Actions to Restore the Health and Wellbeing of the Waikato River – the Independent Scoping Study

1. RMLA conference, Hamilton 6th October 2011 Kit Rutherford NIWA, PO Box 11-115, Hamilton k.rutherford@niwa.co.nz http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/treaty/waikato-river-scoping-study/index.html Actions to Restore the Health and Wellbeing of the Waikato River – the Independent Scoping Study

2. Context for the study 2010 Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Act ‘…ushers in a new era of co-management between the Crown and the five Waikato River Iwi to protect the Waikato River...’ Creates a new co-management body – the Waikato River Authority a ‘clean up’ fund – administered by the WRA – $7m per year for 30 years

3. Waikato-Tainui Te Arawa Raukawa Maniapoto Tuwharetoa Waikato-Tainui has ‘settled’ with the Crown Other 4 iwi are negotiating with the Crown All 5 Waikato River iwi are involved in co-management

4. Scoping Study – WRISS2009-2010Steered by the Guardians Establishment Committee (GEC)Funded by the Ministry for the Environment (MfE)Key contributors NIWA – lead Diffuse Sources Limited Tipa and Associates AgResearch Beca Enveco Nimmo-Bell & Company Limited Market Economics Limited

5. Study brief “…Identify priority actions and associated costs of those actions, necessary to rehabilitate the … health and wellbeing … of the Waikato River and its tributaries, wetlands and lakes for future generations … to achieve Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato …” • What do we need to do? • How much will it cost? • How long will it take?

6. TeTureWhaimana o Te Awa o Waikato The vision and strategy “…where a healthy Waikato River sustains abundant life and prosperous communities who in turn are all responsible for restoring and protecting the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River, and all it embraces, for generations to come…” Developed by the GEC through consultation with iwi and the wider community

7. Waikato River’s health and wellbeing • Some iwi regard the Waikato River as their tupuna (ancestor). • The awa (river) represents the mana and mauri of the river iwi. • ‘…If the river is degraded then the people suffer – their health and wellbeing is compromised...’ • Not just biophysical health (eg water quality, state of the fishery, landscape values etc). • Also people’s relationship with the river (eg perceptions, use, guardianship) “…The Waikato River is our tupuna and looks over us throughout our lives. The river feeds us, nurtures us and takes care of us, healing our hurts and protecting us from harm. The river is our lifeline from which we take our name, our identity and our mana…“

8. Challenge – integrate Maatauranga Maaori and Western Science and recommend priority actions • Both knowledge systems are concerned with observing, understanding and predicting the effects of various behaviours on future outcomes. • But gathering that knowledge required unique methods/techniques. • Both knowledge systems are used to identify priority actions.

9. Our approach Consulted with iwi and the wider community Collated input about aspirations and actions Aspirations aligned closely with Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa Waikato c. 100 suggested actions Investigated the benefits, co-benefits, dis-benefits, practicality & costs More detailed investigations of c. 65 actions Identified our priority actions, benefits and costs Provided information to help the WRA administer the CUT – 33 Technical Appendices

10. Aspirations to achieve Te Ture Whaimana Significant and historic sites … recognised, restored, protected. Greater access … improve people’s use and enjoyment. Water quality …improved. Recreational value … improved. Aesthetic and landscape value … improved. Risk of illness minimised … recreation, food, water supply. People have a secure supply of water … from the Waikato River. Abundance … fish and other kai … restored and protected. Abundance … treasured plant & animal species … restored and protected. Ecological integrity … restored and protected. Management … conducted in a holistic, integrated way. People feel engaged … river… actions to restore and protect. Spiritual values … restored and protected. Actions consider … prosperity … local community, region & New Zealand.

11. Two issues1. Water quality2. Traditional fisheries

12. 0.4 m BD Affected by erosion & phytoplankton Cumulative effects from upstream ‘toilet end’ of the river Water clarity Bathing guideline – black disc 1.6m Severely degraded in the lower Waipa lower Waikato floodplain lakes Good in the upper Waikato hydro lakes

13. Agricultural sources

14. Original source – steep, mudstone Including sheep/beef pasture Sediment stores from historic erosion river banks, floodplain re-worked by floods Drainage – peat soils – colour

15. Possible actions * In the first 20 years before harvesting. Once harvesting starts there is a net return ** Co-benefits for pathogens, temperature, ecology, landscape *** Co-benefits for pathogens

16. Fencing hill-country streams is expensive Sheep/beef farming on steep, erodible land has low profitability Conversion to forestry has long-term financial benefits Short-term cash-flow problems – planting costs & low initial income Carbon credits have the potential to add to financial benefits Conversion to native forest has low financial benefits but other co-benefits Re-planting alone may not protect river banks in flood-prone rivers - both reforestation and river bank protection required

17. Nitrogen Eutrophic – 300 mgN/m3 Moderate phytoplankton in the hydro lakes. Occasional blooms High chlorophyll in floodplain lakes. Frequent blooms BGA toxicity Contributes to degradation of colour & clarity Mostly from diffuse sources Pathway – drainage, sub-surface flow Hard to intercept (eg in riparian buffers)

18. Phosphorus Eutrophic – 30 mgP/m3 Some significant point sources Mostly from diffuse sources Pathway – erosion, surface flow Easier to intercept Naturally high on the volcanic plateau Binds to & releases from sediment Debate whether to control N or P Consensus in New Zealand – control both

