultural and economic factors such as climate change and natural hazards.

6. Engagement with Tāmaki Makaurau Māori and with relevant stakeholders has been ongoing and will continue over the course of the project.

7. A report on the FDS review was provided to the Rural Advisory Panel in August 2022 and its feedback received. Since then additional research on rural issues has been undertaken.

8. Public consultation on the proposed FDS is scheduled for June 2023.

9. An updated FDS is needed in time to inform the Long-term Plan 2024-2034 (LTP). In order to provide strategic direction that will usefully feed into the LTP process the FDS will need to be adopted during the second half of 2023.

Analysis

Updates to the rural section of the Future Development Strategy

10. The NPS UD does not contain specific reference to rural areas. However, many of its requirements affect rural areas either directly or indirectly.

11. The rural section in the current Development Strategy provides an analysis of rural production land use changes between 1996 and 2016. This analysis covers dairying, forestry, horticulture, pastoral and specialist production.

12. The current Development Strategy also identifies the key challenges and opportunities in rural Auckland, such as high levels of subdivision across rural areas, fragmentation of productive land, domestication and commercialisation of rural landscapes, introduction of sensitive land uses into working environments and changes in rural land use.

13. The last five years, since 2018, have included several major changes and events that have impacted on rural productivity and the environment. As part of the review of the FDS, the update of the rural section will look at these impacts and any emerging new trends in rural productivity and identify whether these changes will alter the previously identified challenges and opportunities in rural Auckland.

14. Key factors that have become more significant since 2018 are:

· the impacts of climate change

· freshwater management

· new requirements on protecting, maintaining, and restoring indigenous biodiversity

· protecting highly productive land from development

· mitigating and responding to natural hazards.

15. Under the NPS UD councils are required to consider these factors when identifying areas suitable for development, both in urban and rural environments.

16. Additionally, work has been undertaken to understand the impacts of growth on rural settlements. This includes consideration of the rural settlements, the nature of the network of centres, and resilience. The work also covers infrastructure issues in rural areas.

17. The Rural Advisory Panel provided feedback in August 2022. The main issues put forward by the panel were:

· Infrastructure vulnerability due to:

o major roading projects

o natural hazards

· Rural productivity negatively affected by:

o climate change

o urban sprawl

18. Since this time further research has been undertaken into topics related to rural productivity. The topics from this research will be discussed with the Rural Advisory Panel and include:

· dairying

· forestry

· horticulture

· pastural

· specialist industries

· the effects of climate change, Covid-19, and economic and legislative changes on rural productivity in Auckland.

19. The revised FDS will also contain recommendations for further work to be carried out as part of an implementation plan.

Feedback requested

20. Almost 70 per cent of the Auckland region is rural. This area is important for its contribution to GDP, providing food, agricultural supplies, minerals and contributing to the health and well-being of the region’s natural environment, as well for its residents.

21. The key question for feedback from the Rural Advisory Panel is:

a) Do you agree with the key points of our research findings, and are there other points that you would like to raise?

Next steps

22. A report on the Future Development Strategy, including a copy of the draft document, will be provided to the 4 May 2023 meeting of the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee.

23. It is anticipated that public consultation on the FDS (including a section on rural Auckland) will take place at the beginning in June 2023.

24. After consultation, a copy of the final rural section will be provided to the Rural Advisory Panel, including a summary of how the Panel’s feedback has been incorporated into the final document.

Ngā tūtohunga

Recommendation/s

That the Rural Advisory Panel:

a) whiwhi / receive the overview on the proposed updates to the rural section of the Future Development Strategy.

b) whakarite / provide feedback on the question included in this report, as well as any other feedback.

Ngā tāpirihanga

Attachments

There are no attachments for this report.

Ngā kaihaina

Signatories

Authors

Eva Zombori - Senior Advisor Growth and Spatial Strategy

Dawne Mackay - Principal Growth and Infrastructure Advisor

Authorisers

Jacques Victor – General Manager Auckland Plan Strategy and Research

Warren Maclennan – Lead officer

Author	Sandra Gordon - Kaitohutohu Mana Whakahaere Matua / Senior Governance Advisor
Authoriser	Warren Maclennan – Lead officer