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Governing Body
23 May 2023
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Making Space for Water
File No.: CP2023/03049
Te take mō te
pūrongo
Purpose of the report
1. To seek endorsement for the objectives and
initiatives identified in the provisional ‘Making Space for
Water’ programme, as part of Auckland Council’s flood recovery
programme, and to seek approval to develop a public consultation plan for the
programme from July 2023.
Whakarāpopototanga matua
Executive summary
2. A
‘Making Space for Water’ programme is being developed as part of
Auckland’s recovery from the January Floods and Cyclone Gabrielle. The
purpose of the programme is to establish a practical and achievable programme
of operational flood management works for the next six years. The programme
sits within the Tāmaki Makaurau recovery programme, under the natural and
built environment pou / workstream.
3. ‘Making
Space for Water’ proposes nine key operational initiatives, ranging from
increased maintenance of council infrastructure to blue-green network projects
in some flood-affected areas that are suitable for stream daylighting and
rehabilitation. While further investigative and design work is needed before
these locations can be confirmed, the programme will also include other
projects to improve flood management across the region.
4. Developing
this programme quickly will help to inform the decisions of central
government’s Cyclone Recovery Taskforce and ensure that the council has a
well-defined approach to flood risk reduction.
5. The
scale of new initiatives, significant impact on budgets, and elevated public
interest in council’s flood response triggers the need for regional
public consultation on this programme and the associated costs. Consultation
will seek feedback on Aucklanders’ views on the overall programme and
initiatives. Staff propose to align this consultation with the Local Board
Plans and targeted engagement on sections of the Tāmaki Makaurau Recovery
Plan.
6. Public
consultation will take place in July 2023 to inform the finalised ‘Making
Space for Water’ programme by September 2023. A detailed consultation
plan will be presented to the Governing Body for approval in June 2023.
7. Costings of the proposed initiatives will be provided to the June
2023 Governing Body meeting, for inclusion in the July consultation. The June
report will also consider the merits of different funding mechanisms.
8. Healthy
Waters will continue to deliver stormwater recovery projects and develop the
detailed methodology, area prioritisation, costings, and timelines for all work
programmes alongside work agreed to by the Planning, Environment and Parks
Committee (PEPCC/2023/24) and central government policy development supporting
implementation of adaptive pathways.
9. The
development of the programme and consultation work is funded through existing
regional budgets via prioritisation and will not have a material impact on the
delivery of agreed annual budget outcomes.
Ngā tūtohunga
Recommendations
That the Governing Body:
a) ohia / endorse the objectives and initiatives identified in the
provisional ‘Making Space for Water’ programme
b) whakaae
/ approve development of a consultation plan for public consultation of the
‘Making Space for Water’ programme from July 2023
c) tuku
ki tangata kē / forward this report, attachment and resolutions to the
local boards for their information
d) tuhi ā-taipitopito / note that the initiatives for this
programme are yet to be fully scoped or costed, and that any financial
implications, including identification of funding sources, will need to be
approved through the appropriate processes.
Horopaki
Context
Council has a role in managing flood risk
10. Managing flood risk is a key responsibility of council’s
Healthy Waters department, with priority on reducing risks to people’s
lives and ensuring safety. Flood risk is factored into all aspects of
operations, and is a key consideration when areas are developed, or
infrastructure is renewed.
11. The flood events of January and February 2023 conformed with Healthy
Waters’ known flood modelling. Although the floods’ volume and
velocity were higher than previous events, areas that flooded were mainly in known flood plains, flood-prone areas, or
overland flow paths. These areas are expected to flood in heavy rain events
when the piped stormwater system’s capacity is exceeded. It is not
feasible to design a piped system that could accommodate the large volumes of
water that were received in January and February 2023 over such a short period
of time. Instead, floodwaters move through a secondary system of overland flow
paths and detention areas such as parks and ponds and eventually drain away.
