June 2015 1 Rob Greenaway & Associates Fonterra – Studholme Ocean Outfall Recreation Effects Assessment Fonterra – Studholme Ocean Outfall | Recreation Effects Assessment RG&A 2 Fonterra Studholme Ocean Outfall Recreation Effects Assessment Prepared for Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd by Rob Greenaway & Associates www.greenaway.co.nz June 2015 Version status: Final Fonterra – Studholme Ocean Outfall | Recreation Effects Assessment RG&A 3 Contents 1 Introduction and summary ....................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Study focus .................................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Method ........................................................................................................................... 7 2 Setting description ................................................................................................................... 8 3 Access and land status .......................................................................................................... 11 4 Setting management and agency data .................................................................................. 16 4.1 Department of Conservation ........................................................................................ 16 4.2 Canterbury Regional Council ....................................................................................... 17 4.3 Waihao-Wainono Water Users Society ........................................................................ 19 4.4 Waimate District Council .............................................................................................. 20 4.5 Central South Island Fish & Game Council .................................................................. 20 5 Activity descriptions............................................................................................................... 22 5.1 Marine recreation ......................................................................................................... 22 5.2 Freshwater recreation .................................................................................................. 26 5.3 Hunting ......................................................................................................................... 27 5.4 Other terrestrial recreation ........................................................................................... 27 5.5 Activity summary .......................................................................................................... 29 6 Potential effects of the proposal and recommended mitigations ...................................... 30 6.1 Contaminants and pathogens ...................................................................................... 30 6.2 Marine and riverine ecology and birds ......................................................................... 30 6.3 New infrastructure ........................................................................................................ 30 6.4 Construction ................................................................................................................. 3 1 6.5 Mitigations .................................................................................................................... 31 7 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 33 8 References .............................................................................................................................. 34 9 Appendix 1: Department of Conservation land unit records .............................................. 35 10 Appendix 2: Daly 2004 ............................................................................................................ 37 List of Figures Figure 1: Activity summary ........................................................................................................................ 6 Figure 2: Study area with photo locations ................................................................................................. 8 Figure 3: Public access – WAMS output ................................................................................................. 11 Figure 4: Central South Island Fish & Game Council lands and Te Houriri Reserve .............................. 12 Figure 5: 4WD access south of Poingdestres Rd (Waihao Box Wildlife Management Reserve) ............ 12 Figure 6: DOC GIS output ....................................................................................................................... 13 Figure 7: WDC Planning maps 22 and 23 ............................................................................................... 14 Figure 8: Waihao Mätaitai Reserve. MPI NABIS output .......................................................................... 1 5 Figure 9: CRC Navigation safety bylaw 2010 – Waihao River mouth ..................................................... 18 Figure 10: Sport and recreation activities with the highest participation levels ....................................... 22 Figure 11: Marine setting. LINZ chart NZ64 detail .................................................................................. 23 Figure 12: Marine fishing activity (Allen et al 2009) ................................................................................. 24 Figure 13: Shore fishing - Draper et al (2008) ......................................................................................... 25 Figure 14: WDC Lake Wainono Track guide ........................................................................................... 28 Figure 15: Construction-period sign locations (red) ................................................................................ 32 List of Tables Table 1: Activity by month ....................................................................................................................... 29 Fonterra – Studholme Ocean Outfall | Recreation Effects Assessment RG&A 4 1 Introduction and summary Fonterra Ltd is proposing to expand its existing milk processing plant at Studholme near Waimate. This will include the construction of two new milk dryers and boilers, and larger dry- store facilities. This report focuses on the requirement to install a marine outfall to discharge wastewater and some stormwater from the plant. A pipeline of between 600-700mm diameter is proposed to run from the existing wastewater treatment plant site at Studholme, which is also to be upgraded, directly east along Meyers Road for approximately 3km to the ocean. The pipe will be buried under the Waihao Arm and the beach profile, and will not be visible from the shore, and will extend for up to 600m along the bed of the sea (including diffuser) (see Figure 1). A maximum discharge of 24,000m3 a day is anticipated. The pipe will carry treated wastewater from the plant as well as stormwater from some hard surface areas which requires treatment. Human waste from the plant is treated separately and disposed of via a subsurface irrigation system at Studholme. Clean stormwater from roofing areas is captured and discharged via a wetland system to a local creek. The wastewater is largely derived from condensate which is extracted when dry milk powder is produced (‘condensate of whey’ or COW water), but will also include process system cleaning products, including soaps and strong acids and alkalis. A biological wastewater treatment system will be installed to remove the majority of organic and nutrient components from the wastewater and to buffer pH levels, resulting in “a discharge of significantly higher quality than at other similar facilities” (Sneddon et al 2015). This study indicates that the area – spanning from Wainono Lagoon in the north to the Waihao Box in the south – is primarily a locally popular recreation setting supporting a range of terrestrial, freshwater and marine recreation activities. These are located in Figure 1. There are several regionally important activities carried out, including gamebird hunting and birdwatching (mostly associated with Wainono Lagoon), and camping. An annual fishing competition is held at Hook Beach, north of Wainono Lagoon, but the fishing resource is quite similar throughout the coastal area. Analysis of the risks posed by the discharge of the treated wastewater on marine and freshwater ecology and birds (Sneddon et al 2015), and on human health (Stott & McBride 2015), indicate little potential for any adverse effects in and around the coastal marine setting. This assessment therefore finds that, with the outfall in operation, the setting will retain its recreation values and potential. There may be the chance of snagging fishing gear on the pipeline, but this would most likely result if the marine structure proves to be an attractant for fish and fishers – since it will most likely encrust with marine life (Stott & McBride 2015) and be an unusual feature on an otherwise largely homogenous seafloor – and this should be considered an acceptable trade-off. A pipeline sign at the rear of the beach will indicate its location. Public reporting of wastewater monitoring data will help allay perceptions of adverse effect on marine water quality. Construction activities will have the potential to disrupt recreational use of the immediate beach area for up to nine months. Recommended mitigations can reduce inconvenience