Waikaremoana Power Scheme
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WAIKAREMOANA POWER SCHEME ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT // 01.07.13 30.06.14 ENVIRONMENTAL This report provides a summary of key environmental outcomes arising out of the process to renew resource consents for the ongoing operation of the Waikaremoana Power Scheme. The process to renew resource consents was lengthy and complicated, with a vast amount of technical information collected. It is not the intention of this report to reproduce or replicate this information in any way, rather it summarises the key outcomes for the operating period 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014 (hereafter referred to as ‘the reporting period’). The report also only provides a summary of key result areas. There are a number of technical reports, research programmes, environmental initiatives and agreements that have fed into this report. As stated above, it is not the intention of this report to reproduce or replicate this information, rather to provide a summary of it. Genesis Energy is happy to provide further details or technical reports or discuss matters directly with interested parties. 14 HIGHLIGHTS 1 July 2013–30 June 2014 02 01 INTRODUCTION 02 1.1 Document Overview Tuna Migration Programme Another record number of elvers 02 1.2 Resource Consent Process Overview (68,734) were captured below Piripaua Power Station and 02 1.3 How to use this document transferred to upstream habitats during the reporting period. 02 1.4 Genesis Energy’s Approach Ongoing survey work has helped understand eel population to Environmental Management trends as a result of these transfers. A bank of bright, LED 02 1.4.1 Genesis Energy’s Values spot lights were installed on the Piripaua Intake as an eel 02 1.4.2 Environmental Management System deterrent to migrant tuna and a by-pass was completed on 03 1.4.3 Resource Consents Management System the Whakamarino spillway to provide an alternative safe eel 03 1.4.4 Hydrology passage out of Lake Whakamarino into the Waikaretaheke River 03 1.5 Feedback (see Section 4.2.3). 04 02 WAIKAREMOANA POWER SCHEME Onepoto Siphon It was identified through the WPS Public Safety 05 2.1 Operating the Waikaremoana Power Scheme – Risk Assessment process that the intake area for the Onepoto 05 2.2 Climate and Power Generation Siphon needed to be marked on the lake surface. In early 2014, 06 03 LAKE WAIKAREMOANA Genesis Energy installed four large permanent buoys, chained 07 3.1 Hydrology to weights placed on the lake bed (see Section 5.1.1) 08 3.1.1 Level Trends at Lake Waikaremoana 08 3.2 Ecosystems and Water Quality Lake Waikaremoana Hapu Restoration Trust The Trust has 08 3.2.1 Terrestrial Vegetation remained focused on its core activity, the kiwi project, and 09 3.2.2 Aquatic Vegetation achieved some significant milestones. For example, getting 10 3.2.3 Trout Monitoring the Puketukutuku kiwi population to “carrying capacity’; 10 3.2.4 Ecological Restoration Programme completing the kiwi fence and predator trapping networks on 10 3.3 Sediment (Erosion, Transport and Deposition) Whareama; and beginning translocations of surplus kiwi from 11 3.3.1 Event-Driven Monitoring Puketukutuku to Whareama (see Section 6.1). 12 WAIKARETAHEKE RIVER 04 Schoolgen The Schoolgen programme was introduced and 13 4.1 Hydrology rolled out to Te Kura o Waikaremoana in Tuai. The programme 13 4.1.1 Lake Kaitawa enables children to learn about Renewable Energy and 13 4.1.2 Waikaretaheke River from Kaitawa Spillway to especially solar power through dedicated teaching resources. Lake Whakamarino A 2 kW array of solar panels were installed including a 4kW 14 4.1.3 Lake Whakamarino invertor providing the opportunity to expand the array to 4 kW 14 4.1.4 Waikaretaheke River below Piripaua Power Station if the school wishes to increase the capacity. This is the first 15 4.1.5 Maximum Flows: Waikaretaheke River and Lakes Schoolgen School in the region. (see Section 6.6). Waikaremoana, Kaitawa and Whakamarino 15 4.2 Aquatic Ecosystems and Water Quality 15 4.2.1 Macro-Invertebrates ABBREVIATIONS 17 4.2.2 Waikaretaheke River Trout AER Annual Environmental Report 17 4.2.3 Tuna (eel) Migration Programmes CSR Comprehensive Safety Review 19 4.3 Water Quality DOC Department of Conservation 19 4.3.1 Routine Monitoring ECNZ Electricity Corporation of New Zealand 19 4.3.2 Lake Whakamarino Water Quality Monitoring EMS Environmental Management System 19 4.4 Sediment (Erosion, Transport and Deposition) EPT Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera 20 4.5 Recreation and Tourism (the three insect orders commonly used to test water quality) 20 4.5.1 Piripaua Power Station GPS Global Positioning System 20 4.5.2 Whakamarino Dam GWh Gigawatt hour 22 05 SCHEME-WIDE OUTCOMES kW kilowatt 23 5.1 Scheme-wide Maintenance Activities HBCC Hawkes Bay Canoe Club 23 5.1.1 Onepoto Siphon HBRC Hawkes Bay Regional Council LWHRT Lake Waikaremoana Hapu Restoration Trust 23 5.1.2 Piripaua Transformer Upgrade masl meters above sea level – Moturiki Datum 23 5.2 The Waikaremoana