Proposed Wairakei Canopy Tour Assessment Of

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Proposed Wairakei Canopy Tour Assessment Of PROPOSED WAIRAKEI CANOPY TOUR ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS Prepared by Roam Consulting for: Sky Play Adventures Limited Issued 16 September 2019 Disclaimer: This document has been prepared using information and data that is sourced from external documents and information from third parties. Where possible, we have attempted to verify the accuracy of this material but accept no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracies or omissions from that material that may affect the accuracy of the assessment or recommendations made in this report. It should not be construed that we have conducted an audit of any of the information used in this report or any of the individuals, companies or organisations consulted during the course of preparing the document. We reserve the right, but are under no obligation, to revise or amend our report if any additional information (particularly as regards the assumptions we have relied upon) which exists on the date of our report but was not drawn to our attention during its preparation, subsequently comes to light. ©Roam Consulting Limited 2019 Initial draft to client issued: 08 September 2019 Final report issued to client: 16 September 2019 Report prepared by: Rowan Sapsford Director Roam Consulting Limited 2 Table of Contents 1 Project Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 7 1.1 Purpose of this Assessment ...................................................................................................... 7 2 Proposed Wairakei Canopy Tour ................................................................................................... 8 2.1 General Description ................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Subject Site and Tenure ...................................................................................................... 10 2.3 Adjacent Environment ......................................................................................................... 12 2.4 Canopy Tour Operation ...................................................................................................... 13 2.5 Details of Development ...................................................................................................... 14 2.5.1 Home Base ....................................................................................................................... 15 2.5.2 Zipline ............................................................................................................................... 16 2.5.3 Tracks ................................................................................................................................. 17 2.5.4 Access and Parking ......................................................................................................... 18 2.6 Construction ........................................................................................................................ 19 2.7 Ecological Enhancement ...................................................................................................... 21 2.7.1 Pest Animal Control ........................................................................................................ 21 2.7.2 Filming .............................................................................................................................. 22 3 History of proposal and other sites considered .......................................................................... 23 3.1 Use of the Huka Falls Scenic Reserve ............................................................................... 25 4 Statutory Assessment ................................................................................................................... 26 4.1 Resource Management Act ................................................................................................ 26 4.1.1 Part II Purpose and Principles ........................................................................................ 26 4.1.2 Section 88 – Making an Application ............................................................................. 29 4.1.3 Section 104 Consideration of Resource Consent Applications ................................. 29 4.1.4 Section 104B: Discretionary Activities ....................................................................... 30 3 4.2 National Policy Statements ............................................................................................... 30 4.3 National Environmental Standards ................................................................................... 30 4.4 Waikato Regional Policy Statement .................................................................................. 32 4.5 Taupō District Plan .............................................................................................................. 33 4.5.1 Objectives and Policies ................................................................................................... 35 4.6 Conservation Act 1987 ...................................................................................................... 36 4.6.1 Section 17S Contents of Application ........................................................................... 36 4.6.2 Section 17T Minister to Consider Applications ............................................................ 37 4.6.3 Section 17Sc Public notification of application for leases, licences, permits, or easements ....................................................................................................................................... 37 4.6.4 Section 17U Matters to be considered by the Minister ......................................... 