23 July 2009
Warren &
Patricia Slater
w.d.slater@xtra.co.nz
Whangarei
Dear Mr
& Mrs Slater
SUBMISSION
TO THE DRAFT NORTHLAND COMMUNITY PLAN 2009-2019
Thank you
for your submission to the Northland Regional Council's Draft Northland
Community Plan.
The Council
met to hear and consider all submissions between 21 and 26 May 2009 and made
many changes to the Plan as a result.
I have been
asked to respond to the issue/s raised in your submission as follows:
Stock Truck
Effluent Disposal
The Council
has resolved to contribute to the provision of two stock truck effluent
disposal sites, one in the Kaipara District and one
in the Far North District. Construction of these facilities will
complement the new sites currently under construction at Whangarei and
Wellsford.
In recent
years, many carriers have installed larger holding tanks,
however the capacity of these is compromised by Northland's tropical climate,
and can fill after one rainfall, leading to spillages particularly on hilly
terrain. Feedback from farmers indicates they are often not able to stand
stock for an adequate period of time due to the notice of pick up given by the
processing plants, who in turn are operating to tight
export order deadlines.
Provision of
these sites will not only reduce the incidence of illegal discharges, but will
also improve road safety and promote public and environmental health.
River
Management
Your support
for the Council’s efforts to mitigate flood risk has been noted and the Council
will continue to undertake its programme for the Priority Rivers to investigate
flood risk and ways to reduce risk. We look forward to completing river
management plans for the Priority Rivers in 2010 and following this will
prioritise outcomes for implementation.
Genetic
Engineering/GMOs
The Council
remains fully committed to its precautionary approach. The wording as
requested will not be retained and new wording has been provided in the Long
Term Community Plan (LTCCP).
The Council
will not be contributing to the survey.
The Council
remains fully committed to its precautionary approach. The Council has
put on hold changes to its Regional Policy Statement until the shape and form
of the Resource Management Act amendments are determined.
The Council
has not changed its policy approach to putting its precautionary approach in
the Regional Policy Statement.
The Council
has set aside a contingency fund of $10,000 so that it can make representation
to ERMA on applications. The Council will employ suitable experts to help
it in its representation.
The Council
will support its precautionary approach in a proactive manner and will continue
to lobby government to ensure that the appropriate changes are made to ERMA.
The Council
will not be instigating a total prohibition on GE or aquaculture.
Electricity
Council
agrees with your viewpoint on the importance of electricity to the region's
future. We have and will continue to be vigilant on this subject and be
actively engaged in lobbying to ensure there is appropriate investment in the
infrastructure.
Dredging Hatea River
Thank you
for your support for the ongoing programme of maintenance dredging for the Hatea River Channel. Last year’s initial dredging and
aid to navigation upgrade was very successful and it is pleasing for Council to
receive community support to fund any ongoing maintenance of the channel that
may become necessary in the future. Please be advised that there is no
scientifically proven link between channel dredging and flood reduction.
Broadband
Your support
for the council's commitment to ensuring that Northland has the benefit of a
world class broadband network is appreciated. The council will continue
to lobby government on the need to adequately resource broadband in rural areas
of the region.
Rescue
Helicopter Services Rate
The Council
has decided to strike the Rescue Helicopter Services Rate. The Council
was persuaded by the quality and content of the technical evidence presented to
it, particularly the evidence of professionals working in the rescue and
emergency services area. Funding provided to Northland Emergency Services
Trust will be made subject to due diligence and further discussions with
central government.
Sustainable
Water Allocation
Yours was
one of more than 100 submissions on sustainable water allocation. After
careful consideration of these submissions, the
Council has decided to:
•
Update and implement a more rigorous water allocation regime. (This is
designed to both protect Northland’s water resources and provide water users
with a reliable/secure supply); and
•
Charge consented water users to recover part of the cost of running the
Council’s hydrometric network. (This network monitors surface water
flow/levels, groundwater levels and rainfall throughout Northland.)
Water
allocation regime
During the
submission and hearings process, a number of submitters questioned the need for
a more rigorous water allocation regime and expressed a belief that their
existing resource consents effectively guaranteed them security of supply.
Unfortunately,
many areas of Northland are already subject to high allocation rates and are
under increasing pressure. (For more information, please visit
www.nrc.govt.nz/soeallocation). A more stringent water allocation regime
will benefit all users – present and new – by preventing future over
allocation.
In a similar
vein, resource consents do not guarantee security of supply unless there are allocation limits/policy within a catchment. (For
example, as more water is allocated from a catchment, restrictions become more
common as there is less water available to existing users.)
Please note,
although the Council has decided to implement a more rigorous regime, the final
shape of this is still several years away and will only be determined after
further widespread consultation with existing water users.
