Waioeka Otara Scheme Liaison group meeting - 2012 March 29 ...

Notes from the Waioeka-Otara Rivers Scheme Liaison Group meeting
held at the Ōpōtiki District Council Chambers on Thursday, 29 March
2012 commencing at 1.00 pm
Present:
Chairperson:
Regional Councillors:
Liaison group members:
Regional Council staff:
Apologies:
Councillor M Whitaker
Councillor J Mansell and Councillor T Marr
John Hata, Robbie Peterson, Alan Gault, Jim Finlay and
Willie Maxwell
Bruce Crabbe (Operations Manager), Kirsty Brown (Asset
Management Officer), Tony Dunlop (Principal Works Engineer)
and Roger Waugh (Principal Technical Engineer).
Jeremy Hedley, Ken Tarboton and Jimmy Brown
Opening: Councillor Mansell opened the meeting.
Notes from the previous meeting held on 30 November 2011 were approved as a true and
correct record.
1 Matters arising from the previous meeting notes
Mansell/Hata
CARRIED
Bruce Crabbe gave an overview of the tasks and actions resulting from the previous
liaison group meeting held on 30 November 2011. A brief discussion was held
regarding the value of assets that the Waioeka-Otara Rivers Scheme protects. Bruce
advised that staff were working on the value of assets protected by all the schemes as
part of a wider regional council ‘Benchmarking’ project and that the results of would be
provided to the Liaison Group once completed.
2 2011-2012 Capital Works Report
Bruce Crabbe gave an overview of the capital works summary to March 2012. Bruce
advised that very good progress has been made with the urban stopbanks works which
are now completed. Bruce noted that final flood level modelling results had revealed
that the required stopbank topping up works were significantly less than was first
thought and consequently the works were completed for less than $100,000 compared
with the budget of $371,000. As a result some additional minor works like the
Connor/Peterson stopbank will be carried out with some of the surplus budget.
A brief discussion was held on the following topics:
• Councillor Mansell questioned what would be done with the underspend on the
stopbank works. Bruce Crabbe advised that it was likely that staff would ask
Council to transfer that budget to carry out further urgent flood damage repairs.
Objective ID: A1064527

• Discussion was held regarding allowance for future climate change factors when
designing the urban levels of flood protection. Roger Waugh advised that the
frequency of stopbank topping up, i.e. programmed to occur every 15 to 20
years, meant that climate change increases could be included when the banks
were being raised next. The true extent of climate change would be better known
at that stage.
• Jim Finlay advised that NZ Transport Agency were reviewing SH2 route security
and questioned the flood design level for the highway on the west side of the
river. Roger Waugh advised that staff would supply the flood modelling levels to
Ōpōtiki District Council and NZTA.
• Discussion was held regarding the level of service for the urban stopbanks
including freeboard allowance. Roger Waugh referred the group to page 64, table
30 of the Executive Summary 2011/2012 Asset Management Plan, specifically
the urban stopbanks at 1% AEP (‘100 year’ flood level) plus freeboard of 450mm.
• John Hata questioned funding of works for the Waiaua River. Councillor Whitaker
advised that Council has a subsidy policy of assisting up to 25% funding if
landowners agreed. John advised that he would follow this up with the
landowners. Bruce Crabbe advised that Reuben Hawtree is the officer who looks
after waterways outside of river scheme areas.
3 2011-2012 Maintenance and Flood Damage Report
Tony Dunlop gave a summary of the proposed maintenance works and costs for 2011-
2012 year based on the scheme’s Asset Management Plan programme.
Tony continued with the flood damage report and advised that the repair works are
progressing well and on budget. Current expenditure is at $720,000 and it is expected
that staff will be seeking Council approval to transfer funding to continue with the high
priority works to get as much work as possible completed in the current financial year.
Tony also advised that the recent flood event in January 2012 had caused additional
flood damage increasing the flood repair cost estimate from $2.8 million to $2.9 million.
Discussion continued as follows:
• Erosion repair works on Rowe Island at pipeline crossing. Tony Dunlop advised
that the works have now been completed.
• Councillor Mansell questioned the river alignment with the river now ‘punching’
into Rowe Island and whether it should be straightened. The group was advised
that this issue had been debated several times previously but that it was
considered low priority at this stage. Robbie Peterson advised that Waiotahi
Contractors will be removing some of the metal upstream of the island which
should assist the situation.
• John Hata questioned the outcome of the previous Auckland University modelling
project and recommended that the Waioeka River alignment be ‘cut’ at the
confluence to improve flood conveyance. Bruce Crabbe advised that the
Waioeka ‘cut’ option was being held back as possible mitigation for future work
on the river mouth proposal.
Objective ID: A1064527

