Panorama
 
 
 
 
 

FIRST EPA REQUEST REFERRED TO BOARD OF INQUIRY


Environmental Panorama
International
March of 2010


Nick Smith23 March, 2010
Environment Minister Nick Smith today announced that he has referred Contact Energy's proposal for a geothermal power station in the Tauhara steam field near Taupo to an independent Board of Inquiry.

"I have reviewed Contact Energy's application and the recommendations from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and have decided to direct the application - the first submitted directly to the Government's new EPA - to an independent Board of Inquiry for consideration," Dr Smith said.

"A board of inquiry, chaired by an Environment Court Judge, is the most appropriate way to deal with this nationally significant geothermal power station proposal. At 240MW the Tauhara II geothermal station would be able to provide power to all homes in a region the size of greater Wellington.

"Changes the Government made to streamline the Resource Management Act last year mean Contact Energy's application was able to be made directly to the EPA and did not require call in from a regional or territorial authority. It means a decision on this application must be made within nine months of public notification. Appeal rights are also limited as the Government's objective is to do these major projects once and do them properly without years of litigation."

The members of the Board of Inquiry that will decide on the proposed Tauhara II Geothermal Development Project are: Environment Judge Gordon Whiting (chairman), Dr Patrick Browne (geothermal science expert), Brian White (geothermal engineering expert), Glenice Paine (Tikanga Maori expert) and Jenni Vernon (RMA expert with local knowledge).

"The board members have the right mix of skills to hear this application and I am confident this process will result in a robust and timely decision," Dr Smith said.

"This Government is keen to encourage development of renewable energy, reversing the declining trend of the last decade. Changes to the RMA and the establishment of the EPA are part of that strategy as well as advancing a National Policy Statement on Renewable Electricity to facilitate viable developments."

Information about the application, the board of inquiry, and how to make a submission can be found at www.epa.govt.nz/applications/tauhara-ii/

Biographies of Board of Inquiry members

Judge Gordon Whiting (Chairman Judge Whiting was admitted to the bar in 1968 and is experienced in resource management law. He has been a District Court and an Environment Court Judge since 1997. As an Environment Court Judge he has presided over many resource management cases, including applications for geothermal developments. Judge Whiting chaired the board of inquiry that decided on the called-in Te Mihi Geothermal Power Development. Judge Whiting's appointment to the Board was recommended by both Environment Waikato and Taupo District Council.

Dr Patrick Browne is a geologist and geochemist specialising in geothermal fields. He is an Honorary Research Fellow with the Institute of Earth Sciences and Engineering at Auckland University. He was a hearings commissioner for geothermal consent applications in 2004 (from Contact Energy and Geothermal). He is on a peer review panel for two regional councils with respect to the Rotokawa and Kawerau geothermal fields. He was also a member of the board of inquiry for the Te Mihi Geothermal Power Development. Dr Browne will bring a technical understanding of geothermal systems and geothermal field development to the Board.

Brian White is an engineer with extensive experience in the field of geothermal power, including geothermal developments, feasibility studies related to geothermal electricity, and consenting of geothermal power stations. He is the Commercial Development Manager of East Harbour Management Services Ltd. He is the Executive Officer of the New Zealand Geothermal Association and a Member of IPENZ and the International Geothermal Association. Mr White will bring an understanding of the engineering of geothermal systems and geothermal field development to the Board.

Glenice Paine is of Te Atiawa and Ngai Tahu descent. She has RMA experience serving as Te Atiawa's Resource Management Officer. She was appointed in 2006 as a member of the special tribunal to consider an application to amend the Buller Water Conservation Order. She was appointed to Nga Kahiautu Tikanga Taioa (Maori Advisory Committee to the Environmental Risk Management Authority) in 2003 and was reappointed for a further term in 2006. She was also a member of the board of inquiry for the Te Mihi Geothermal Power Development. She is accredited under the RMA Making Good Decisions programme. Ms Paine will bring a strong understanding of tikanga Maori, community and conservation values to the Board, together with understanding of geothermal power development gained from her sitting on the Te Mihi board of inquiry.