12. With some
notable exceptions, most flood damage occurred in older parts of the city that
were built before current stormwater design standards were put in place. This
indicates that the bulk of the programme will need to focus on the retrofit of
solutions into existing communities.
13. There are
several challenges for managing flood risks in Tāmaki Makaurau, including:
· large
areas of flood-prone land are already built on, and do not meet current
stormwater design standards (for example 55,000 homes in flood plains are at
risk of habitable floor flooding)
· short,
steep catchments increase the risk of flash flooding, especially around streams
· climate
change brings more frequent and severe storms, beyond the parameters of current
stormwater standards.
There is a need for a Flood Recovery Programme
14. With thousands of properties directly affected by the January and
February 2023 flooding, there is an expectation that the council will
prioritise measures to manage future flood risks.
15. Development of a Flood Recovery Programme for Three Waters
Operations was approved by the Transport and Infrastructure Committee at its 16
March 2023 meeting (TICCC/2023/34). The Transport and Infrastructure Committee noted that the
proposed programme will require additional funding, and that this funding will
need to be considered by the Governing Body as part of the recovery
discussions.
16. As work to develop the programme has progressed, it has become
apparent that the drinking water and wastewater aspects of recovery can be
handled within Watercare as part of their business-as-usual work programme. By
contrast, the stormwater aspects of flood recovery will require a
reprioritisation of Healthy Waters’ work programmes and budgets,
requiring the development of a specific recovery programme for flood
management.
17. The programme has been provisionally titled ‘Making Space for
Water’. Its purpose
is to ensure that flood readiness is prioritised in daily stormwater
operations, and that communities, households and businesses are supported to
build their resilience to storms too.
18. The programme will be a core part of the wider Tāmaki Makaurau
Recovery Plan.
Tātaritanga me ngā
tohutohu
Analysis and advice
The approach of Making Space for Water
19. The
‘Making Space for Water’ programme is being developed by Healthy
Waters, as part of the Recovery Office, to establish a practical and achievable
programme of flood management works for the next six years.
20. Based on observed and expected future events, the programme:
· identifies that we need to make space for water to move safely
through the region without causing unacceptable risks to people, property,
infrastructure, and the environment
· proposes a mixture of natural and engineered, council- and
community-led solutions, with preference for the most effective, lowest-cost,
and least-disruptive solutions where possible
· draws on robust data of flood risks, in-house expertise, and
experience in similar project types
· accelerates planned efforts, to deliver in six years what would
normally take 30 years to achieve
· requires partnership with key stakeholders, particularly central
government where co-funding may be required.
21. Delivery
of this programme will establish a well-defined approach to flood risk
reduction in Auckland, ranging from simple flood-management tools to more
significant engineering works where appropriate to achieve the aims of the
programme. Detail of the Making Space for Water Toolkit is included in
Attachment A.
22. The
programme will generate a significant improvement in stormwater and flood risk
management for the Auckland region. It will also provide other benefits for
public amenity, recreation, and climate change adaptation. When
we make space for water, we also make space for people and nature, with walking
tracks, cycleways, trees, and wildlife. Depending on the scale and topography
of each site, there may also be opportunities for urban redevelopment, creating
opportunities for more resilient and storm-ready communities.
Four objectives for flood risk management
23. To manage the
risks of flooding impacting on people’s lives and safety, property and
infrastructure, and the natural environment, ‘Making Space for
Water’ proposes four objectives:
· reduce
existing flood risks
· avoid
creating new flood risks
· raise
people’s awareness of flood risks
· be
prepared for flood events.
24. These
objectives are consistent with policies in the Auckland Unitary Plan, the
original Network Discharge Consent, Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri:
Auckland’s Climate Plan, Auckland’s Water Strategy, the Stormwater
Bylaw, and best practice international flood management guidance.