38 4.6.5 Section 17W Relationship between concessions and conservation management strategies and plans ...................................................................................................................... 40 4.6.6 Section 17X Power of the Minister to impose and enforce conditions ...................... 41 4.6.7 Section 17Y Rents Fees and Royalties .......................................................................... 41 4.6.8 Section 17Z Term of concession .................................................................................... 42 4.7 Taupō / Tongariro Conservation Management Strategy 2002 – 2012. ....................... 42 5 Consideration of other relevant matters .................................................................................... 45 5.1 Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa Iwi Environmental Management Plan .................................. 45 5.1.1 Koiora – Flora and Fauna .............................................................................................. 45 5.1.2 Significant Sites and Wāhi Tapu .................................................................................... 45 5.1.3 Whenua – Land and Land Use ...................................................................................... 46 5.1.4 Wai – Lakes, Rivers, Streams, Wetlands and Aquatic Life ........................................ 46 5.2 Ngati Tuwharetoa Environmental Iwi Management Plan 2003 .................................... 46 6 Assessment of Environmental Effects ....................................................................................... 48 6.1 Positive effects .................................................................................................................... 48 6.1.1 Recreation Opportunities ............................................................................................. 48 4 6.1.2 Tourism and Economic Development .......................................................................... 49 6.1.3 Ecological ........................................................................................................................ 49 6.2 Effects on Landscape and Visual and Natural Character ............................................... 49 6.3 Effects on Traffic and Transport ......................................................................................... 51 6.3.1 Carparking ........................................................................................................................ 51 6.3.2 Vehicle Trips ..................................................................................................................... 52 6.4 Ecological and Conservation Effects ................................................................................. 52 6.5 Noise ..................................................................................................................................... 53 6.6 Cultural Effects .................................................................................................................... 55 6.7 Recreation Effects ............................................................................................................... 55 6.8 Effects Summary ................................................................................................................ 56 7 Consultation and Engagement ..................................................................................................... 57 7.1 Iwi ............................................................................................................................................... 57 7.1.1 Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whaoa ..............................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Officer Recommendations in Response to Submissions
    Appendix 1 – Officer Recommendations in response to submissions No Submitter No. Provision of Support/ Reason Decision Requested Officer Comment and Recommendation and Name Plan Oppose Chapter 2: Definitions 1 S10/1 functional need Support (Functional need) Powerco supports the definition insofar as it Retain the definition. Recommend to accept the submission. definition provides for Powerco's functional need to locate their assets in a Powerco Retention of the definition is noted. particular location, i.e. there is nowhere else it can be located. It is consistent with the national planning standards. Supported by Further Submissions FS01/62 (Angela and Alexander McIntyre) Neutral from Further Submissions FS07/179 (Federated Farmers) 2 S10/2 functional need Support (Operational need) The definition of 'operational need' is generally Retain the definition. Recommend to accept the submission. definition supported and is appropriate, as it applies to Powerco's assets Powerco Retention of the definition is noted. and recognises their operational requirement to locate in a particular location. It is consistent with the national planning standards. Supported by Further Submissions FS01/63 (Angela and Alexander McIntyre) Neutral from Further Submissions FS07/180 (Federated Farmers) 3 S12/1 functional need Support Section 3 of the s32 report for PC65 states that PC65 involves a Retain the definition of 'Functional need' as notified. Recommend to accept the submission. definition series of amendments including the addition of two new definitions Transpower Retention of the definition is noted. to existing Chapter 2. Transpower supports the addition of the definition for the term 'Functional need' as it supports and assist interpretation of the policy and rule provisions (particularly those in Chapter 3A- Network Utilities) and it is consistent with the definition provided in the National Planning Standards.
