28 May 2018Waiōtahe clean up continuesWaiōtahe locals are continuing to clean up their catchment; they protected an additional three kilometres of waterway and wetland margins from stock access during a fencing working bee held last month. Eighteen locals worked together to construct 2.5km of fencing in just one day, using materials supplied by Regional Council. Farmers in the catchment have now also worked with Fonterra to complete farm assessments and identify risk areas and management options to reduce nutrient and effluent run-off for their individual properties. They will be putting the resulting Farm Environment Plans into action, in response to unsafe levels of E.coli bacteria detected through Council’s swimming water and shellfish monitoring work. Catchment modelling for water managementFreshwater Futures Community Groups in the Rangitaiki, Kaituna Maketū and Pongkawa Waitahanui Water Management Areas will be exploring the first round of results from a new computerised catchment model, at their eighth round of workshops this July/August. Community group briefing and meeting notes are regularly uploaded here>> The computerised model (called ESource) has been developed to predict catchment-specific water quality outcomes under different land use and water management scenarios. The model draws from actual environmental monitoring, climate change and land-use data, combined with information gathered from industry and community representatives about local practices and development trends. It provides a simplified representation of how water and specific contaminants move through the catchment. The first round of modelling outputs will compare the current state of E.coli bacteria, nitrogen, and phosphorous levels and sources in waterways with both a reference ‘natural’ state, and a likely future state where current rules and plan provisions still apply. Future modelling rounds will assess how effective mitigation tools (such as stock exclusion, planting, fertiliser or stock reductions, sediment bunds, wetland restoration, etc.) are likely to be, and help identify where additional tactics may be needed to achieve water quality objectives. Separate surface and groundwater flow models are also being developed to inform water allocation decisions. The modelled predictions, along with mitigation package cost estimates and science reports for each catchment, will be discussed with iwi, stakeholder representatives later this year. They will help inform the development of new catchment-specific changes to the Regional Natural Resources Plan. Wider public consultation on catchment-specific water quality and quantity issues, options and draft plan changes is now scheduled to start in early 2019. River goal to become realityA public site blessing will be held on 12 June, to mark the start of construction works for the $13.5m Kaituna River re-diversion and Te Awa o Ngatoroirangi / Maketū Estuary enhancement project. The project will restore freshwater flows into the dying estuary. Works will be completed by 30 June 2020. Read more>> New Rangitāiki rain gaugeThe first of three new rain gauges to be installed in the upper Rangitāiki catchment is now in place. The new gauge is now recording rainfall at Te Whāiti in the mid-Whirinaki catchment and sending data via telemetry to Regional Council’s live monitoring system. The three new sites will add greater accuracy to river level assessments and predictions in the catchment, supporting Council’s flood monitoring and management work. The gauge data will also be added to Council’s long term rainfall records, and made available to the public in real-time at www.boprc.govt.nz/livemonitoring . Environment planning for dry stock farmsFollowing on from work already underway with Fonterra and dairy farmers, Regional Council is now teaming up with Beef +Lamb to help dry stock farmers reduce nutrient and bacteria run-off from their properties. A workshop for dry stock farmers to explore ways of improving environmental performance while maintaining productivity is being held at Awakeri Events Centre on 30 May. See details>> Detention dams put to testSediment detention dams are one of the tools we’ve been using to help farmers reduce the impacts of farm run-off on waterways. Almost 100 storm water detention systems have been funded and installed in recent years, through Regional Council’s Riparian Management Programme partnerships with landowners. The detention dams intercept run-off from paddocks during heavy rain, and spread peak storm water flows long enough for suspended solids to settle on the paddocks and drop out of the storm water flows. As a result, much less sediment and phosphorous is washed off the land into nearby waterways. A series of heavy weather events recently have been putting the dams to the test, but observations so far show they’re performing well. Here’s an image of a Pongakawa detention dam doing exactly what it should after 110 millimetres of rain fell overnight on 29 April. Lake Ōkāreka emergency worksRegional Council is invoking emergency works to reduce winter flood risks from rising Lake Ōkāreka water levels. Read more>> Nutrient management progress for Lake RotoruaThe first resource consent under new Regional Natural Resources Plan rules, established to improve Lake Rotorua’s water quality, has been issued by Bay of Plenty Regional Council. The Lake Rotorua Nutrient Management Plan Change (Plan Change 10) introduced rules that have established nitrogen discharge allocations and new consent requirements for rural properties in the Lake Rotorua Catchment. The new rules require farmers in that catchment to show how they will meet their allocated nitrogen limits. The nutrient management rules are just one part of a suite of tools