Focused projects to achieve rapid results
25. ‘Making
Space for Water’ proposes nine initiatives to better manage flood risks
in Tāmaki Makaurau. Together, the initiatives are designed to address all
flood-affected areas within the scope of the programme, with a cascade of
interventions from education and advice through to engineering solutions and,
in limited situations (as an option of last resort and subject to central
government decisions), property acquisition.
26. Delivery will
prioritise areas of known critical flood risk, responding to the current public
readiness for action. By building resilience in our stormwater network, the
programme will help to reduce the ad-hoc workload that occurs after significant
weather events.
27. Table 1
briefly describes the nature of the nine initiatives.
Table 1. Making
Space for Water provisional programme overview
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Initiatives
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Overview
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Operations
and Maintenance
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Increased
maintenance
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Maximising stormwater networks’ operational
efficiency in lower-level flooding events.
Includes: increased street sweeping, catchpit cleaning,
weed clearance from streams.
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Flood
intelligence
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Investing in planning and modelling tools to enhance
council decision making.
Includes:
rain radar, modelling tools, plan change input, design standards, and the
collection of post event impact information
(e.g., www.flooded.co.nz)
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Neighbourhood
solutions
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Community-led
flood resilience
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Support for communities to act to reduce their own
flood risks. Includes: direct advice for property-owners in high-risk areas,
industry-specific advice (e.g., for builders and landscapers), and regional
public events and awareness campaigns.
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Stream
rehabilitation
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Rehabilitating critical high-risk streams.
Includes: vegetation management, slope stabilisation,
advice to property owners, bank battering and
stream channel modification to improve flow dynamics and reduce
erosion.
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Rural
settlements
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Responding to specific stormwater needs in
storm-affected communities, including marae and papakāinga.
Includes:
targeted engagement, supporting community resilience planning, improving
existing stormwater infrastructure.
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Culvert
and bridge upgrades
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Improving capacity of critical culverts and bridges.
Includes:
assessment, replacement, and upgrade of vulnerable assets.
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Blue-green
network projects
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Creating new blue-green networks in areas
identified as having (i) critical flood risks, (ii) feasible stormwater
solutions and (iii) wider community benefits. Property acquisition and
removal of some of the houses in these areas is a part of this programme,
subject to central government decisions.
Includes:
stream daylighting, widening and realignment, and enhancing surrounding
parkland or open space. May also include site amalgamation and urban
redevelopment where feasible.
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Site-specific
solutions
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Overland
flow path management
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Region-wide work to repair, protect, maintain, monitor,
and enhance the performance of overland flow paths.
Includes:
educating property owners on their responsibilities for private overland flow
path maintenance.
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High-risk
properties
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Working with property owners to develop solutions for
properties with significant health and safety risks.
May include engineering solutions and potential
property acquisition where support from Central Government can be secured.
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28. These
projects will be fully scoped before the final ‘Making Space for
Water’ programme is presented to the Governing Body for approval in June
2023 prior to consultation. Further work will need to continue beyond this
six-year programme to address other, lower-risk, flood areas over time.
There is a need to hear from our communities
29. The scale of
new initiatives, significant impact on budgets, and elevated public interest in
council’s flood response will trigger the need for regional public
consultation on the Making Space for Water programme and the associated costs.
30. It is
proposed to align this consultation with the already-scheduled consultations on
Local Board Plans and targeted engagement on sections of the Tāmaki
Makaurau Recovery Plan, from 14 July to 14 August 2023.
31. The
consultation will seek Aucklanders’ views on the proposed objectives and
initiatives at a programme level. A detailed consultation plan will be
presented to the Governing Body for approval in June 2023.
Integration with central government recovery activities
32. Central
government’s Cyclone Recovery Taskforce is leading a process with involvement
from insurance companies and Auckland Council, and a commitment to engage with
affected communities and individuals in developing tailored solutions for each
place.
33. Developing
the ‘Making Space for Water’ programme quickly will help to inform
the national Cyclone Taskforce’s decisions and support the engagement
with impacted communities and individuals.