    [Show full text]
  • Fishing-Regs-NI-2016-17-Proof-D.Pdf
    1 DAY 3 DAY 9 DAY WINTER SEASON LOCAL SENIOR FAMILY VISITOR Buy your licence online or at stores nationwide. Visit fishandgame.org.nz for all the details. fishandgame.org.nz Fish & Game 1 DAY 3 DAY 9 DAY WINTER SEASON LOCAL SENIOR 1 FAMILY 2 VISITOR 3 5 4 6 Check www.fishandgame.org.nz for details of regional boundaries Code of Conduct ....................................................................... 4 National Sports Fishing Regulations ..................................... 5 Buy your licence online or at stores nationwide. First Schedule ............................................................................ 7 Visit fishandgame.org.nz 1. Northland ............................................................................ 11 for all the details. 2. Auckland/Waikato ............................................................ 14 3. Eastern .................................................................................. 20 4. Hawke's Bay .........................................................................28 5. Taranaki ............................................................................... 32 6. Wellington ........................................................................... 36 The regulations printed in this guide booklet are subject to the Minister of Conservation’s approval. A copy of the published Anglers’ Notice in the New Zealand Gazette is available on www.fishandgame.org.nz Cover Photo: Nick King fishandgame.org.nz 3 Regulations CODE OF CONDUCT Please consider the rights of others and observe the
    [Show full text]
  • Auckland Regional Office of Archives New Zealand
    A supplementary finding-aid to the archives relating to Maori Schools held in the Auckland Regional Office of Archives New Zealand MAORI SCHOOL RECORDS, 1879-1969 Archives New Zealand Auckland holds records relating to approximately 449 Maori Schools, which were transferred by the Department of Education. These schools cover the whole of New Zealand. In 1969 the Maori Schools were integrated into the State System. Since then some of the former Maori schools have transferred their records to Archives New Zealand Auckland. Building and Site Files (series 1001) For most schools we hold a Building and Site file. These usually give information on: • the acquisition of land, specifications for the school or teacher’s residence, sometimes a plan. • letters and petitions to the Education Department requesting a school, providing lists of families’ names and ages of children in the local community who would attend a school. (Sometimes the school was never built, or it was some years before the Department agreed to the establishment of a school in the area). The files may also contain other information such as: • initial Inspector’s reports on the pupils and the teacher, and standard of buildings and grounds; • correspondence from the teachers, Education Department and members of the school committee or community; • pre-1920 lists of students’ names may be included. There are no Building and Site files for Church/private Maori schools as those organisations usually erected, paid for and maintained the buildings themselves. Admission Registers (series 1004) provide details such as: - Name of pupil - Date enrolled - Date of birth - Name of parent or guardian - Address - Previous school attended - Years/classes attended - Last date of attendance - Next school or destination Attendance Returns (series 1001 and 1006) provide: - Name of pupil - Age in years and months - Sometimes number of days attended at time of Return Log Books (series 1003) Written by the Head Teacher/Sole Teacher this daily diary includes important events and various activities held at the school.
    [Show full text]
  • Identifying Freshwater Ecosystems of National Importance for Biodiversity
    52 This unit encompasses the area south of a line running from Cape Rodney in the east to the northern side of the Waitakere Range, while its southern boundary extends eastwards from Port Waikato along the northern boundary of the Waikato catchment to include the Hunua Range and small catchments draining into the western shores of the Firth of Thames. The unit includes numerous offshore islands including Kawau, Tiritiri Matangi, Rangitoto, Motutapu, Waiheke and Ponui (Leathwick et al. 2003). Volcanism has had an intermittent influence during the Pleistocene, with Chadderton et al. —Creating a candidate list of Rivers of National Importance localised basaltic eruptions around Auckland, the most recent occurring about 500 years ago (Briggs et al. 1994). In addition, the neck of low-lying land between Manukau and Waitemata Harbours has been inundated during periods of sea level rise, and has probably acted as a barrier to dispersal of some organisms. Volcanic activity in Southern Auckland and Waitakere Ranges is considerably older (Leathwick et al. 2003). McLellan (1990) describes marked differences in stonefly assemblages between Auckland and Northland. Population-genetic differences have been recorded between individuals of three species collected in Northland compared to samples collected at sites further south, including around Auckland and/or in the Waikato (Smith & Collier 2001; Hogg et al. 2002; P. Smith pers. comm.). Auckland is also the northern limit for the giant kokopu. Auckland Catchment Name Type Heritage Euclidean Total REC
