Policy and Planning Committee Thursday 17 March 2016 10.30am Taranaki Regional Council, Stratford Agenda for the Policy and Planning Committee of the Taranaki Regional Council to be held in the Taranaki Regional Council chambers, 47 Cloten Road, Stratford, on Thursday 17 March 2016 commencing at 10.30am. Councillors N W Walker (Committee Chairperson) P D Horton B R Jeffares M P Joyce C S Williamson D L Lean (ex officio) D N MacLeod (ex officio) Representatives Councillor R Vickers (Stratford District Council) Councillor R Jordan (New Plymouth District Council) Councillor P Nixon (South Taranaki District Council) Mr D H McIntyre (Federated Farmers Taranaki) Attending Messrs B G Chamberlain (Chief Executive) M J Nield (Director-Corporate Services) A D McLay (Director-Resource Management) G K Bedford (Director-Environment Quality) S R Hall (Director-Operations) G C Severinsen (Policy and Strategy Manager) C L Spurdle (Planning Manager) P Ledingham (Communications Officer) S Tamarapa (Iwi Communications Officer) Mrs K van Gameren (Committee Administrator) Apologies Notification of Late Items Item 1 Confirmation of Minutes – 26 November 2015 Page 1 Item 2 Survey of rural decision makers 2015 Page 8 Item 3 State of the Environment Monitoring Groundwater Page 16 Levels 1989-2013 Item 4 Regional freshwater ecological quality: 2014-2015 results Page 24 from state of the environment monitoring Doc# 1654045-v1 Item 5 SEM periphyton monitoring programme reports Page 37 2010-2012 and 2012-2014 years Item 6 Regional state of the environment monitoring for freshwater Page 54 physicochemical quality: 2014-2015 results and long-term trends Item 7 State of the Environment Rocky Shore Monitoring Page 72 Report 2008-2015 Item 8 Submission on Resource Legislation Amendment Bill Page 78 Item 9 Next steps for fresh water: Consultation document and Page 119 Council submission Item 10 Key Native Ecosystems programme update 2016 Page 170 Item 11 General Business 1 Agenda Memorandum Date 17 March 2016 Memorandum to Chairperson and Members Policy and Planning Committee Subject: Confirmation of Minutes – 4 February 2016 Item: 1 Approved by: A D McLay, Director-Resource Management B G Chamberlain, Chief Executive Document: 1654048 Resolve That the Policy and Planning Committee of the Taranaki Regional Council: 1. takes as read and confirms the minutes of the Policy and Planning Committee meeting of the Taranaki Regional Council held in the Taranaki Regional Council chambers, 47 Cloten Road, Stratford, on Thursday 4 February 2016 at 10.30am 2. notes the recommendations therein were adopted by the Taranaki Regional Council on 22 February 2016. Matters arising Appendices Document #1635478 – Minutes Policy and Planning Committee Thursday 4 February 2016 2 Minutes of the Policy and Planning Committee Meeting of the Taranaki Regional Council, held in the Taranaki Regional Council Chambers, 47 Cloten Road, Stratford, on Thursday 4 February 2016 at 10.30 am. Members Councillors N W Walker (Committee Chairperson) P D Horton B R Jeffares M P Joyce C S Williamson D L Lean (ex officio) D N MacLeod (ex officio) Representatives Councillor P Nixon (South Taranaki District Council) Councillor R Jordan (New Plymouth District Council) Councillor R Vickers (Stratford District Council) Mr D McIntyre (Federated Farmers Taranaki) Attending Councillor R F H Maxwell Messrs A D McLay (Director-Resource Management) G K Bedford (Director-Environment Quality) G C Severinsen (Planning and Strategy Manager) M J Nield (Director-Corporate Services) P Ledingham (Communications Officer) S Tamarapa (Iwi Communications Officer) from 10.50am Mrs V McKay (Science Manager) Mrs N West (Policy Analyst) Ms D Young (Policy Analyst) Mr B Jansma (Scientific Officer) Mr J Clough (Wrightson Consulting) One Member of the media. Apologies There were no apologies. Notification of Late Items Historical Wellsites Environmental Assessment at Bayly Road, New Plymouth Doc# 1635478-v1 3 1. Confirmation of Minutes – 26 November 2015 Resolved THAT the Policy and Planning Committee of the Taranaki Regional Council 1. takes as read and confirms the minutes of the Policy and Planning Committee meeting of the Taranaki Regional Council held in the Taranaki Regional Council Chambers, Cloten Road, Stratford, on Thursday 26 November 2015 at 10.30 am 2. notes that the recommendations therein were adopted by the Taranaki Regional Council on 15 December 2015. Horton/Williamson Matters Arising There were no matters arising. 