Jenni Vernon is an experienced resource management facilitator and hearings commissioner. She lives in Ngaruawahia in the Waikato. She is accredited under the RMA Making Good Decisions programme. She was an Environment Waikato Councillor from 1995-2007, and was Chair of the Council from 2004-2007. From 2008 to this year she was a ministerial appointee to the board of inquiry for the National Policy Statement for NZ Freshwater Management. She was a member of Environment Waikato hearings panel on the Geothermal Variation to the Regional Policy Statement and the Regional Plan. She has heard many applications for resource consent including for the renewal of the Huntly Power Station and for the renewal of the Contact Energy Ohaaki Power Station. She holds a Masters in Management Studies (Economics and Environment) (Hons) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Law and Management. Ms Vernon will bring an understanding of the RMA and resource management, together with local knowledge.

+ More

Commissioners needed to fix Canterbury water

Nick Smith, Rodney Hide30 March, 2010
Commissioners are to be appointed to replace the Environment Canterbury Council and given additional powers under proposed special legislation to address urgent problems with water management in Canterbury, Environment Minister Nick Smith and Local Government Minister Rodney Hide announced today.

The announcement follows a critical independent review of Environment Canterbury's performance released in February.

"Efficient water management is crucial to New Zealand's competitive advantage and our clean green brand," Dr Smith said. "Canterbury is strategically important with it holding more than half of the country's irrigation water and hydro storage. Government leadership is needed to address Canterbury's lack of a proper allocation plan, increasing problems with water quality and the failure to progress opportunities for water storage.

"It is the Government's view that the problems identified by the review team are complex will not be resolved through the normal local electoral cycle. Commissioners will need a reasonable timeframe to resolve these difficult issues" said Mr Hide.. "For this reason the Government proposes to defer the Local Government elections this year for the Canterbury Regional Council. The proposed legislation provides for new elections when Commissioners have completed their task but no later than the 2013 Local Government elections.

"I am confident that by then Environment Canterbury will be ready to return to an elected council status."

Dr Smith said an urgent priority for the Government was a water plan for Canterbury.

"This is a task that has been needed since the passing of the Resource Management Act in 1991 but it is still years away. Thousands of consents are being processes in an ad hoc way without any proper framework. Powers will be given to commissioners to fast track the completion of the plan.

"The Commissioners will also be given powers to impose targeted moratoria on water take consents and to make decisions on water conservation orders. This is to ensure they have all the tools at their disposal to deliver the step change required to effectively manage Canterbury's water.

"We want the Commissioners to build on the good work by stakeholders, councils and communities under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. The legislation gives that strategy recognition and provides Commissioners with a clear framework for managing Canterbury's water."

The Ministers said that Dame Margaret Bazley has been appointed as Commission Chair Designate.

"Dame Margaret has an outstanding public service record of leading change and fixing difficult problems, "the Ministers said. "She will be joined by a further four to six commissioners to be appointed within the next month. Dame Margaret will today be meeting with Environment Canterbury senior executives to ensure a smooth transition to the new governance arrangements."

The Government will be introducing and intending to pass the Environment Canterbury Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management Bill under urgency in Parliament this week. The Bill makes temporary amendments to the Local Government and Resource Management Acts to empower the commission with those powers expiring in October 2013.

Dr Smith said: "No decisions have been made on the Environment Canterbury Review Group's recommendation for a new Canterbury Water Authority to replace Environment Canterbury. The Government wants to consider the conclusions of the Land and Water Forum due to report in July, the work on the Environmental Protection Authority, further advice from the Commission and officials, and consultation with the Canterbury community before making permanent changes to the governance of the region's water."

+ More

First Reading: Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Bill

Nick Smith30 March, 2010
Mr Speaker, I move that the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Bill now be read a first time.

New Zealand's most strategically important natural resource is our freshwater. At nearly 80,000 cubic metres per person, water is to us what oil is to Saudi Arabia. Better still, if wisely managed it is infinitely renewable.

The problem is that water has been so plentiful that we have not had to be too sophisticated historically in how we have allocated or managed the resource.

Nowhere is this debate as hot as in Canterbury where over 50 per cent of New Zealand's irrigation currently occurs. You've got people flexing their muscles over water while the weakened referee Environment Canterbury is struggling to maintain order.