being used to reduce nitrogen entering the lake by a total of 320 tonnes per year. One of the other tools is the $40m Lake Rotorua Incentives Scheme which has secured ten deals to date to remove 10.7 tonnes of nitrogen inputs from the catchment. The scheme goal is to buy out 100 tonnes of nitrogen discharge by 2022. See more Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme news here>> Water use compliance reportA snapshot report of our compliance work in relation to freshwater use was presented to Council’s Regional Direction and Delivery Committee on 15 May. This included information on current projects being undertaken in relation to freshwater compliance, and statistics for inspections of freshwater take consents. Staff have inspected 314 water takes so far this year to check that systems are installed as consented and water meter data is being regularly supplied. Under the National Water Metering Regulations, 69 consent holders will need to have their metering systems verified this year to ensure the water use data they record is accurate. See compliance reports>> Rangitāiki wetland restoration researchEcological assessments of 206 hectares of Rangitāiki wetlands have begun, to inform detailed restoration plans that will be developed in partnership with landowners. The assessments are the first stage of work being delivered under a $1.5m Freshwater Improvement Fund partnership between Ministry for the Environment, the Rangitāiki River Forum and Regional Council. A competitive process to appoint a project manager who will co-ordinate restoration work is also underway and an appointment will be announced when contract negotiations are complete. Water quantity plan change decision due AugustHearings on the Proposed Region-wide Water Quantity Plan Change (Plan Change 9) were completed in March. The hearing panel has extended their deliberation period due to the complexity and technical nature of material being considered. The panel now expects to make recommendations for Council consideration at the 9 August Regional Direction and Delivery Committee. Further information, including follow up questions and responses from and to the panel is available at www.boprc.govt.nz/waterquantity Poor paddocks become wetland wondersTwo new wetlands are taking shape in the Kaituna and Pongakawa catchments through Regional Council funding partnerships. The wetlands will help improve water quality in the nearby rivers and estuaries downstream, as well as improving fish passage and wildlife habitat. Earthworks have been completed to create a 2.5 hectare wetland on private farmland beside the lower Pongakawa River near Pukehina Beach, as pictured below. Earthworks to convert six hectares of low-lying pasture into open water areas in the Lower Kaituna Wildlife Management Reserve have also been completed this year (pictured below) as part of the 80 hectare Te Pourepo o Kaituna wetland restoration project. New homes for native fishCouncil's science and catchment management staff have been sampling for native freshwater fish including tuna (eels) and whitebait species this month in the Whakapoukorero and lower Kaituna wetlands. They're collecting baseline information that will be used to check if fish habitat and abundance improves with restoration work in those areas. Ten students from Rotorua Girls High School assisted with the sampling as part of their science classes. Nine different fish species were found during the trap and release sampling at Whakapoukorero; the most common were shortfin eels, mosquito fish and common bullies. A range of fish species including migratory longfin eels were also found in newly created ponds in the lower Kaituna Wildlife Management Reserve (Te Pourepo o Kaituna), demonstrating the value of providing good habitat for taonga species, and the speed that fish can colonise newly created fit-for-purpose areas. Ongoing work to restore fish habitat in the lower Tarawera River is starting to see results as well, with native fish including inanga, koura, giant bully and tiny mullet found living in newly created ponds, during fish monitoring. A community care group is being established to help with restoration planting and weed control in and around the Tarawera ponds that have been created to provide habitat for fish, including tuna (eels), and invertebrates. The plantings will provide shelter and create shade that will lower the water temperature to one that the in-stream wildlife will like. July launch for Kaituna River DocumentTe Maru o Kaituna River Authority will be considering approval of the Kaituna River Document at their upcoming meeting on 22 June. The document which is titled Kaituna, he taonga tuku iho – a treasure handed down, will guide local government, iwi and the wider community in their work together to protect and preserve the Kaituna River and its tributaries. It represents a culmination of input from the Kaituna community. Te Maru o Kaituna wishes to thank everyone who took the time to have their say, both in written submissions and at the hearing. They will be hosting a public celebration to launch the document in mid-July 2018. Register for Te Maru o Kaituna updates by emailing info@kaituna.org.nz or check www.kaituna.org.nz in the last week of June, for launch event details. Bottling consent hearings completeA hearing on the resource consent application by Creswell NZ Limited to expand the existing Otakiri water bottling plant was held 30 April – 3 May. A panel of independent commissioners is now considering the public submissions received on the application, and evidence presented at the hearing. They are expected to make a decision about the consent application by mid-June. Beyond the Bay
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