I hereby give notice that an ordinary meeting of the Environment Committee will be held on: Date: Tuesday, 14 May 2019 Time: to follow the Strategy & Policy Committee meeting Venue: Tararua Room Horizons Regional Council 11-15 Victoria Avenue, Palmerston North ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE AGENDA MEMBERSHIP Chair Cr GM McKellar Deputy Chair Cr WK Te Awe Awe Councillors Cr JJ Barrow Cr LR Burnell Cr DB Cotton Cr EB Gordon JP (ex officio) Cr RJ Keedwell Cr NJ Patrick Cr JM Naylor Cr PW Rieger, QSO JP Cr BE Rollinson Cr CI Sheldon Michael McCartney Chief Executive Contact Telephone: 0508 800 800 Email: [email protected] Postal Address: Private Bag 11025, Palmerston North 4442 Full Agendas are available on Horizons Regional Council website www.horizons.govt.nz Note: The reports contained within this agenda are for consideration and should not be construed as Council policy unless and until adopted. Items in the agenda may be subject to amendment or withdrawal at the meeting. for further information regarding this agenda, please contact: Julie Kennedy, 06 9522 800 CONTACTS 24 hr Freephone : [email protected] www.horizons.govt.nz 0508 800 800 SERVICE Kairanga Marton Taumarunui Woodville CENTRES Cnr Rongotea & 19-21 Hammond 34 Maata Street Cnr Vogel (SH2) & Tay Kairanga-Bunnythorpe Rds, Street Sts Palmerston North REGIONAL Palmerston North Whanganui HOUSES 11-15 Victoria Avenue 181 Guyton Street DEPOTS Levin Taihape 120-122 Hokio Beach Rd 243 Wairanu Rd POSTAL Horizons Regional Council, Private Bag 11025, Manawatu Mail Centre, Palmerston North 4442 ADDRESS FAX 06 9522 929 Environment Committee 14 May 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Welcome / Karakia 5 2 Apologies and Leave of Absence 5 Apology – Cr Rollinson Leave of Absence – Cr Barrow 3 Public Forums – Graham & Lyn Pearson 5 4 Supplementary Items 5 5 Members’ Conflict of Interest 5 6 Confirmation of Minutes Environment Committee meeting, 13 March 2019 7 7 Environmental Education Report No: 19-63 13 8 District Advice Update Report No: 19-64 17 Annex A - Horizons Submission on NOR for designation to accommodate a new SH north of the Manawatu George 22 Annex B - Horizons Feedback on PNCC's Future Urban Growth 31 Annex C - Horizons Submission on Whanganui District Council's PPC55 39 9 Biodiversity, Biosecurity & Partnerships Progress Report Report No: 19-65 41 Annex A - Biosecurity Animals progress report 43 Annex B - Biosecurity Plants progress report 57 Annex C - Biodiversity progress report 71 10 Freshwater & Partnerships Progress Report Report No: 19-66 91 Annex A - Freshwater & Partnerships progress report 93 11 Science & Innovation Progress Report Report No: 19-67 115 Annex A - Science & Innovation progress report 117 12 Regulatory Management Report - February to March 2019 Report No: 19-68 129 Annex A - HCL Abatement Notice 138 Annex B - HCL Response to Abatement Notice 151 13 Wastewater Treatment Plants Report No: 19-69 157 14 Rangitikei Farming for the Environment Report No: 19-70 159 15 Members’ Questions Page 3 Environment Committee 14 May 2019 AGENDA 1 Welcome/Karakia 2 Apologies and Leave of Absence Cr Rollinson – Apology Cr Barrow – Leave of Absence 3 Public Forums: Are designed to enable members of the public to bring matters, not on that meeting’s agenda, to the attention of the local authority. Deputations: Are designed to enable a person, group or organisation to speak to an item on the agenda of a particular meeting. Requests for Public Forums / Deputations must be made to the meeting secretary by 12 noon on the working day before the meeting. The person applying for a Public Forum or a Deputation must provide a clear explanation for the request which is subsequently approved by the Chairperson. Petitions: Can be presented to the local authority or any of its committees, so long as the subject matter falls within the terms of reference of the council or committee meeting being presented to. Written notice to the Chief Executive is required at least 5 working days before the date of the meeting. Petitions must contain at least 20 signatures and consist of fewer than 150 words (not including signatories). Further information is available by phoning 0508 800 800. 4 Supplementary Items To consider, and if thought fit, to pass a resolution to permit the Committee/Council to consider any further items relating to items following below which do not appear on the Order Paper of this meeting and/or the meeting to be held with the public excluded. Such resolution is required to be made pursuant to Section 46A(7) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (as amended), and the Chairperson must advise: (i) The reason why the item was not on the Order Paper, and (ii) The reason why the discussion of this item cannot be delayed until a subsequent meeting. 