The Council
believes this approach is preferable as it will enable the Council and
Northlanders to work together to develop and implement their own water
allocation limits. The alternative is that Central Government imposes
‘default’ national limits on the region, which may not be appropriate for
Northland’s catchments.
User charge
General
ratepayers (including those taking water for domestic needs) will continue to
meet about 85% of the cost of operating the Council’s hydrometric network over
the next 12 months.
However, the
remaining 15% (about $75,000) will now be recovered from the new user charge
which the Council has decided to impose on consent holders. This charge
is in line with those imposed by similar-sized councils and reflects the fact
that consent holders both contribute to the need for the hydrometric network
and benefit from the monitoring undertaken.
New
Transport Rate
The Council
has resolved to strike the fixed Targeted Transport Rate at $12.83 per
separately used and inhabited parts of each property in the Whangarei
District. The Whangarei District Council previously paid to this Council
money collected through its general rate to fund the Whangarei City bus
service. It is therefore true that the rate does not represent a funding
increase by this Council.
The average
monthly patronage of the CityLink bus service is over
22,000 passengers per month, with usage trends showing a steady increase in
passenger numbers since the introduction of this service. The CityLink bus service is funded by three parties: the fare
paying passengers, the Northland Regional Council and the New Zealand Transport
Agency. When the CityLink service was
introduced in July 2008, a 50% fare increase was also implemented. In
2009-2010, the total projected cost of the contract is $1,539,700, with fare
revenue projected to provide $678,000, leaving a local funding requirement of
$425,000 and the New Zealand Transport Agency Subsidy of $425,000.
Council, through its contracted City of Whangarei Bus Service Sub Committee,
continually reviews opportunities to improve CityLink’s
levels of service to Whangarei residents. Council thanks you for your
support in this area.
Sewage
Discharge
The Regional
Council recognises the effects of sewage discharges on the ability of people to
exercise their customary use of shellfish resources. The discharge of
untreated sewage from reticulation networks is a complex matter and a whole of
Council approach is required to deal with the issue. Initiatives are
being undertaken at various levels to improve performance in this area and are
summarised below.
The Regional
Council is currently taking this matter up at the planning level with the
various District Councils. The Regional Council has made submissions to
each of the LTCCP’s urging them to adequately fund sewage infrastructure.
The
discharge of untreated sewage from pump stations is not a prohibited activity
under the Council’s policies and as such District Council’s can make
applications to legalise such discharges, although this does not guarantee that
such applications will be granted. Where applications are received the
Regional Council is obliged by law to process these. Discharges such as
those from Okara Park are presently being dealt with
through the consenting process. Issuing of consents, if considered
appropriate, can be a good mechanism where upgrades can be required to ensure a
reduction in sewage overflows.
All
significant unconsented sewage overflows are
investigated and where the evidence warrants it, formal enforcement action is
considered by Regional Council. The penalties are determined by the Court
or by statute. The Regional Council has taken prosecutions for
unauthorised discharges of sewage.
In addition
to the above Regional Council staff work with the District Council’s at all
levels to improve management of sewage reticulation systems. Mechanisms
such as the Sewage Accord are used for this. Regular meetings are held to
develop a number of strategies aimed at improving performance in the area of
sewage management in the Region.
Pressure
from the Regional Council and Community on the
District Council has already shown results with a significant improvement in
the planned funding allocated to the reduction of sewage overflows.
Council
Controlled Organisation (Shared Services)
The
Northland Regional Council, along with a consortium of five other regional
council’s have all resolved to establish a council-controlled organisation for
the purposes of collaboratively developing and maintaining a software
application suite for use by regional councils in the delivery of their
activities. The application suite to be developed has been called IRIS –
Integrated Regional Information Software.
Northland
Events Centre
In agreeing
to fund the Events Centre, the council made it clear that it had to be designed
to accommodate a wide range of cultural and sporting activities. It also
imposed a condition that its contribution would be a "one-off" one
and has made it clear that it will not fund any on-going maintenance costs or
losses. Accordingly the concerns raised in your submission are being met.
Marsden
Point Rail Link
Council
acknowledges your support of Council efforts to help secure the Marsden Point
Rail Link Designation.
Other
Recreational Facilities Rate
During the
previous three financial years, as part of the Northland Regional Recreational
Facilities Rate, the Council collected $5.63 (including GST) from the
ratepayers in the Northland Region to be used to develop other recreational
facilities throughout the region. The Council has resolved to no longer
collect this share of the Recreational Facilities Rate at this
time.
Thank you
once again for taking the trouble to let the Council know your views on the
direction the Council is taking. A copy of the final Plan is available on
the Council's website www.nrc.govt.nz/ltccp or on CD. Hard copies are
also available on request from any Regional Council Office.
Yours
sincerely
Deborah
Ryder
Local
Government Project Manager