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