    [Show full text]
  • Assessment of Flooding and Drainage Issues at Kopuriki
    Bay of Plenty Regional Council Assessment of Flooding and Drainage Issues at Kopuriki Bay of Plenty Regional Council Assessment of Flooding and Drainage Issues at Kopuriki Prepared By Opus International Consultants Ltd Peter Askey Whakatane Office Principal Environmental Engineer Level 1, Opus House, 13 Louvain Street PO Box 800, Whakatane 3158 New Zealand Reviewed By Telephone: +64 7 308 0139 Jack McConchie Facsimile: +64 7 308 4757 Principal Hydrologist Date: 30rd November 2017 Reference: 2-34346.00 Status: Issue 2 © Opus International Consultants Ltd 2017 Assessment of Flooding and Drainage Issues at Kopuriki i Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 2 1.1 Background ....................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Key Issues .......................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Land ownership ................................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Resource Consents ............................................................................................................ 3 2 Lake Aniwaniwa and the Rangitaiki River .......................................................... 5 2.1 Lake Accretion Rates ........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Whanganui River and Te Urewera Treaty Settlements: Innovative Developments for the Practice of Rangatiratanga in Resource Management
    Whanganui River and Te Urewera Treaty Settlements: Innovative developments for the practice of rangatiratanga in resource management By Stephanie Warren A thesis submitted to Victoria University of Wellington in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of New Zealand Studies. Victoria University of Wellington 2016 Abstract This thesis concerns the recent innovative developments in the Whanganui River and Te Urewera Treaty settlements of 2014. The Whanganui River has become the first specific environmental resource to receive the rights and status of a legal person. Te Urewera has been removed from the 1980 National Parks Act to also become its own legal person. Both legal personalities will be co-managed by boards of equal Crown and iwi members. The Te Urewera Board will, however, be rearranged in 2018 to have a Tūhoe majority, another first for Treaty of Waitangi settlements. These new features are considered particularly innovative in this thesis because of the context of Crown indivisible sovereignty and its unequal share of power in negotiating settlements. This thesis considers the ability of these settlements to provide space for iwi to practice rangatiratanga in relation to the resource that is central to their history and identity. If rangatiratanga is considered in this context to be the ability of iwi to practice self-determination and autonomy, then these settlements go further than previously seen because the application of the legal personality and the way it is co-managed is based for the most part on the worldview of the iwi. However, this worldview will continue to be practiced within the wider context of the English political and legal system.
    [Show full text]
  • Fisheries Assessment of Waterways Throughout the Rangitaiki WMA
    Fisheries assessment of waterways throughout the Rangitaiki WMA Title Title part 2 Bay of Plenty Regional Council Environmental Publication 2016/12 5 Quay Street PO Box 364 Whakatāne 3158 NEW ZEALAND ISSN: 1175-9372 (Print) ISSN: 1179-9471 (Online) Fisheries assessment of waterways throughout the Rangitāiki WMA Environmental Publication 2016/12 ISSN: 1175-9372 (Print) ISSN: 1179-9471 (Online) December 2016 Bay of Plenty Regional Council 5 Quay Street PO Box 364 Whakatane 3158 NEW ZEALAND Prepared by Alastair Suren, Freshwater Ecologist Acknowledgements Thanks to Julian Sykes (NIWA Christchurch), Geoff Burton, Whetu Kingi, (Te Whare Whananga O Awanuiarangi), Paddy Deegan and Sam Fuchs, for assistance with the field work. Many of the streams visited were accessible only through private land, and could only be accessed with the help and cooperation of landowners throughout the area. Funding for this work came from Rob Donald, Manager of the Science Team, Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Environmental Publication 2016/12 – Fisheries assessment of waterways throughout the Rangitāiki WMA i Dedication This report is dedicated to Geoff Burton, who was tragically taken from us too soon whilst out running near Opotiki. Although Geoff had connections to Ngati Maniapoto (Ngati Ngutu) and was born in the Waikato, he moved with his wife and children back to Torere in the early 2000s to be closer to her whanau. Geoff had been a board member of Te Kura o Torere and was also a gazetted Ngaitai kaitiaki. He was completing studies at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi where he was studying Te Ahu o Taiao. It was during this time that his supervisors recommended Geoff to assist with the fish survey work described in this report.