Long standing, systemic issues relating to the performance of ECan have reached a critical stage. Evidence of failure has been apparent for well over a decade and concerns surrounding ECan were included in the Ministry for the Environment's briefing to me as the incoming Minister for the Environment.

Based on these concerns and ECan's performance in the 2007/2008 RMA Survey of Local Authorities (which found that ECan was worst out of 84 local councils and was only complying with statutory timeframes in 29 percent of cases) I decided to fully investigate their performance.

The review was undertaken by an independent Review Group, chaired by Wyatt Creech and including Doug Martin, Doug Low and Greg Hill.

The review unanimously found ECan has been unable to deliver a robust, clear and effective framework for the management of natural resources (particularly fresh water) in the region and recommended the action being taken today.

Mr Speaker, the Canterbury community has lost faith in the ability of ECan to deliver on its statutory responsibilities.

The Minister of Local Government and I have held meetings with ECan, with Canterbury mayors and chief executives, and their councils, with key stakeholders and with Ngai Tahu.

The views of people to me were clear. People told me:

•§ That it's been patently obvious for a number of years that something needed to be done
•§ That the report is comprehensive and accurate and ECan is not listening to its community.
•§ That a dysfunctional ECan is holding back the region, economically and environmentally.
•§ That the report included sound recommendations for administrative change.

Mr Speaker, ECan's relationships with freshwater-stakeholders and parties such as Ngai Tahu and Canterbury's territorial authorities are compromised to a degree that undermines ECan's efforts to remedy the resource management issues in the region.

It is my take, that there is a broad consensus in support of the Review Group's findings in relation to the institutional governance of ECan and almost unanimous support for strong central government leadership on this issue.

The Review Group report recommends that Government establish a stand-alone Canterbury Water Authority. The Government believes further consideration is required before such structural arrangements are put in place. There is nothing in this Bill giving effect to this recommendation.

The threshold for intervention in the affairs of local government is high. Intervention is only considered when there is serious failure, mismanagement or mis-governance. With ECan, the Government intervention is required because of three things:

First, the Council has failed to effectively manage Canterbury freshwater (a natural resource of regional and national importance)

Second, it does not have a fully operative regional planning and policy framework for resource management - this has resulted in ad hoc and unsatisfactory arrangements for managing freshwater

And third, there is an "enormous and unprecedented" gap between what needs to be done to effectively manage Canterbury freshwater, and ECan's ability to do so (as highlighted by the ECan review team's report).

These problems straddle the roles and functions of ECan under the Local Government Act and the Resource Management Act. The existing powers provided under statutes are not sufficient to address these problems:

There is a compelling case for immediate and direct action by Government. Intervention is required to address a failure of governance on the part of ECan's elected Council, particularly in relation to freshwater management.

If we do not act the economic, social and cultural well-being of Canterbury will continue to suffer.

This Bill provides the power to appoint and empower Government appointed commissioners. These commissioners will provide the governance and leadership necessary to rapidly bring the region's resource management framework into line, and to solve the immediate problems with ECan.

Commissioners are a transitional measure and will be empowered to rapidly address the institutional and planning problems that are preventing effective resource management governance and decision making in Canterbury.

The planned ECan election in October 2010 would be deferred until such time as the commissioners have completed their task. Under any circumstances the next regional council elections in Canterbury will take place no later than the elections scheduled for late 2013.

The explicit intent is for the commissioners to withdraw and to be replaced by elected representatives as soon as their task is achieved and the present systemic issues are resolved.

Commissioners will be tasked with making institutional adjustments to ensure ECan is able to manage its duties effectively. They will additionally be tasked with 'fixing' the water problem. This requires an effective operative regional water plan. It is only through such a plan that ECan can make strategic decisions about resources and lay the ground rules against which future decisions will be assessed. This will enable ECan to make robust and sustainable resource management decisions in an efficient and timely manner.

The Commissioners will need to be experienced and capable individuals, collectively holding a wide and deep set of expertise and experience. That is why I have appointed Dame Margaret Bazley as Commission Chair Designate.

The Commissioners will have power to appoint and delegate appropriate people with the necessary status and experience in resource management to advise and/or decide on resource management matters.