2. Cadmium concentrations in shallow Taranaki groundwater 2.1 Mr G K Bedford, Director-Environment Quality, spoke to the memorandum presenting the findings of a study recently undertaken by scientific officers of the Council into concentrations of cadmium in shallow aquifers under the Taranaki ring plain. Recommended THAT the Taranaki Regional Council 1. receives the agenda memorandum ‘Cadmium concentrations in shallow Taranaki groundwater’ describing an investigation on these lines 2. notes the findings of the study, that even using sensitive analysis cadmium is seldom present at detectable levels in Taranaki groundwater, and is not present at levels of any significance for the environment or for human health 3. notes that the Council is a member of the national Cadmium Management Group, which continues to undertake and support investigations into the environmental significance of cadmium in New Zealand. Joyce/MacLeod 3. Fourth report of the Land and Water Forum – matters of interest for Council’s Freshwater and Land Plan review 3.1 Ms D Young, Policy Analyst, spoke to the memorandum introducing the fourth report of the Land and Water Forum released on 27 November 2015. 3.2 Members raised issues with recommendation four pertaining to iwi rights and interests in fresh water. Policy and Planning Committee Meeting Thursday 4 February 2016 4 Recommended THAT the Taranaki Regional Council 1. receives the memorandum ‘Fourth report of the Land and Water Forum’ 2. notes the Government will be assessing the Forum’s recommendations and this may result in changes to freshwater management and added complexity for the review of the Council’s Freshwater and Land Management Plan for Taranaki. Williamson/Horton 4. Consultation on the report Freshwater bodies of outstanding or significant value in the Taranaki region 4.1 Mr A D McLay, Director-Resource Management, spoke to the memorandum outlining feedback received following targeted consultation on the draft report Freshwater Bodies of Outstanding or Significant Value in the Taranaki Region and to present the final report. Recommended THAT the Taranaki Regional Council 1. receives the memorandum and final Report entitled Freshwater Bodies of Outstanding or Significant Value in the Taranaki Region 2. notes the consultation feedback received and the changes made to the draft report 3. notes that the findings and recommendations of this report will be used to inform the review of the Regional Freshwater Plan for Taranaki and the section 32 analysis. Nixon/Joyce 5. Native fishery species of significance in the Taranaki region 5.1 Mr B Jansma, Scientific Officer, spoke to the memorandum introducing the technical report Native Fishery Species of Significance in the Taranaki Region that will be used to inform the development of a section 32 report and contribute to the review of the Council’s Regional Freshwater Plan for Taranaki. 5.2 The technical report would be slightly modified to address minor matters and then published. Recommended That the Taranaki Regional Council 1. receives the memorandum and Report entitled Native Fishery Species of Significance in the Taranaki Region Policy and Planning Committee Meeting Thursday 4 February 2016 5 2. notes that the findings and recommendations of this report will be used to inform the ongoing review of the Regional Freshwater Plan for Taranaki and the development of a native fish state of the environment monitoring programme. Jordan/Lean 6. Council submission to Ministry for the Environment – environmental topics reporting 6.1 Mr G K Bedford, Director-Environment Quality, spoke to the memorandum providing for the information of the Committee, the submission forwarded to the Ministry for the Environment on 23 December 2015 in response to the Ministry’s request for submissions on proposed topics to be covered within the national environmental reporting framework established through the Environmental Reporting Act 2015. Recommended That the Taranaki Regional Council 1. receives this memorandum Council submission to Ministry for the Environment- environmental topics reporting 2. notes that the Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand have called for submissions on topics to be included in future environmental domain reporting under the Environmental Reporting Act 2015 3. notes that staff have submitted on topics for environmental reporting 4. endorses the submission. Joyce/Williamson 7. Overview of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s report: Preparing New Zealand for rising seas: Certainty and Uncertainty 7.1 Mrs N West, Policy Analyst, spoke to the memorandum providing the Committee with an overview of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s report Preparing New Zealand for rising seas: Certainty and Uncertainty which was released on 19 November 2015. Recommended That the Taranaki Regional Council 1. notes the memorandum and the attached overview from the report titled Preparing New Zealand for rising seas: Certainty and Uncertainty 2. notes that the report will provide a useful input