    [Show full text]
  • Rangitaiki River Catchment Annual Work Programme for 2016
    Rangitāiki Catchment Programme Annual Work Plan 2016 / 2017 Rangitaiki Catchments Programme Annual Work Plan 2016/2017 Contents 1. Purpose 3 2. Background 3 3. Assumptions 4 4. Programme 5 4.1 Key Service Delivery Tasks 5 4.3 Te Ara Whānui o Rangitāiki 7 4.4 Governance and programme management 24 4.5 Integrated planning 26 4.6 Science 29 4.7 Operations 30 5 Financials 38 6 Appendices 39 Appendix 1: Maritime Activity details 39 Appendix 2: Rivers and Drainage Activity details 40 2 Rangitaiki Catchments Programme Annual Work Plan 2016/2017 1. Purpose The purpose of the Rangitāiki River Catchment programme is to coordinate Bay of Plenty Regional Council work, including work required for Te Ara Whānui o Rangitāiki – Pathways of the Rangitāiki, to deliver on community expectations. The work programme covers all significant activities in the river catchment, including work across policy and planning, science, pollution prevention and maritime service functions. It also includes all operational activities such as biosecurity, biodiversity protection, coast care, rivers and drainage, and sustainable land management. The programme covers all significant activities (both projects and ongoing work) in the river catchment area carried out by Regional Council. The programme is broken into five areas of focus and presented in the following sections: • Te Ara Whānui O Rangitāiki – Pathways of the Rangitāiki • Governance and programme management • Integrated planning • Science • Operations 2. Background Council does not have a specific vision or outcomes for the catchment but the Rangitāiki River Forum of which we are a partner does in Te Ara Whānui O Rangitāiki (Te Ara Whānui o Rangitāiki) – Pathways of the Rangitāiki, and they are entirely suitable.
    [Show full text]
  • Rangitāiki River Scheme Review – April 2017 Flood Event Final Report
    Rangitāiki River Scheme Review – April 2017 Flood Event Final Report 18 September 2017 RRSR Final Report Page 1 of 163 RRSR Final Report Page 2 of 163 _______________________________________________________________ Rangitāiki River Scheme Review – April 2017 Flood Event Final report as supplied to Bay of Plenty Regional Council 18 September 2017 _______________________________________________________________ Prepared by the Rangitāiki River Scheme Review Panel _______________________________________________________________ Cover Photo: provided by Bay of Plenty Regional Council 2017 RRSR Final Report Page 3 of 163 Use of Report and Documents This report has been prepared solely for the purposes stated in this report and should not be relied upon for any other purpose. The statements and opinions expressed in this report have been made in good faith, and on the basis that all information provided to us and relied upon is true and accurate in all material respects, and not misleading by reason of omission or otherwise. We reserve the right, but will be under no obligation, to review or amend our report, if any additional information, which was in existence on the date of this report, was not brought to our attention, or subsequently comes to light. RRSR Final Report Page 4 of 163 Summary of recommendations The legal and planning framework for flood hazard management a. Efforts to complete the application of the hazard management framework and associated documents should be ramped up to ensure comprehensive cover of all of the region. b. Particular attention needs to be paid to areas with high vulnerability, such as small rural townships where resilience may be low. The College Road floodwall c.