The Commissioners will be required to draw on the wisdom and opinions of the mayors of Canterbury, seeking mayors' guidance regularly and thus ensuring they are aware of the different viewpoints throughout Canterbury on key issues.

Central Government support will also be available, so that commissioners are informed by the deliberations of the Land and Water Forum and are able to draw upon the wider New Start for Fresh Water work and decisions.

Additionally, commissioners will be given unique powers and will operate under an altered decision making framework for the duration of their appointments.

The collaborative Canterbury Strategic Water Management Study has recently led to the development of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. This strategy has gained the broad support of stakeholders across the region (including the territorial authorities) and has generated a good deal of momentum towards the collaborative development of a robust and durable framework for managing fresh water in Canterbury.

The strategy proposes significant changes to the institutional and resource management frameworks in Canterbury.

I firmly believe that Government's response to the recommendations of the Review Group should capitalise on the momentum provided by the Strategy.

Mr Speaker, I propose to achieve this by requiring the Commissioners to have particular regard to the vision and principles of the Strategy, which will be included as a schedule in the Act, when making decisions and recommendations on the framework for managing fresh water in Canterbury.

The vision and principles of the Strategy are subtly different from, but consistent with, the sustainable management purpose of the RMA. Requiring commissioners to have particular regard to the vision and principles of the Strategy when making decisions on fresh water management is unlikely to significantly tilt the playing field in favour of any particular outcome. However, it will ensure that any decisions the commissioners make on the planning framework are taken in the context of this recent and well-supported expression of community aspirations.

Mr Speaker, in order to empower commissioners to expedite decisions on the Natural Resources Regional Plan and Regional Policy Statement, I propose that there only be appeals to the High Court on points of law with no appeals on the merit of the commissioners' (or their delegates') decisions. This differs from the current situation where appeals on merit are available to the Environment Court.

In the absence of an operative planning framework for managing water in Canterbury, the region's water conservation orders have set the benchmark around which the Natural Resource Regional Plan has begun to develop and consents have been granted. There is such a stark contrast in Canterbury between the way resources subject to water conservation orders are managed versus those that are not subject to water conservation orders, that I'm concerned at the sustainability of the overall resource management outcomes. I consider that the attributes of the Canterbury region justify a move to ensure that the region's water resources are managed in a more integrated way.

Accordingly in Canterbury, during the period of intervention, the Bill provides that the Minister for the Environment would be required to direct applications for new Water Conservation Orders and applications to vary or revoke existing water conservation orders to the appointed commissioners rather than a Special Tribunal. The commissioners would follow normal statutory procedures for inviting submissions and conducting hearings, although the provision for submissions (appeals) to the Environment Court on the merit of their recommendations would be replaced with the ability to appeal to the High Court on points of law.

In addition, commissioners' recommendations on Water Conservation Orders would be made against a decision-making framework that ensures that decisions on fresh water management in Canterbury are made against a backdrop of sustainable management, augmented by the vision and principles of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. Decisions on applications to vary existing water conservation orders would be subject to the same ‘sustainable management' test. As Minister for the Environment I would have the final decision making role on water conservation orders in accordance with existing RMA provisions.

I believe that it is important to the success of this intervention that the resource management planning framework in Canterbury is allowed to develop in a consistent and integrated manner. For this to happen, key resource management decisions, including decisions on water conservation orders, will need to be made in accordance with the same over-arching statutory test.

An application for a water conservation order over the Hurunui River is currently under consideration by the Environment Court. The threshold for Government intervening in matters before the judiciary is rightfully very high. In this case I consider that intervention is necessary to promote consistent planning outcomes and to avoid the potential need for subsequent revision of the recommendations of the Environment Court (and the time, cost and uncertainty associated with this).

Accordingly I propose that the application for a water conservation order over the Hurunui River be referred to the commissioners. The Environment Court process would cease and the commissioners would consider the application, and submissions on it, against the same amended criteria I referred to earlier.

The original applicant would have an opportunity to revise its application in light of the new decision-making criteria and, in order to ensure that the process is equitable but also efficient, I propose to allow persons who made submissions to the special tribunal on the application for a water conservation order over the Hurunui to make submissions to the commissioners and to participate in hearings.