4 Draft 2012-2022 Ten Year Plan (TYP) and Draft Rivers and
Drainage Schemes Asset Management Plan (AMP)
Roger Waugh provided an overview of the TYP extracts supplied in the agenda and the
Executive Summary from the Rivers and Drainage Schemes Asset Management Plan.
He advised that both the TYP and AMP are currently out for public comment with the
submission period closing 27 April 2012.
Roger continued with a PowerPoint presentation explaining the AMP. In summary the
group were advised that:
• Scheme’s asset value is now $28.2 million
• Operational expenditure of $629,700pa, including interest and flood reserve costs
of $273,300
• Capital expenditure of $1,583,000 for flood damage repairs and stopbank topping
up works in year 1 (2012-2013)
• Proposed targeted rate increase of 52% in year 1 of the TYP
Discussed continued on the following topics:
• Roger explained the budgeted increase in reserve contributions to try to get flood
repair reserves re-established before future flood events occurred.
• Council’s decision to change flood repair loans repayments from 20 years to 10
years was explained by Councillor Mansell.
• Increased costs due primarily to the active cycle of more frequent flood events
currently being experienced plus policy changes eg having to fund for
depreciation.
• Councillor Mansell directed the group to the examples of rates increases on page
42 of the agenda. He noted that the increase of 52% sounded severe but relative
to the benefit being provided by the flood protection system it represented good
value. Councillor Mansell felt there was no other alternative but to accept the rate
increase. Jim Finlay related the typical urban rate as approximating $1 per day
which is a similar cost to provision of water supply and sewerage by ODC.
• Discussion why, compared to the other river schemes, the Waioeka-Otara River
Scheme rate increase was higher. The group was advised that it was due to the
relatively large amount of damage and a smaller rating base.
• John Hata expressed his concern with tsunami and high points of land to escape.
Councillor Mansell suggested John discuss his concerns with the Ōpōtiki District
Council’s Mayor. Jim Finlay explained that whilst the potential damage and loss
of life from tsunami is extremely high, its probability is relatively low at
approximately a 1 in 1,000 year event compared to flooding where the design
standard is to manage a 1 in 100 year event.
• Percentage of rate increase due to the increase in flood reserve contributions?
Roger Waugh explained that approximately 30% of the proposed targeted rate
increase was due to increased flood reserve contributions.
• Roger Waugh advised that the scheme’s LAPP insurance claim for the two
recent flood events had been accepted and would be paid out before the end of
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the financial year. He noted that changes to the LAPP pay-out criteria had been
affected drastically by the Christchurch earthquake to the point where LAPP
members were advised that the fund’s ability to pay out on any new disasters in
the near future was virtually zero.
5 Regional Flood Risk Management Strategy
Roger advised that the Engineering Section will be developing a Regional Flood Risk
Management Strategy over the next two years (refer page 43 of the agenda). The
strategy will be looking at future situations like climate change, future scheme
mitigation, and sustainability issues with repeated flood events etc. The group were
advised that the strategy will be funded from general rates and will involve feedback to
and from the Liaison Group’s during the process.
6 Other Business
• Councillor Marr questioned whether the slip in the Waioeka Gorge would have a
financial impact on the river scheme. Jim Finlay advised that all repairs will be
funded by NZTA.
• Jim Finlay advised the group that the Ōpōtiki District Council has applied for
resource consent to install a pump station (200 litres per second capacity) at the
corner of Forsyth and Fort Streets with New World contributing to its cost.
• Robbie Peterson suggested the sons of Alan Rowe and Jimmy Brown as
replacements for their fathers on the liaison group. It was agreed that Robbie
should approach the sons to gauge their interest in joining the Liaison Group.
Later Note: It was subsequently realised that Alan Rowe is not a Liaison
Group member. Group representation to be discussed again at the next
liaison group meeting.
• Robbie Peterson questioned BOPRC about the new requirement for metering of
water takes. Roger Waugh advised that he thought it was part of a new national
standard that all water takes must now be metered. Councillor Whitaker agreed
to follow up with BOPRC’s consents section and report back to Robbie Petersen.
Meeting closed 2.30 pm.
Objective ID: A1064527