    [Show full text]
  • Rangitaiki - Tarawera Rivers Scheme Asset Management Plan
    E NVIR ONMENT B. O .P Environment B·O·P Operations Report 98/03 September 1998 Bay of Plenty Regional Council RANGITAIKI - TARAWERA RIVERS SCHEME ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN Report prepared by Philip Wallace, Technical Services Section Environment B·O·P Quay Street P O Box 364 Whakatane NEW ZEALAND ISSN 1173 - 6232 Environment B·O·P Foreword This plan is a statement by Environment B·O·P, the Manager of the Rangitaiki–Tarawera Rivers Scheme, as to how it will manage the assets of that scheme. The plan represents prudent management as required by the Local Government Amendment Act (No.3) 1996. The plan was adopted by the Council during April 1998 following liaison and consultation, in particular with the scheme ratepayers. Cover Photo: Rangitaiki River Mouth Operations Report 98/03 q:\mas\ors\docs\Rangitaiki-Tarawera Asset Mgmt Plan Environment B·O·P i Executive Summary The purpose of this plan is to provide a document for the management of the Rangitaiki– Tarawera Rivers Scheme and in particular its infrastructural assets. It establishes and communicates the level of funding required to maintain and meet the scheme objectives and levels of service. The plan covers the assets of the scheme including stopbanks, floodgates, pump stations, rockwork and other erosion protection measures, and plantings. The current valuation at September 1996 (in terms of Local Government Act requirements) of these assets is $22.5 million. The assets are generally in good condition and with existing maintenance programmes are providing the desired levels of service, although previous diversion of maintenance funds to flood damage repairs has compromised riverbank edge protection.
    [Show full text]
  • Minimum Flows for the Whirinaki River and Upper-Rangitaiki River
    Minimum Flows for the Whirinaki River and upper-Rangitaiki River NIWA Client Report: HAM2004-159 December 2004 NIWA Project: BOP05226 Minimum Flows for the Whirinaki River and upper-Rangitaiki River Thomas K. Wilding Prepared for Environment Bay of Plenty NIWA Client Report: HAM2004-159 December 2004 NIWA Project: BOP05226 National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd Gate 10, Silverdale Road, Hamilton P O Box 11115, Hamilton, New Zealand Phone +64-7-856 7026, Fax +64-7-856 0151 www.niwa.co.nz All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or copied in any form without the permission of the client. Such permission is to be given only in accordance with the terms of the client's contract with NIWA. This copyright extends to all forms of copying and any storage of material in any kind of information retrieval system. Contents Executive Summary iv 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Study Brief 1 1.2 Background 1 1.3 IMFR and Water Allocation 2 1.4 Scope 2 2. Methods 4 2.1 Sites and Catchment Information 4 2.2 Trout surveys 6 2.3 Habitat Survey 8 2.4 Data Analysis 9 3. Results 11 3.1 Rangitaiki River 11 3.1.1 Fish Habitat Modelling 11 3.1.2 Water Quality 15 3.2 Whirinaki River 16 4. Discussion 20 4.1 Flow requirements for the upper-Rangitaiki River 20 4.2 IMFR for the Whirinaki River 20 5. Acknowledgments 22 6. References 23 Appendix I: Instream Management Objectives for Bay of Plenty streams and methods for setting minimum flows 25 Appendix 2: Survey dates and recorded flows 33 Appendix 3: Habitat preference curves 34 Reviewed by: Approved for release by: Ian G.
    [Show full text]
  • GNS Science Consultancy Report 2014/283
    DISCLAIMER This report has been prepared by the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited (GNS Science) exclusively for and under contract to Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Unless otherwise agreed in writing by GNS Science, GNS Science accepts no responsibility for any use of or reliance on any contents of this report by any person other than Bay of Plenty Regional Council and shall not be liable to any person other than Bay of Plenty Regional Council, on any ground, for any loss, damage or expense arising from such use or reliance. Use of Data: Date that GNS Science can use associated data: April 2015 BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE White, P.A.; Tschritter, C. 2015. Groundwater resource investigations in the Upper Rangitaiki River Catchment, Bay of Plenty Region. Stage 1 – preliminary groundwater allocation assessment, GNS Science Consultancy Report 2014/283. 65 p. Project Number 630W0407 Confidential 2014 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... V 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 2.0 UPPER RANGITAIKI RIVER CATCHMENT – REVIEW OF GEOLOGY AND HYDROGEOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Geological history and structure .................................................................................... 3 2.2 Geological units ............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]