Tauākī whakaaweawe
āhuarangi
Climate impact statement
34. Both the
Auckland Plan 2050 and Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s
Climate Plan advocate for greater resilience to severe storms and flood events.
The initiatives proposed in ‘Making Space for Water’ will have a
beneficial impact on Auckland’s climate adaptation.
35. The
blue-green network and stream rehabilitation projects proposed will include
measures such as restoring wetlands, developing water detention areas, clearing
overland flow paths, and naturalising channels. These nature-based solutions
will generally have a lower carbon impact than the more carbon-intensive grey
infrastructure. Some will also be able to sequester carbon.
36. ‘Making
Space for Water’ will also promote the use of low carbon technologies and
methodologies in the design, construction, and renewal of the piped network in
line with the targets set by Te-Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri.
37. The social
outcomes associated with the impacts of climate change on the community,
cultural and natural ecosystems will be considered in the programme.
38. Development
of the programme itself will have no impact on emissions.
Ngā whakaaweawe me
ngā tirohanga a te rōpū Kaunihera
Council group impacts and views
39. All
programmes delivered through this recovery will require collaboration across
the council group, as well as with external partners such as Kāinga Ora.
This collaboration is enabled by the Recovery Coordination Office.
40. Healthy
Waters will work particularly closely with Watercare Services Ltd, Auckland
Transport, Auckland Emergency Management, Parks and Community Facilities,
Resilient Lands and Coasts, the Chief Planning Office, and Licensing and
Regulatory Compliance.
Ngā whakaaweawe
ā-rohe me ngā tirohanga a te poari ā-rohe
Local impacts and local board views
41. Local boards
will be included as relevant to initiatives and issues in their area. The
programme will support elected members to understand the work being undertaken
to respond to these events. This report will be forwarded to all local boards
after it is considered by the Governing Body. Local board feedback on this
programme will be sought via business meetings in the coming months.
42. Communities
will be consulted as part of the already established July consultation process
for Local Board Plans. Details will be provided in the consultation plan in
June 2023.
Tauākī whakaaweawe
Māori
Māori impact statement
43. ‘Making
Space for Water’ is specifically considering how the council family can
work with and support both mana whenua and mataawaka to prepare for future
flood events.
44. An update on
the Making Space for Water programme was presented to the Infrastructure and Environmental
Services operational mana whenua kaitiaki forum in May 2023. Iwi
representatives requested the opportunity to work together with staff on the
further development of the programme. Further details on the programme
initiatives will be presented to the forum early in their development, and
Healthy Waters will contact each individual iwi to identify their interest in
exploring iwi-led and other initiatives for the programme.
45. The programme
will recognise the role of Tāmaki Makaurau iwi as kaitiakitanga of the
streams and waterways within their rohe, and their holistic, ki uta ki tai
knowledge in improving outcomes for these streams and waterways, including
flood risk mitigation.
46. Healthy
Waters expects to include mātauranga Māori in design processes and
build on previous partnerships in the design and delivery of projects. For
example, mana whenua were key partners in the daylighting of Te Auaunga Awa /
Oakley Creek. Further information will be provided as the programme is
developed. Some programmes will have direct benefits to Māori, such as the
Rural Settlements workstream which will look at flood preparedness of rural
marae.
47. Mana whenua,
mataawaka and Māori organisations will be consulted with as part of the
July 2023 consultation process.
Ngā ritenga
ā-pūtea
Financial implications
48. This proposal represents a substantial but achievable acceleration
of work delivering what would normally take at least 30 years. For example,
Healthy Waters has typically delivered a new blue-green network project every
two years. ‘Making Space for Water’ proposes to deliver up
to 15 such projects in six years.
49. An additional $20 million has been included in the proposed Annual
Budget 2023/2024 to increase our operating budgets for proactive and reactive
storm response, however the budget required for future works and increased
resilience is beyond the scope of this allocation.
