Selwyn-Waihora Zone Committee (W Ater Management)
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ORDINARY MEETING OF THE SELWYN-WAIHORA ZONE COMMITTEE TO BE HELD AT THE LINCOLN EVENTS CENTRE (Water Management) ON TUESDAY 7 MARCH 2017 AT 1.00 PM Assemble for 12.30pm start for Lunch Waihora Zone Committee - "If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water..." Loran Eisely, US Author Selwyn 1 2 SELWYN WAIHORA ZONE COMMITTEE – Outline of Agenda TUESDAY 07 March 2017, Lincoln Events Centre TIMETABLE & ORDER OF BUSINESS 12.30pm Lunch at the Lincoln Events Centre Item Time Description Page # Presenter 1.00pm Welcome to new members and introductions 1.25pm Meeting commences with karakia and formal order of business: 1 - 16 Apologies Identification of Urgent General Business Confirmation of minutes 07 February 2017 Matters Arising & actions from last meeting Report to and from Regional Committee Meeting (Karaitiana Taiuru) Update from Zone Committee members on activities and meetings attended that relate to the Committee’s outcomes for the zone 1.25pm General Public Contribution 1.30pm Biodiversity Action Plan 17 - 47 Johannes Welsch, Environment Canterbury Immediate Steps Biodiversity Fund Projects 2.00pm 48 - 62 Johannes Welsch, Environment Canterbury Response to question on water take consent 2.40pm 63 - 64 Sam Beaumont, Environment Canterbury 3.00pm Break 3.10pm Review of Swimmable Selwyn@Coes Ford Ian Whitehouse, 65 - 66 workshop and next steps Environment Canterbury 3.40pm Communication update NO PAPER Michaela Rees Environment Canterbury 4.10pm Facilitator’s Report Ian Whitehouse, 67 - 68 Environment Canterbury 4.30pm Approximate finish time 3 MINUTES OF THE 68th MEETING OF THE SELWYN-WAIHORA ZONE COMMITTEE HELD IN THE LARGE EXECUTIVE MEETING ROOM, SELWYN DISTRICT COUNCIL, ON TUESDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2017 COMMENCING AT 1:00 PM PRESENT Allen Lim (Chair), Ron Pellow, Maree Goldring, Hayley Moynihan, Victor Mthamo, Christina Henderson (Te Hāpu o Ngāti Wheke), Les Wanhalla (Te Rūnanga o Taumutu), George Tikao (Te Rūnanga o Ōnuku), Clare Williams (Te Rūnanga o Tūāhuriri), Karaitiana Taiaru (Te Runanga o Koukourārata) and Cr Iaean Cranwell (Canterbury Regional Council) IN ATTENDANCE Ian Whitehouse (Zone Facilitator ECan), Steve Bragg (ECan), Brett Painter (ECan), Michaela Rees (ECan), Melissa Shearer (ECan), Nicole Reid (SDC), David Murphy (Whakaora Te Waihora), John Benn (DOC), Johannes Welch (ECan), Philippa Beckman (Minutes Secretary), Cr Debra Hasson (Silverstream Enhancement Group), Cr John Sunckell (ECan), Adrienne Lomax (WET), Mike Glover (public), Lee Smith (public), Vince Bidwell (public). The meeting was opened with welcome and karakia by Stephen Bragg and Iaean Cranwell. APOLOGIES Apologies received from Cr Murray Lemon (Selwyn District Council), Cr Anne Galloway (Christchurch City Council), and Riki Nicholas (Te Rūnanga o Wairewa), were accepted by the meeting. Moved: Bill Lambie/Seconded: Ian Whitehouse ‘That the Committee accept apologies for absence from Cr Murray Lemon, Cr Anne Galloway and Riki Nicholas’ CARRIED IDENTIFICATION OF URGENT GENERAL BUSINESS Nil. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES 1. Minutes of the 66th and 67th Meetings of the Selwyn Waihora Zone Committee (Water Management) held on Tuesday 1 November 2016 and 6 December 2016. Moved: Bill Lambie /Seconded: Victor Mthamo. ‘That the minutes of the 66th and 67th meetings of the Selwyn Waihora Zone Committee (Water Management) held on Tuesday 1 November 2016 and Tuesday 6 December be confirmed as circulated.’ CARRIED 4 MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES It was requested that future copies of the minutes have an action list added. Agreed. REPORT TO AND FROM REGIONAL COMMITTEE MEETING. Ron Pellow reported that the December Regional Committee meeting advised its members about the facilitated workshop to be held regarding Te Waihora on 21 February. Clare Williams noted that this committee needs to prioritise swimmable water as a focus for the coming year, particularly around the Selwyn Huts area. He invited questions about his written report from the December Regional Committee meeting. There were no questions. UPDATE FROM ZONE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ON ACTIVITIES AND MEETINGS ATTENDED THAT RELATE TO THE COMMITTEE’S OUTCOMES FOR THE ZONE MEETINGS ATTENDED Ron Pellow and Allen Lim attended a Plan implementation meeting Bill Lambie, Christina Henderson , Maree Goldring and Allen Lim attended a Biodiversity meeting immediately prior to the Zone meeting. Ron Pellow attended a meeting with dairy farmers regarding a swimmable Selwyn Maree Goldring attended a meeting of the Rakaia Catchment Environmental Enhancement Fund group. GENERAL PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION Nil. 1. UPDATE ON AUGMENTING FLOWS IN LOWLAND STREAMS (TSA PROJECT) AND SELWYN RIVER Brett Painter (ECan) updated the committee on progress towards augmenting flows in lowland streams (TSA project) and Selwyn