5.5 Methods

The taking of surface water and groundwater, discharging contaminants to surface water and to land, and the undertaking of activities that disturb the beds of rivers or lakes, are largely regulated activities. Part II: Regional Plan contains rules relating to the activities described in this chapter. The key non-regulatory methods the Regional Council will pursue are outlined below.
 

Method 5-1	Large Water Abstractors
Description	The aim of this method is to provide assistance to large water abstractors to identify options for improving the water abstraction, distribution and use components of their activities. It is expected this method will reduce the abstraction pressure on the groundwater and surface water resources, while providing abstractors with financial benefits and their business/customers with greater certainty of supply. The emphasis will be on working with large abstractors to identify and implement opportunities for increasing water use efficiency, reducing distribution network leakages, agreeing priority of use within distribution networks, and consideration of alternative water supply and storage options.
Who	The Regional Council, Territorial Authorities, industry (including hydroelectricity generators) and large irrigators will work together to develop, fund and implement this programme.
Links to Policy	This method implements Policies 5-12 and 5-13.
Target	All major abstractors in the Region have been contacted and assistance provided where requested by 2016.

 

Method 5-2	Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrades
Description	The aim of this method is to assist Territorial Authorities to seek central Government funding for sewage treatment plant upgrades, given that the plants make a significant contribution to contaminants to water bodies during low flows. The Regional Council will work with Territorial Authorities to analyse their treatment and disposal options and to develop a package to present to Government with the aim of securing capital works funding to reduce the environmental impact of these discharges.
Who	Regional Council, Territorial Authorities, Ministry of Health, local health agencies (eg., MidCentral Health) and iwi authorities.
Links to Policy	This method implements Policies 5-2, 5-6, 5-9 and 5-11.
Target	Central Government funding applications completed for upgrade of sewage treatment plants as required.

 

Method 5-3	On-site Wastewater System Forum
Description	The aim of this method is to facilitate implementation of the Regional Council’s Manual for On-Site Wastewater Systems Design and Management. The Regional Council will establish a forum to aid understanding and implementation of the manual and will undertake regular reviews of new types of on-site treatment and disposal systems.
Who	The forum will comprise, as a minimum, representatives from the Regional Council, Territorial Authorities, consulting engineers and system installers..
Links to Policy	This method implements Policies 5-2, 5-6 and 5-10.
Target	Two meetings per year.

 

Method 5-4	Human Sewage Discharges to Water
Description	The Regional Council will provide assistance to Territorial Authorities to upgrade existing sewage treatment systems that directly discharge treated human sewage to the Region’s water bodies. The Regional Council to work with Territorial Authorities to reduce water volume, explore land application options and assist with funding opportunities.
Who	Regional Council, Territorial Authorities and iwi authorities.
Links to Policy	This method implements Policies 5-2 and 5-11.
Target	To stop direct human sewage discharges to water by 2020.

 

Method 5-5	Stormwater System Discharge Upgrades
Description	The Regional Council will provide assistance to Territorial Authorities wanting to upgrade the treatment of their existing urban stormwater system discharges, where these are into water bodies. The Regional Council to work with Territorial Authorities to reduce water volume, explore land disposal options and assist with funding opportunities.
Who	Regional Council, Territorial Authorities and iwi authorities.
Links to Policy	This method implements Policies 5-2, 5-6, 5-9 and 5-10.
Target	To reduce the number, and improve the quality, of urban stormwater discharges by 2016.

 

Method 5-6	Lake Horowhenua and Other Coastal Lakes
Description	The Regional Council and other agencies will work with all agencies to protect and enhance Lake Horowhenua and other coastal lakes. Landowners and other agencies will be provided with advice and project management assistance to carry out enhancement and protection measures including fencing, planting, sediment control, wastewater/stormwater management and fertiliser application management. The Regional Council will seek funding from third parties to assist with this method The effectiveness of the protection and enhancement works in achieving improved water quality within Lake Horowhenua and other Coastal Lakes will be monitored. The method will include publicity to increase public awareness about the importance of the lakes. The method will include utilising industry codes of practice as a means of enhancing and protecting water quality eg., the Code of Practice for Commercial Vegetable Growing in the Horizons Region.
Who	Regional Council, Territorial Authorities, Fish & Game New Zealand, Department of Conservation, iwi, Horticulture NZ, landowners and other agencies.
Links to Policy	This method implements Policy 5-7.
Target	The Lake is actively managed, including protection and enhancement measures, within 5 years of this Plan becoming operative.

