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WAIKAREMOANA POWER SCHEME ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT // 01.07.14 30.06.15 ENVIRONMENTAL Disclaimer This report provides a summary of key environmental outcomes at the Waikaremoana Power Scheme for the operating period 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015 (hereafter referred to as ‘the reporting period’). There are a number of technical reports, research programmes, environmental initiatives and agreements that have fed into this report. 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. 15 HIGHLIGHTS 1 July 2014–30 June 2015 02 01 INTRODUCTION 02 1.1 Document Overview Waiotukupuna Trap Every five years, the Waiotukupuna 02 1.2 Resource Consent Process Overview Stream trout spawning run is trapped to assess the health of 02 1.3 How to use this document the Waikaremoana fishery. During the winter of 2014, the Lake 02 1.4 Genesis Energy’s Approach Waikaremoana Hapu Restoration Trust operated the fish trap to Environmental Management for 10 days a month from May until August. 02 1.4.1 Environmental Management System The results have been assessed by Fish and Game and 03 1.4.2 Resource Consents Management System compared to previous data (see Section 3.2.3). 03 1.4.3 Hydrology 03 1.5 Feedback Recreational Release Attendance Up to six recreational releases are provided from Piripaua Power Station annually. 04 02 WAIKAREMOANA POWER SCHEME Seven kayakers attended the September 2014 releases, while a 05 2.1 Operating the Waikaremoana Power Scheme record number of 34 kayakers attended the April 2015 release 05 2.2 Climate and Power Generation weekend. Both HBCC and Whitewater NZ worked hard to 07 03 LAKE WAIKAREMOANA promote the April release weekend as an event, and it was 08 3.1 Hydrology pleasing to see such high numbers of kayakers enjoying the 09 3.1.1 Level Trends at Lake Waikaremoana recreational release flows (see Section 4.5). 09 3.2 Ecosystems and Water Quality 09 3.2.1 Terrestrial Vegetation Kaitawa Transformer Replacement Kaitawa Power Station’s 11 3.2.2 Aquatic Vegetation two in-service transformers were replaced after being 11 3.2.3 Trout Monitoring operational for around 63 years. No additional resource 11 3.2.4 Ecological Restoration Programme consents were required for the project and environmental 12 3.3 Sediment (Erosion, Transport and Deposition) compliance was assured by way of environmental management 12 3.4 Event-Driven Monitoring plans for contractors and project audits. Work was completed in 13 04 WAIKARETAHEKE RIVER April 2015 (see Section 5.1.1). 14 4.1 Hydrology Migrant Eel By-Pass The first video evidence of adult 14 4.1.1 Lake Kaitawa migrant eels (‘Tunaheke’) using the new eel by-pass on the 14 4.1.2 Waikaretaheke River from Kaitawa Spillway to Whakamarino tip gate structure was captured during the Lake Whakamarino reporting period. The by-pass was manually opened on 13 rainy 15 4.1.3 Lake Whakamarino nights from 1 March to 31 May, the peak migration season. 15 4.1.4 Waikaretaheke River below Piripaua Power Station The by-pass allows eels to safely migrate downstream avoiding 15 4.1.5 Maximum Flows: Waikaretaheke River and Lakes Piripaua Power Station (see Section 4.2.3). Waikaremoana, Kaitawa and Whakamarino 16 4.2 Aquatic Ecosystems and Water Quality Weed Cordon One of the more significant actions coming out 16 4.2.1 Macro-Invertebrates of the lagarosiphon incursion response has been to establish a 16 4.2.2 Waikaretaheke River Trout weed cordon at Home Bay to reduce the risk of aquatic weeds 16 4.2.3 Tuna (eel) Migration Programmes entering the lake at this popular boat ramp, and spreading to 19 4.3 Water Quality the rest of the lake. The cordon is one of the largest built in 19 4.3.1 Routine Monitoring New Zealand (see Section 6.4). 19 4.4 Sediment (Erosion, Transport and Deposition) 19 4.5 Recreation and Tourism 20 4.5.1 Piripaua Power Station ABBREVIATIONS 20 4.5.2 Whakamarino Dam AER ​​Annual Environmental Report 21 05 SCHEME-WIDE OUTCOMES BMS ​​ Business Management System 22 5.1 Scheme-wide Maintenance Activities DOC ​​Department of Conservation 22 5.1.1 Kaitawa Transformer Replacement Project EMS ​​Environmental Management System 22 5.1.2 Operational Consent Review GPS ​​Global Positioning System 22 5.2 The Waikaremoana Sportsfish Habitat Enhancement Trust GIS ​​Geographic Information System 23 5.3 Dam Safety GWh​​ Gigawatt hour 23 5.4 Oil Spill Response kWh/yr Kilowatt hours per year HBCC ​​Hawkes Bay Canoe Club 23 5.5 Public Complaints HBRC ​​Hawkes Bay Regional Council 23 5.6 Publicly Available Hydrology Information LWHRT Lake Waikaremoana Hapu Restoration Trust 24 5.7 Hawkes Bay Regional Council Compliance Reporting masl ​​ meters above sea level – Moturiki Datum 25 06 COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES MPI​​ Ministry of Primary Industries 26 