Franklin Waikato Drainage Advisory Subcommittee

2 October 2015

Doc# 3472387

Works Report

• Greater use of aquathol and reglone

• Some drains not cleaned because of wetland issue

• No reported instances of not meeting LOS

• Staff thank those chairmen for their efforts in past

year

Financial summaries

• General expenditure was close to or below budget

• Exceptions being

• - Kimihia 2 machine cleans

• - Rangiriri 2 years of machine cleaning due to

late billing

• - Kaawa major clean and fish recovery exercise

• - Mangatawhiri C2 2 cleans

• - Motukaraka high labour costs with eel kill issue

• Table 1 shows 2014/15 details

• Table 2 shows historical reserve movements

• Rates decrease for

• - Mangatawhiri C5

• - Waller Commins,

• - Onewhero Downstream,

• - Morrison Swamp

Management of Reserve Funds

• Councils Current level of Service

• - Manage Ground water levels

• - Clear ponded water from a 10 year runoff event

within 3 days

• Interest is applied on the reserve balances be it

positive or negative

Reserve Balances

• Parameters for max / min reserves been agreed on

by Waikato Central Drainage Advisory

subcommittee

• Minimum Res Balance is 50% of Budgeted total

Expenditure........ with absolute min of $2000

• Maximum Res Balance is 100% of Budgeted total

Expenditure. This applied to those areas with

existing large reserves and provided a “target”

when considering rate reductions

Drainage areas with Depreciating Assets • Currently looking at the management and reporting

for areas with assets attracting depreciation

• Only applies to Kaawa in the FW area

• Ten areas in Waikato Central drainage

• Need to ensure risks aspect factored into reserves

• Further reporting on this issue

• May involve “Operating” and “Replacement”

reserves to be reported on separately

Land Drainage Resource Consents

• Original Consent application identified Modified

watercourses

• As result of feedback, all Council “drains” have

been reassessed

• There are some drains that are actually maintained

by the LW in this consent

• A number of changes recommended

• Changes to the existing Consent have now been

granted affecting 28 areas in FW

• - Some 27.5km being changed to artificial

• - Some 12.5km being changed to modified

• - Inclusion of Mangawara West, Onepoto and Te

Kohanga areas [4.5km of modified]

• Removal of Pukekapia 1, Ruawaro Furniss,

Ruawaro North, Ruawaro East, and Bell Rd

• New plans of areas currently being drawn up

• Distributed to reps when completed

Deposition of drain cleanings in wetlands • Rule in Waikato Regional Plan requires resource

consent to deposit drain cleanings into a wetland

• This applies to both Modified and Artificial

• Has impact on 8 FW drainage areas being

- Okowhau

- Pukekapia 1 and 2

- Kimihia

- Waikare Rangiriri, Waikare Ohinewai, Waikare

Nikau and Waikare West

• Includes several sites in WC drainage and the LW

Scheme that this rule applies to as well

• Have included them in this exercise to save

double up on costs. Cost share

• Assessment of Environmental Effects completed

• Consultation docs distributed

• Feedback received from DOC, F&G, Waikato

River Care, Waipa DC and Waikato DC

Basis of Consultation

• CATEGORY A SITES

• Watercourses in high value SNA’s which require

maintenance on very infrequent basis 20+ years

• O/Let from L Kopuera

• Opuatia Stream [LW scheme]

• Also included a number of sites in WC area

Category B sites

• Watercourses that are cleaned frequently and often

have existing spoil heap or devoid of natural

vegetation.

• The “normal” sites that have been cleaned on a

relatively regular basis.

• Usually onto previously deposited material.

• Impacts likely to be less than minor so long as best

practice guidelines are used.

Progress to date

• Progressing on basis that Category A sites be

included in consent

• Each site will include site specific assessment

• Feedback from DOC and Waipa DC indicate that

this may be a major hurdle

• May have to abandon the Category A sites from the

consent to progress this in a cost effective manner

• Feedback sought from drainage representatives

Workshop to discuss

• Workshop planned for 13th October 2015 to discuss

options and way forward

• Will include Operational and mitigation issues

• Indication of attendance sought

Forward Planning

• Large Number of areas in FW area

• Some very small

• Need to revisit to ensure management is on a

rational and affordable basis.

• Outcome may be that they are OK as they are.

Progress since 2011

• Focus on spray programmes [still more to do on

this]

• Depot at Tuakau

• Resource Consents

• More field operators to cover areas

Consideration for Future

• Amalgamation ???

• Revise classifications and funding policies [similar

the WC drainage ?]

• Rationalisation of drainage networks

• More Self Administering areas

• Moth Balling of some areas

• Level of Service review

• Greater focus on chemical control and fencing

• Important to note that there are no fixed plans

• Further discussion will be done before changes

• May need to arrange another meeting on this

Waikato Expressway

• Huntly Section - affects Kimihia

• Kimihia pump to be relocated

• Proposed wetland at south end Lake Kimihia

• Long Swamp – Orchard Rd, Churchill East,

Meremere East

• Ground works start end of 2016

• Council seeking to ensure impacts on drainage

schemes (physical, financial) are minimised.

Orchard Road

• No gravity outlet. Drainage is provided by a pump

into Whangamarino swamp.

• Built in late 1960’s. Lower Waikato Scheme asset.

Funded via Lower Waikato zone.

• Ground settlement: 8ha to 10ha virtually

unfarmable as pump is now too high.

• Station is around 45 years old

• Included in Lower Waikato Zone LTP

• Proposals to upgrade existing pump structure

• Some of the costs to be borne by landowners

• No agreement as yet on the basis funding

• Subdivision planned on Vineyard Rd

• - 38 lots with 16 discharging into Orchard Rd

• - Will add extra volume to pump

• - Existing rating structure doesn’t cater for that

Health and safety

• Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 • Current legislation

• Obligations placed on employers

• Obligations placed on employees

• Employees afforded rights

• Health and safety at Work Act 2015 • Replaces HSEA in April 2016

• Strengthens worker engagement and participation

• Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU)

• Duty of governance to be engaged

• Increases personal responsibility

Application of H&S at WRC

• WRC policy commits H&S at all levels

• Current framework • Commitment to safety management

• Planning review and evaluation

• Hazard ID, assessment and management

• Information, training and supervision

• Incident and injury reporting and investigation

• Employee participation

• Emergency planning

• Protection of workers on sites

Application on the ground

• Hierarchy to undertake work safely • Competency assessments

• Training

• Supervision

• Standard operating procedures

• Task anaysis

• Safety plans

Land drainage work programmes

• H&S has changed how some work is undertaken

• H&S system has provided structured “tools”

• Some changes have been improvements

• Work programmes still able to be done

• H&S is a personal responsibility

• Staff can be personally liable

• Important to not put them or others at risk

Land Drainage Brochure

• Distributed each year

• Around 8000 printed

• Advises ratepayers of key contacts

• Advises ratepayers of key issues

• Serves to advise of entry to spray

Proposed Focus this edition

Health and Safety