19. Agricultural sources

20. Model farms • 3 dairy (free-draining, poor-draining, peat soils), • 3 sheep-beef (Class 3, 4 and 5) • 1 forestry • 1 horticulture-cropping Losses to water nitrogen (N) – OVERSEER phosphorus (P) – OVERSEER sediment – USLE faecal microorganisms – CLUES Farm profitability – FARMAX

22. Waikato Catchment Model • Predict the effects of the hydro dams & landuse on: • Nutrients • Phytoplankton chlorophyll • Clarity • Colour • Red – current • Green – priority actions

23. Dairying makes a major contribution to regional and national income. Nitrogen loss from dairy pasture is hard to reduce. Significant increases in nitrogen concentration in streams, lakes Dairy expansion is occurring in the upper catchment. more nitrogen in the hydro-lakes, more phytoplankton, bigger & more frequent algal blooms?

24. Possible actions * Cost savings from erosion control ** Some cost savings from better use of P fertiliser § Not a priority action

25. Waikato River Authority & Regional Council • Drystock farming • Finance retirement/reforestation on a large scale. Unlikely. • Promote retirement of unproductive hill-country farms. Rules? Incentives? • Lobby for carbon credits? • Dairy farming • Consolidate onto ‘best’ dairying land • Control expansion into upper catchment – hydro lakes • Control expansion onto steeper farmland – greater risk of runoff • Fencing of cattle out of streams – no brainer, patchy. Enforcement? • Replanting of stream banks. • Dissemination of information on methods, benefits, costs etc • Co-ordination & funding of Landcare & Streamcare Groups. • Incentives? Rules? Enforcement?

26. Actions to improve water quality Cost ($M) Point source discharges Land disposal of treated human sewage 365* Colour removal from Kinleith pulp and paper mill 195 Retrofitting urban stormwater controls 1,000 § * Costs subject to engineering feasibility

27. Whitebait Fishery • 1931-1950 46 tonnes • 1980s 10 tonnes • 2000 3 tonnes • Spawning habitat – estuary • Fencing, re-planting, Protection • Adult habitat – wetlands, lakes • Culverts • Fencing, re-planting • Administration • DoC, WRC • Quota, monitoring • Traditional fishing sites

28. § not a priority action

29. Tuna Fishery • 1980s 400 tonnes • current 100 tonnes • Quota system in place • customary allowance • Puhi a traditional kai • Longfin eel becoming rare • Migration – hydro dams • elver transfer • adult spawners – problem • Migration – pumping stations • Overfishing

30. § not a priority action

31. Lake restoration Floodplain lakes – Whangape Hydro lakes – Whirinaki Arm of Ohakuri Invasive species Aquatic weeds Pest fish – koi Toxicity Algal blooms Geothermal arsenic, mercury Adaptive management Monitoring Report cards ….

32. Pulling it all togetherScenario modelling

33. S1 current initiatives S2 + proven technology S3 + unproven

34. Summary of the improvement in health and wellbeing of the Waikato River with increasing net cost. Bars represent the range in aspiration scores for each scenario.

35. Scenario 1 Actions already underway – no additional cost

37. Non-market Values We can estimate the costs of restoration, and some monetary benefits Some benefits currently cannot be ascribed a monetary value (e.g., recreation, wellbeing) Estimates suggest non-market values are comparable with the costs of restoration Further work (e.g., on willingness to pay) is required There are significant costs associated with continued degradation ‘…to do nothing is not an option…’

38. Predicted progress for each aspiration, compared with the current state, assuming full implementation of the recommended priority actions. Holism Engagement Significant sites Access Spiritual values Recreation Aesthetics Human health Water quality Fisheries and kai Taonga species Ecological integrity Water supply

40. Main Findings • The priority actions will restore the Waikato River so it almost meets the objectives of Te Ture Whaimana. • Assessment supported by the international case studies and restoration projects elsewhere in New Zealand. • Estimated net expenditure required is $2,240 million (PV $1,400 million). • The CUT cannot/should not fund all priority actions. • Expenditure on restoration is estimated to • stimulate the local economy but redistribute capital & employment • transfer capital & employment from the rest of New Zealand • the percentage changes are small

41. Some benefits cannot be ascribed a monetary value but NMV are estimated to be comparable with the costs of restoration • There are information needs including • site selection &engineering design • making ‘how to’ guides available to stakeholders, and • research on fish and non-market values. • The project combines • maatauranga Maaori • social and biophysical science • economics • to identify the actions required to meet the aspirations of • Maaori • wider community • for improving the ‘…health and wellbeing…’ of the Waikato River.

42. Key to success ‘…A key to the success of restoration will be to change people’s attitudes and behaviour. This requires a significant effort to engage with the community, industry and local government. If people understand and support the objectives of restoration then it is more likely to be successful…’ ‘…communities …are responsible for restoring and protecting…’ (TeTureWhaimana) Understanding and support comes through ‘hands on’ involvement in restoration and protection and making greater use of the river, river banks, lakes, wetlands…

43. Acknowledgements • Waikato-Tainui • Raukawa • Tuwharetoa • Maniapoto • Te Arawa River Iwi • The wider Waikato community through consultation • Guardians Establishment Committee • Ministry for the Environment “Tooku awa koiora me oona pikonga he kura tangihia o te maataamuri. The river of life, each curve more beautiful than the last.”