6.1 Lake Waikaremoana Hapu MW​​ Megawatt Restoration Trust Partnership NIWA ​​National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research 26 6.2 Whio Forever NZSOLD NZ Society on Large Dams 27 6.3 Waikareiti Biodiversity Project NZTA New Zealand Transport Authority 28 6.4 Aquatic Weeds RECC​​ Renewable Energy Control Centre RCMS​​ Resource Consent Management System 29 07 KEY OBJECTIVES RMA​​ Resource Management Act 1991 30 7.1 Review of Key Objectives for 2014-15 WERP Waikaremoana Ecological Restoration Programme 31 7.2 Key Objectives for 2015-16 WHIONE Whio Nest Egg project 32 08 REFERENCES WPS Waikaremoana Power Scheme WSHET Waikaremoana Sportsfish Habitat Enhancement Trust WSFF​​ Waikaremoana Sports Fish Fund WTA​​ Waikaremoana Tribal Authority Front cover photo: Kayakers enjoying a recreational flow release on the Waikaretaheke River (photo: HBCC) Back cover photo: HBCC member revelling in the rapids of the Waikaretaheke River (photo: HBCC) 01 INTRODUCTION agreed. Forty-five resource consents were granted for a term of 35 years, subject to a range of conditions, including periodic reviews. Nau mai haere mai ki tenei Ripoata Taiao e pa ana ki te mahi hihiko mo tenei rohe o Waikaremoana. The first resource consent review was in 2004 and at this time Genesis Energy sought changes to the monitoring and reporting Welcome to the 2014/15 Annual Environmental Report (AER) for conditions to allow for more targeted monitoring programmes at the Waikaremoana Power Scheme (WPS). The purpose of this Lake Waikaremoana and on the Waikaretaheke River. The HBRC report is to update the community and stakeholders on the wide adopted the recommendations and the resource consents were range of activities which occurred at the WPS between 1 July 2014 varied in 2005. Subsequently the Lake Waikaremoana Monitoring and 30 June 2015 (the ‘reporting period’). This document is the Plan and the Waikaretaheke River Monitoring Plans were ninth AER for the WPS and follows the previous year’s (2013/14) completed in 2006. report. This report will: An opportunity for a review occurred in 2014; however a review provide an overview of resource consent compliance of the resource consents was not requested by Genesis Energy at the WPS; nor undertaken by HBRC. The next review is due in 2024, however provide an update on monitoring and research programmes; Genesis Energy is proactive in reviewing and changing the resouce report back on key projects; consents as and when required. report on community and environmental initiatives; and define environmental objectives for the next 12 months. Up to 2012, scheme-wide resource consents for routine maintenance activities around the WPS were generally applied Genesis Energy aims to be accessible to the public, to address for on an as-required basis. During the 2012/13 reporting period, issues as they arise and to develop closer working relationships scheme-wide resource consents to undertake various routine within the communities in which it operates. maintenance activities at the WPS were granted by Hawkes Bay 1.1 DOCUMENT OVERVIEW Regional Council (HBRC). They provide an efficient mechanism to undertake routine maintenance activities, whilst effectively Genesis Energy produces a suite of reports and other managing the effects of these activities on the environment (see documentation on its activities each year (Figure 1). These include Section 5.1). detailed technical reports, audit reports and various reporting 1.3 HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT requirements to stakeholders. They address specific issues at a site/local level. This report documents environmental outcomes based on two key areas of the scheme: The Company’s Annual Report provides an overview of Genesis Energy’s performance as a company. Lake Waikaremoana; Waikaretaheke River. 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 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Genesis Energy operates an Environmental Management System (EMS) which incorporates a suite of management processes and FIGURE 1 // Report hierarchy at Genesis Energy. tools that are well integrated with other core business systems. The EMS applies to all activities involving the use of natural and physical resources and the environment, from the conceptual This AER bridges the gap between site specific reporting and stage of any project through to Genesis Energy’s normal day-to- the company’s Annual Report. It provides an overview of all day operational activities. environmental and stakeholder activities relating to the WPS. It does not detail company strategy or performance (refer to the The EMS aligns with the core Company behaviours of: Annual Report for this information) or provide extensive detailed Make it Happen – Be brave, smart, real and deliver together.

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