5 Members’ Conflict of Interest Members are reminded of their obligation to declare any conflicts of interest they might have in respect of the items on this Agenda. Page 5 Environment Committee 14 May 2019 Minutes of the thirteenth meeting of the tenth triennium of the Environment Committee held at 9.00am on Wednesday 13 March 2019, in the Tararua Room, Horizons Regional Council, 11-15 Victoria Avenue, Palmerston North. PRESENT Crs GM McKellar (Chair), JJ Barrow, LR Burnell, EB Gordon JP (ex officio), RJ Keedwell, JM Naylor, NJ Patrick (from 9.11am), PW Rieger QSO JP, CI Sheldon, and WK Te Awe Awe, DB Cotton and BE Rollinson (via audio visual link). IN ATTENDANCE Chief Executive Mr MJ McCartney Committee Secretary Mrs JA Kennedy ALSO PRESENT At various times during the meeting: Dr N Peet (Group Manager Strategy & Regulation), Mr R Strong (Group Manager River Management), Dr J Roygard (Group Manager Natural Resources & Partnerships), Mr R Smillie (Environmental Manager), Ms A Matthews (Science & Innovation Manager), Mr G Bevin (Regulatory Manager), Ms C Morrison (Media & Communications Manager), Mr L Brown (Freshwater & Partnerships Manager), Mrs S Williams (Environmental Educator), Mrs M Patterson (Senior Scientist), Mayor H Worboys, Mr R Templer, Mr S Harris, Mr G Young (Manawatu District Council), Mr P Wood (Health Protection Officer & Drinking Water Assessor, MidCentral Health), and a member of the press. The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. APOLOGIES ENV 19-109 Moved Sheldon/Keedwell That the Committee receives an apology from Cr Patrick for lateness. CARRIED PUBLIC FORUMS / DEPUTATIONS / PETITIONS There were no requests for public speaking rights. SUPPLEMENTARY ITEMS There were no supplementary items to be considered. MEMBERS’ CONFLICTS OF INTEREST During discussion of Item 9, Freshwater and Partnerships Progress report, Cr Patrick declared a conflict of interest through her employment with Te Kaahui o Rauru. Page 7 Environment Committee 14 May 2019 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES ENV 19-110 Moved Rieger/Barrow That the Committee: confirms the minutes of the Environment Committee meeting held on 11 December 2018 as a correct record, and notes that the recommendations were adopted by the Council on 18 December 2018. CARRIED ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION Report No 19-23 This item provided Members with an Environmental Education progress report for the period from 1 January 2019 – 1 March 2019. Ms Morrison (Media & Communications Manager highlighted the Annual Plan targets table at paragraph 6, and referred to the Enviroschools Snapshot 2018 booklet. Mrs Williams (Environmental Educator) then commented on the contents of the booklet, the engagement with schools around water quality projects and NCEA assessment, and met with teachers from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Manawatū with a focus on wai (water). Members’ questions were responded to and there was discussion around how to increase involvement of Enviroschools in the Horowhenua area. ENV 19-111 Moved Patrick/Sheldon That the Committee recommends that Council: a. receives the information contained in Report No. 19-23. CARRIED BIODIVERSITY, BIOSECURITY & PARTNERSHIPS PROGRESS REPORT Report No 19-24 This item updated Members on the progress made in the Biosecurity and Biodiversity activity over the period 1 November 2018 to 31 January 2019. Mr Smillie (Environmental Manager) highlighted the Possum Control Programme, explained a proposal for pre-monitoring of possum population numbers in ex-OSPRI areas, and commented on a purpose built possum tool, ‘PosSim’, in which pre-monitoring information collected would be entered to prioritise which areas to treat and which areas to defer. Members then discussed resolution b. and provided their comments. The Chair put recommendation b. ENV 19-112 Moved Keedwell/Rieger That the Committee recommends that Council: b. approves the use of up to $95,000 of reserves for pre-monitoring of possum population numbers in the ex-OSPRI areas that are available for the Possum Control Programme in 2019-20. Noting the Reserves are to be drawn based on the funding policy for the possum control programme in the Long-term Plan for this year and may be utilised in this and next financial year. CARRIED Page 8 Environment Committee 14 May 2019 Mr Smillie highlighted the successful gall mite agent promotion undertaken prior to Christmas 2018, and responded to Members’ questions. He then commented on the Wilding Conifer Programme and played a video clip depicting the threat from wilding conifers to the landscape. Members’ comments and questions about the programme were responded to. Mr Smillie commented on progress with the Biodiversity programme and highlighted the inclusion of the ‘Management Level Descriptions’. Mr Smillie and Dr Roygard (Group Manager Natural Resources & Partnerships) clarified Members’ questions relating to the Tawata Mainland Island project, reporting of community grant projects, and the threat of poplar sawfly. Dr Roygard commented on an upcoming Te Apiti Manawatū Gorge Governance Group meeting where the Terms of Reference would be discussed. He referred to recommendation c. which sought endorsement of representation from Horizons Regional Council.