Final Report and Decision of the Board of Inquiry into the Transmission Gully Proposal Produced under Section 149R of the Resource Management Act 1991 Volume 1 Published by the Board of Inquiry into the Transmission Gully Proposal Publication No: EPA 0175 ISBN: 978-0-478-34877-4 (print) 978-0-478-34878-1 (electronic) 978-0-478-34879-8 (CD) June 2012 BEFORE THE BOARD OF INQUIRY CONCERNING REQUESTS FOR NOTICES OF REQUIREMENT AND APLICATIONS FOR RESOURCE CONSENTS TO ALLOW THE TRANSMISSION GULLY PROJECT IN THE MATTER of the Resource Management Act 1991 and the deliberations of a Board of Inquiry appointed under Section 149J of the Act to consider requests for notices of requirement and applications for resource consents by New Zealand Transport Agency, Porirua City Council and Transpower New Zealand Limited in respect of the Transmission Gully Project HEARING AT: Wellington commencing on 13 February 2012 and ending on 14 March 2012 REPRESENTATIONS: See Section 10 Board: Environment Judge Brian Dwyer (Chairperson) Environment Commissioner Russell Howie (Member) David McMahon (Member) David Mitchell (Member) Glenice Paine (Member) FINAL DECISION AND REPORT OF BOARD OF INQUIRY UNDER SECTION 149R OF THE ACT TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 2. OUTLINE OF TGP PROPOSAL AND REASONS FOR IT ................................ 2 3. BACKGROUND, REFERENCE TO BOARD OF INQUIRY, AND MINISTER’S REASONS ................................................................................... 7 3.1 TGP PLAN CHANGE TO THE WELLINGTON REGIONAL FRESHWATER PLAN AND EXISTING DESIGNATION ............................................................ 10 4. CONDUCT OF THE INQUIRY AND MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED UNDER SECTION 149P OF THE RMA ........................................................... 12 5. MINUTES AND DIRECTIONS ISSUED ........................................................... 14 6. PROCEDURES ............................................................................................... 15 6.1 SUBMISSIONS ............................................................................................... 15 6.2 PRE-HEARING CONFERENCES ................................................................... 15 6.3 GENERAL ....................................................................................................... 15 6.4 EVIDENCE ...................................................................................................... 16 6.5 CONFERENCING ........................................................................................... 16 7. OUTLINE OF PROPOSAL .............................................................................. 18 7.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PROPOSAL ........................................................... 18 7.2 STATUTORY APPLICATIONS, AND APPROVALS NEEDED ........................ 20 7.3 PROJECT DOCUMENTATION ....................................................................... 21 7.4 PROJECT HISTORY ....................................................................................... 23 8. STATUTORY FRAMEWORK FOR DELIBERATIONS ................................... 24 8.1 JURISDICTION OF THE BOARD OF INQUIRY .............................................. 24 8.2 NOTICES OF REQUIREMENT FOR DESIGNATION ...................................... 24 8.3 APPLICATIONS FOR RESOURCE CONSENTS ............................................ 24 8.4 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD FOR ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION ACTIVITIES (NESETA) ....................................................... 25 9. REPORTS TO THE BOARD ........................................................................... 26 9.1 S149G RMA .................................................................................................... 26 9.2 REPORT FROM THE WELLINGTON REGIONAL COUNCIL ......................... 27 9.3 REPORT FROM KAPITI COAST DISTRICT COUNCIL .................................. 27 9.4 REPORT FROM PORIRUA CITY COUNCIL ................................................... 27 9.5 REPORT FROM UPPER HUTT CITY COUNCIL ............................................ 27 9.6 REPORT FROM WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL ............................................ 28 9.7 S42A RMA ...................................................................................................... 28 10. SPECIFIC ISSUES .......................................................................................... 30 11. LEGAL ISSUES .............................................................................................. 42 11.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE REQUIRING AUTHORITY .......................................... 42 11.2 ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................. 44 11.3 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS .................................................................. 47 11.4 THE EXISTING DESIGNATION FOR TRANSMISSION GULLY ..................... 49 11.5 ADDITIONAL CONSENTS .............................................................................. 50 11.6 REVOCATION OF STATE HIGHWAY STATUS .............................................. 51 11.7 SECTION 107 RMA ......................................................................................... 57 11.8 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT ............................................................................ 60 11.9 APPROVAL/CERTIFICATION ......................................................................... 66 12. REGIONAL AND PROJECT-WIDE EFFECTS ................................................ 71 12.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 71 12.2 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT .......................................................................... 71 12.3 SEDIMENT ...................................................................................................... 88 12.4 HYDROLOGY ............................................................................................... 102 12.5 TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY ........................................................................... 105 12.6 FRESHWATER ECOLOGY ........................................................................... 116 12.7 MARINE ECOLOGY ...................................................................................... 124 12.8 NOISE AND VIBRATION (OPERATIONAL) .................................................. 131 12.9 CONSTRUCTION NOISE AND VIBRATION ................................................. 147 12.10 AIR QUALITY AND RELATED HEALTH EFFECTS ...................................... 150 12.11 CONTAMINATED LAND ............................................................................... 155 12.12 TANGATA WHENUA ..................................................................................... 156 12.13 ARCHAEOLOGY AND BUILT HERITAGE .................................................... 161 12.14 SOCIAL ......................................................................................................... 165 12.15 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL EFFECTS .......................................................... 176 12.16 DIRECT PROPERTY EFFECTS ................................................................... 181 13. THE TRANSPOWER APPLICATION............................................................ 191 13.1 OVERVIEW AND PRELIMINARY MATTERS ................................................ 191 13.2 SUBMISSIONS ............................................................................................. 191 13.3 WITNESSES ................................................................................................. 193 13.4 ISSUES ARISING ......................................................................................... 193 13.5 VISUAL AND LANDSCAPE EFFECTS .......................................................... 194 13.6 EARTHWORKS AND CONTAMINATION ...................................................... 196 13.7 ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS .............................................................................. 197 13.8 EFFECTS ON HISTORIC HERITAGE ........................................................... 198 13.9 EFFECTS ON SENSITIVE LAND USES ....................................................... 198 13.10 CLEARANCE OF TREES AND VEGETATION .............................................. 199 13.11 RESTORATION OF LAND/EFFECTS AND TIMING OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS ........................................................................... 200 13.12 OVERVIEW OF EFFECTS ASSESSMENT ................................................... 200 13.13 CONDITIONS ................................................................................................ 201 13.14 MAIN FINDINGS ON TRANSPOWER APPLICATIONS ................................ 202 14. MANAGEMENT PLANS ............................................................................... 203 14.1 CONTEXT ..................................................................................................... 203 14.2 THE MANAGMENT PLANS: NATURE AND CONTENT............................... 204 14.3 MANAGEMENT PLANS CONSIDERED UNDER THE OUTLINE PLAN UMBRELLA ................................................................................................... 204 14.4 MANAGEMENT PLANS CONSIDERED UNDER THE CEMP ....................... 209 14.5 MANAGEMENT PLANS CONSIDERED UNDER THE TRANSPOWER APPLICATION ............................................................................................... 213 15. CONDITIONS