River, and asked for the committee to prioritise 1,3 and 5m3/s flow options for near-river recharge. See Appendix 1 for his presentation. The Central Plains pipeline is expected to be located near Hororata, and selecting the most suitable site for near river recharge, and conditions for the appropriate mixing of waters, is under study. It was noted that this is a long term solution not a quick fix. 5 One issue to resolve is that the deep gravel substrate results in dry reaches of the Selwyn River. It is expected that recharge will result in small amounts of water going into tributaries to Hororata with more water reappearing much further down the river. Recharge normally occurs in the winter months and this is when CPW water would be available; in other months the pipe will carry irrigation water. It was noted that it is important that farmers and others leave as much water in the system as possible, and the CPW scheme would assist with this, replacing current CPW takes for irrigation with alpine water (from Rakaia River and Lake Coleridge. The offtake size was discussed; with consideration given to 1,3 and 5m3/s options. Factors to consider included: Optimal size. It was agreed that flow needs to be greater than 1m3/s for furture provision, but technical limitations would impact upon pipes large enough to carry 5m3/s flows, increasing risk. Climate change, which predicts greater winter but reduced summer availability. Brett noted that this decade’s flow levels are comparable to the low flows of the 1960s. Cost. The cost of 1m3/s would be approximately $900,000; 3m3/s would cost approximately $1.3 million. Costs increase considerably for larger offtakes. Timeframe. Consents need to be applied for within the next few months. Questions and comments included: What would it cost to get it close to where we need it? [Answer: The cost to get it closer to Coes Ford would be far in excess of the estimate under discussion] Is the cost reasonable? Is this the best use of $1 million? More data is needed on mahinga kai implications not just trout. Would a 5 cumec option allow for freshes? [Answer: If cost weren’t an issue we could experiment, but an increase to 5 cumec level would be very expensive and also risky in terms of the technology challenge] We only get one chance at this, and 1m3/s may not be enough for the future How will CPW affect the flow in future? Rūnanga concerns regarding mixing of waters: There should be no direct discharges as there would be filtering through the ground. Action: Ron Pellow will put his question regarding cost and positioning in writing. Brett will get a response from CPW and report back to the Zone Committee Moved: Hayley Moynihan /Seconded: Ron Pellow 6 ‘That the zone committee supports the 3m3/s flow option in principle, subject to further consideration of the questions raised by the committee’ CARRIED Les Wanhalla abstained as he wished to discuss the proposal with his rūnanga. 2. NEXT STEPS SWIMMABLE SELWYN@COES FORD Ian Whitehouse (ECan) advised the meeting that a workshop on 22 February will consider what can be done to improve the state of the Selwyn River, with particular focus on Coes Ford. Members of the public and the committee would be invited. 2.1 Mike Glover (member of the public) spoke about his concern not only about the quantity but the poor quality of the river; in particular the phormidium and green slime beside the ford caused by nitrates and phosphates. He asked what was being done to reduce contamination Allen Lim said that increased quantity would dilute the concentration of nutrients which would improve the quality. Tami Woods (ECan) said that a quantum of nitrate limit has been set, and many properties now need GMP (Good Management Practice) provisions. She referred Mike to the Zone Committee’s ZIP Addendum about lake health. She added that reductions in N losses required for dairy in Selwyn Waihora are the most significant in the country; that mindsets are changing even though the effects are not immediate. 2.2 Les Wanhalla said that the Environment Plan/Farm Management Plan needed to be firmer. Tami Woods responded that the regulations will be getting stricter in that the plans will require independent auditing of the Farm Environment Plan. 2.3 Debra Hasson spoke on behalf of the Silverstream Enhancement Group, which since 2000 has worked towards protection of lowland creeks and streams that flow into Coes Ford. Silverstream is in the “red zone”; in 2014 the Selwyn Waimakariri groundwater allocation zone was overallocated to 119%. Debra presented a case study of the 2016 Ashley Dene Dairy Farm conversion in a drainage district that includes Coes Ford over a semi confined aquifer, advising the committee that the Ashley Dene farm was granted a full water take and now has two bores over 160m. Its neighbours are now having to dig deeper and are experiencing lower flow. Action: Tami Woods and Ron Pellow will follow up on the Ashley Dene consent circumstance regarding allowable outputs and in context of the ruling of no new 7 takes allowed.