Currently, there are certain ground water zones and other fresh water resources in Canterbury that are nearing or beyond full allocation. In many of these over-allocated catchments, consents for new water takes are still being granted, further jeopardising the economic, environmental and social well-being of communities.

Mr Speaker, to stop this, I propose that commissioners be given the power to recommend targeted moratoria, subject to the approval of the Minister for the Environment. These moratoria would enable commissioners to refuse to accept new applications and to put existing applications on hold for a defined area for a defined time period.

These moratoria would not affect applications that have either been decided or are subject to appeals to the Environment Court - those applications would proceed in accordance with existing statutory processes and criteria. Both the commissioners and the Minister for the Environment will be given the power to reactivate existing applications that have been placed on hold and to require the acceptance of new applications at any time.

The situation we find in ECan is unprecedented. Government intervention is not only warranted but, based on my conversations with the people of Canterbury is, as Ngai Tahu told me, regretfully supported. Doing nothing is not an option.

I am confident that the above proposal is the minimum required to turn ECan around, and that such intervention is not only in the interest of the well-being of the people of Canterbury, but is indeed in the interest of all New Zealanders.
Mr Speaker, I commend this Bill to the House.

+ More

First step to improving Canterbury water management

Nick Smith, Rodney Hide31 March, 2010
The passing of the Government's Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Bill through Parliament today is the first step to improving Canterbury's water management, says Environment Minister Nick Smith and Local Government Minister Rodney Hide.

"Water is of huge strategic importance to Canterbury and New Zealand yet we have been failing to properly plan for its use, control pollution and take up the opportunities for storage," Dr Smith said. "It is a big call to replace councillors with commissioners but this circuit breaker is required in Canterbury to ensure water is better managed.

"The additional powers for the commissioners to fast track completion of the regional water plan, impose targeted moratoria on water takes, and to consider water conservation orders, are to ensure they have all the tools needed to make progress on this difficult issue."

Dr Smith and Mr Hide said the next step would now be on finalising the terms of reference and membership of the Commission.

"We will be appointing the remaining four to six commissioners within the next month. This will ensure Environment Canterbury can move ahead positively and constructively," Mr Hide said.

The Ministers said: "The Commissioners will need to be experienced and capable individuals, with the right mix of skills to ensure Environment Canterbury is making robust and sustainable resource management decisions in an efficient and timely manner and ensure Environment Canterbury is delivering for the people of Canterbury."
New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme:
Draft Fishing Allocation Plan Consultation Document

This document seeks feedback on the Government's Draft Fishing Allocation Plan under the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. You can make a submission using the form at the link below.

Submissions close at 5.00 pm on Monday 26 April 2010.

1. Purpose of this document
The purpose of this document is to seek your feedback on the Government’s Draft Fishing Allocation Plan under the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS).

The Minister for Climate Change Issues (the Minister) is required under section 76 of the Climate Change Response Act 2002 (the Act) to give public notice of this document and to make a hard copy available at the head office of the Ministry for the Environment so anyone can make a submission. He is also required under section 76 of the Act to publish the document on the Ministry for the Environment’s website.

Structure of document
This document has three parts.

Explanation – background information to help you understand the Draft Fishing Allocation Plan.
Draft Fishing Allocation Plan – the legal document being consulted on.
Submission form – for giving your feedback on the Draft Fishing Allocation Plan.
How to give feedback
You can make a submission on the Draft Fishing Allocation Plan using the form attached to the back of this document and available on www.mfe.govt.nz or www.climatechange.govt.nz.

You can make your submission by email to fishing@climatechange.govt.nz or by post to:

Draft Fishing Allocation Plan Submissions
Ministry for the Environment
PO Box 10362
Wellington 6143

Submissions close at 5.00 pm on Monday 26 April 2010.
More information
You can find more information on the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme at www.climatechange.govt.nz.

If you have questions about the Draft Fishing Allocation Plan, you can phone the Climate Change Contact Centre on 0800 CLIMATE (0800 254 628) or email fishing@climatechange.govt.nz.

 
 

Source: New Zealand - Ministry for the Environment
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