Sportsfish Habitat Enhancement Trust MCI Macro-Invertebrate Community Index 24 5.3 Dam Safety MPI Ministry of Primary Industries 24 5.4 Oil Spill Response MVA Megavolt Amp 24 5.5 Public Complaints MW Megawatt 24 5.6 Publicly Available Hydrology Information NIWA National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research 25 06 COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES NZSOLD NZ Society on Large Dams 26 6.1 Lake Waikaremoana Hapu NZTA New Zealand Transport Authority Restoration Trust Partnership QMCI Quantitative Macro-invertebrate Community Index 26 6.2 Whio Forever RECC Renewable Energy Control Centre 27 6.3 Waikareiti Biodiversity Project RCMS Resource Consent Management System SPI Submerged Plant Indicators 27 6.4 Lake Waikaremoana Challenge WERP Waikaremoana Ecological Restoration Programme 28 6.5 Aquatic Weeds WHOINE Whio Nest Egg project 29 6.6 Schoolgen WPS Waikaremoana Power Scheme 29 6.7 Wader Safety Training WSHET Waikaremoana Sportsfish Habitat Enhancement Trust 30 07 KEY OBJECTIVES 31 7.1 Review of Key Objectives for 2013-14 32 7.2 Key Objectives for 2014-15 32 08 REFERENCES Front cover photo: One of four kiwi released on Whareama Peninsula during the translocation from Puketukuku Peninsula. Back cover photo: LWHRT staff constructing the fish trap on the Waikaretaheke with Fish & Game Officers Matt Osborne and Anthony Van Dorp 01 INTRODUCTION agreed. Forty-five resource consents were granted for a term of 35 years, subject to a range of conditions, including a five-yearly review. Nau mai haere mai ki tenei Ripoata Taiao e pa ana ki te mahi hihiko mo tenei rohe o Waikaremoana. Up to 2012, scheme–wide resource consents for routine maintenance activities around the WPS were generally applied Welcome to the 2013-2014 Annual Environmental Report (AER) for on an as-required basis. During the 2012/13 reporting period, for the Waikaremoana Power Scheme (WPS). The purpose of this scheme-wide resource consents to undertake various routine report is to update the community and stakeholders on the wide maintenance activities at the WPS were granted by Hawkes Bay range of activities which occurred at the WPS between 1 July 2013 Regional Council (HBRC). They provide an efficient mechanism and 30 June 2014 (the ‘reporting period’). This document is the to undertake routine maintenance activities, whilst effectively eighth AER for the WPS and follows the previous year’s (2012/13) managing the effects of these activities on the environment (see report. This report will: Section 5.1). provide an overview of resource consent compliance The first five-yearly review was in 2004 and at this time Genesis at the WPS; Energy sought changes to the monitoring and reporting conditions provide an update on monitoring and research programmes; to allow for more targeted monitoring programmes at Lake report back on key projects; Waikaremoana and on the Waikaretaheke River. The HBRC report on community and environmental initiatives; and adopted the recommendations and the resource consents were define environmental objectives for the next 12 months. varied in 2005. Subsequently the Lake Waikaremoana Monitoring Plan and the Waikaretaheke River Monitoring Plans were Genesis Energy aims to be accessible to the public, to address completed in 2006. issues as they arise and to develop closer working relationships within the communities in which it operates. Opportunities for a five-yearly review occurred in 2009 and 2014; 1.1 DOCUMENT OVERVIEW however a review of the resource consents was not requested by Genesis Energy nor undertaken by HBRC. Genesis Energy produces a suite of reports and other 1.3 HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT documentation on its activities each year (Figure 1). These include detailed technical reports, audit reports and various reporting This report documents environmental outcomes based on two key requirements to stakeholders. They address specific issues at a areas of the scheme: site/local level. Lake Waikaremoana; The Company’s Annual Report provides an overview of Genesis Waikaretaheke River. Energy’s performance as a company. The report also provides information for: Scheme-wide Outcomes; Community and Environmental Initiatives. Bold text like this will help you to find your way around the report. Consent Description Consent # (condition) identifies the parts of the report that relate to specific resource consent conditions. Orange text like this throughout the report provides useful background information on specific issues. 1.4 GENESIS ENERGY’S APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 1.4.1 GENESIS ENERGY’S VALUES Genesis Energy’s four core values define the way things are done at Genesis Energy. They are the actions and behaviours which help contribute to the success of the company. FIGURE 1 // Report hierarchy at Genesis Energy. Genesis Energy’s Values are: Respect – We treat people and places as we would wish to be treated This AER bridges the gap between site specific reporting and Drive – We achieve with energy, courage and commitment the company’s Annual Report.