50. Some elements of the proposed programme will include property
acquisition, subject to Central Government decisions. Funding this type of
activity will require a collaborative approach with central government, as
their response to flood-affected areas progresses. The development of the
programme does not however bind council to acquisition of any properties nor
funding such activity.
51. The development of central government policy
implementing adaptive pathways is noted in this report. Reporting to the
Extreme Weather Recovery Committee, this work is anticipated to inform central
government’s financial contribution and recovery packages.
52. Costings of the proposed initiatives will be provided to the June
2023 Governing Body meeting, for inclusion in the July consultations. The June
report will also consider the merits of different funding mechanisms.
Ngā raru tūpono me
ngā whakamaurutanga
Risks and mitigations
53. There are
several moving parts that need to be aligned to maximise the reach of the
‘Making Space for Water’ programme:
· central
government commitment to co-fund the proposed programme and clarity on the
mechanisms for delivery
· adequate
funding of region-wide activities to respond to the new flood risk profile
· transfer
of a coherent and sufficiently resourced programme to the new three waters
‘Entity A’ in July 2024 as required by the Department of Internal
Affairs.
54. Risks and mitigations associated with the proposed ‘Making
Space for Water’ programme are discussed in Table 2.
Table 2. Risks and Mitigations
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Risk
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Mitigation
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Continuation of status
quo: known flooding areas will continue to flood in heavy rainfall events,
with accompanying risks to people, property, and infrastructure.
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Continue to factor flood
risk management into new developments and asset renewals as they occur;
respond reactively to flooded areas after weather events. Increase
communications with communities around flood risk to build awareness.
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Uncertainty in weather
predictions: inability to accurately predict where storms will land, or how
frequent or severe they might be. At the same time, we cannot make every part
of the region ‘flood proof.’
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Prioritise areas of known
critical flood risk, relying on flood modelling and information from recent
flood events.
Accept that flood risk
cannot be eliminated completely and work to build resilience.
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Funding: sufficient
funding cannot be secured.
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The timeframe
for flood response programme would work within available budgets. This is
likely to shift delivery from six years up to 30-plus years and reduce the
potential benefits of proposed initiatives.
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Delivery: a substantial
programme of work requires skilled contractors. Availability is constrained.
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To be addressed through
detailed design and staging of the programme.
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Flood risk reduction
operations continue while council policy is under review: if approved as
proposed, the ‘Making Space for Water’ operational initiatives
will commence before the policy review and recommendations are completed in
June 2024.
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Ensure close communication
between the operational programme and the policy review so that insights are
transmitted between programmes as they develop.
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Ngā koringa ā-muri
Next steps
55. Given the urgency of flood recovery, Healthy Waters is continuing to
undertake recovery projects across the region, managed within the emergency
provisions in the Local Government Act 2002 and the Civil Defense Emergency
Management Act 2002.
56. Consultation content must be approved in June 2023, in preparation
for the July consultation period. Feedback will be reported in August, with the
final work programme presented in September 2023, as per the image below.
57. Staff will continue to develop the detailed methodology, area
prioritisation, costings, and timelines for all work programmes
alongside work agreed to by
the Planning, Environment and Parks Committee (PEPCC/2023/24) and central
government policy development supporting implementation of adaptive pathways. ‘Making Space for Water’ is
expected to be finalised by September 2023.
Ngā tāpirihanga
Attachments
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No.
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Title
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Page
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a⇩
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Making Space for Water Toolkit
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15
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Ngā kaihaina
Signatories
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Authors
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Nicholas Vigar - Head of Planning, Healthy Waters
Mace Ward – Deputy Group Recovery Manager
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Authorisers
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Barry Potter - Director Infrastructure and
Environmental Services
Mat Tucker - Group Recovery Manager
Jim Stabback - Tumu Whakarae / Chief Executive
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