 

Method 5-7	Lake Quality Research, Monitoring and Reporting
Description	The aim of this method is to develop an integrated research, monitoring and reporting programme. The focus will be to define the current state of the quality of the Region’s lakes, particularly the Region’s coastal lakes. The method will seek to assess the state and quality of the lakes to better understand the influences on water quality in those lakes. The outcomes will link into work to refine existing policies, objectives and methods in terms of the need to add rural land uses and Water Management Sub-zones* in managing nutrient management and effects on water quality. The outcomes will also guide implementation planning and allow implementation effectiveness is to be assessed.
Who	Regional Council, Department of Conservation, Fish & Game New Zealand, Horticulture New Zealand, DairyLink, research institutes, universities, non-Government agencies, community groups and iwi authorities as required.
Links to Policy	This method implements Policies 5-3, 5-4, 5-7 and 5-8.
Target	A research, monitoring and reporting programme that defines the current state of water quality of the Region’s lakes (particularly coastal lakes) and measure changes in water quality.

 

Method 5-8	Trout and Native Fish Spawning Habitat
Description	The Regional Council and other agencies will work with landowners to protect and enhance water bodies and their beds that serve as spawning sites* for brown and rainbow trout and native fish. Resources will be directed towards the most significant sites*. Landowners will be provided with advice and financial/project management assistance to carry out enhancement and protection measures including fencing, planting, providing fish passage and pest plant and pest animal control. The Regional Council will seek funding from third parties to assist with this method. The effectiveness of the protection and enhancement works will be monitored. The method will include publicity to increase public awareness about the importance of trout and native fish.
Who	Regional Council, Territorial Authorities, Fish & Game New Zealand, Department of Conservation, landowners and funding agencies including He Tini Awa Trust.
Links to Policy	This method implements Policies 5-2, 5-22 and 5-25.
Target	30 of the top trout spawning habitat sites* and native fish habitat spawning sites* are actively managed, including protection and enhancement measures, within 10 years of this Plan becoming operative.

 

Method 5-9	Water Quality Improvement
Description	The Regional Council and other agencies will work with landowners to protect and enhance the water quality of the Region’s water bodies. Landowners in those Water Management Sub-zones* where the nutrient management (non-point source discharge) control rules are to be introduced will receive the highest priority for assistance. This method represents an expansion of the Regional Council’s existing water quality improvement programme, which focuses almost entirely on dairy farmers as part of the Dairying and Clean Streams Regional Action Plan for Manawatu-Wanganui Region. Landowners will be provided with advice and financial/project management assistance to carry out enhancement and protection measures including fencing and planting of riparian margins. The Regional Council will seek funding from third parties to assist with this method. The effectiveness of the protection and enhancement works will be monitored.
Who	Regional Council, Dairy NZ, Fonterra, Horticulture NZ, Territorial Authorities and funding agencies including the He Tini Awa Trust and Nga Whenua Rahui.
Links to Policy	This method implements Policies 5-2, 5-4 and 5-8.
Target	The targets of the Dairying and Clean Streams Regional Action Plan for Manawatu-Wanganui Region are achieved by the due dates. Advice and assistance is offered to all landowners affected by the nutrient management rules. All landowner requests for advice and assistance regarding water quality improvement are responded to promptly.

 

Method 5-10	Education in Schools - Water
Description	The aim of this method is to raise awareness amongst the youth of the Region of the significance of the water (quantity and quality) resource, the threats to it, and what they can do to protect/restore it. This will be achieved through various environmental education programmes/initiatives - for example, Green RIG, Enviroschools and Trees for Survival.
Who	Regional Council, various national and local environmental education providers and the Youth Environment Forum.
Links to Policy	This method implements Policy 5-2.
Target	The Regional Council develops and delivers a water-related environmental education programme.

 

Method 5-11	Water (Fluvial Resources, Quality and Quantity) Research, Monitoring and Reporting
Description	The aim of this method is to develop an integrated research, monitoring and reporting programme. The focus will be to define the current state of the natural character of the Region’s rivers by analysing their habitat and morphological diversity through assessments of historical and current data. This may include: planform/ channel morphology classification; fairway width; sinuosity; barforms; percentage of pool, riffle, run, habitat; gravel resources, level of entrenchment, and location and extent of riparian and wetland areas. The method will also seek to measure changes in natural character, including habitat and morphological diversity. The outcomes will link into monitoring undertaken by the River Works Environmental Code of Practice and support delivery and refinement of existing policies, objectives and methods. The outcomes will be reported in the Council State of the Environment Report and also guide implementation planning and allow implementation effectiveness to be assessed.
Who	Regional Council, Department of Conservation, Fish & Game New Zealand, research institutes, universities, non-Government agencies, community groups and iwi authorities as required.
Links to Policy	This method implements Policies 5-2, 5-14, 5-16, 5-22, 5-23, 5-24, 5-25, 5-26 and 6-8.
Target	A research, monitoring and reporting programme that defines the current state of the natural character of the Region’s rivers and measure changes in natural character, including habitat and morphological diversity.