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Regional Report | June 2013 3‘Fish bowl’ farming pays offA Northland brother and sister who have combinedtheir agricultural and accountancy skills into a highlysuccessful business partnership have shown off theiraward-winning farm to more than 250 of their peers.Shayne O’Shea and his sister Charmaine O’Shea werenamed Supreme Winners for Northland at the BallanceFarm Environment Awards held in Waitangi inlate March.The siblings also took out the Northland Regional Council’sWater Quality Enhancement Award, which recognises theprogress made to enhance and/or protect water qualityand biodiversity values in the water that flows through andfrom their property.As Supreme Award winners, Shayne and Charmaine lastmonth hosted an extremely successful field day at theirKokopu (Whängärei) farm to showcase the property andthe attributes that make it – and them – winners. About270 farmers and others associated with the agriculturalsector attended, making it one of the most successfulwinner’s days in recent years.Shayne bought the 93 hectare dairy farm in 1998.Charmaine, a chartered accountant specialising in farmaccountancy, invested in the business in 2004. (They alsoown another 44ha of run-off land and lease another 96ha.)They farm 380 cows (most Jersey) and boast highproductivity, but not at the expense of the environment.The farm has a modern, efficient and effective effluentmanagement system.The farm’s day-to-day running is technically theresponsibility of Shayne and two fulltime staff, althoughCharmaine, who keeps an overview of its financial focus,still makes time regularly to don her gumboots.Showing the farm is perhaps less daunting for the siblingsthan it might otherwise be, as they already face theconstant challenge of farming “in a fish bowl” with a busypublic road bisecting the farm.Shayne is keenly aware of the visual impact of dairying– especially to non-farmers – and the way this can have abearing on how the whole dairy industry is perceived.He told the judges “every day is show day” at the farm,and that attitude remains a big driver for the way thebusiness is run.Another key influence for the farm’s owners is a shareddesire to help their employees grow, professionallyand personally.“We like to invest the time into educating young people inthe industry,” Shayne says.He says entering the awards was a lot of work butsomething he’d definitely encourage others to consider.It had been a valuable experience both because it hadencouraged them to look at their business objectively andhad provided an opportunity to meet people within theenvironmental sector and learn from them.The siblings are now looking forward to representingNorthland at the national awards in Hamilton in late June.Photo: Siblings Shayne and Charmaine O’Shea,Supreme Winners for Northland at this year’s BallanceFarm Environment AwardsElection changeson the wayNew constituencies (regional council)This year’s local body elections in Octoberwill see big changes in how you arerepresented at the regional council table.For many years, our eight councillors have beenelected from just three constituencies mirroring theboundaries of the three district councils.However, as part of a legally-required six-yearly‘representation review’, our councillors proposedabandoning that model, viewing it as outdated andnot as representative as it could be.Their suggested replacement – subsequentlybacked by the public and the Local GovernmentCommission (LGC) – means at the October12 elections Northlanders will vote for nineregional councillors representing seven smallerconstituencies.Council chairman Craig Brown says therepresentation review is an entirely separate legalprocess from – and not related to – the Far NorthDistrict Council’s proposal to establish a unitaryauthority in its area, which the LGC has also beeninvestigating.Craig says the review will strengthen therepresentation Northlanders get at ourcouncil table.“We’re hoping it will enable local communities tobetter serve their own needs and aspirations, andcontribute to regional decision-making.”He says the seven new constituencies are Te Hiku,Hokianga-Kaikohe, Coastal North, Hikurangi-Coastal Central, Whängärei Urban, Coastal Southand Kaipara.The number of people living in the Coastal Northand Whängärei Urban constituencies means theywill each be represented by two councillors, whilethe remaining five constituencies will each havea single councillor. Overall, each councillor willrepresent an average of 17,578 people.He says although there will be one extracouncillor after the election, the nine will sharethe same (roughly $400,000) salary pool currentlypaid to eight.Craig urges people to take some time ahead ofthe elections to familiarise themselves with theconstituency they will fall under.The LGC decision is available on its website:www.lgc.govt.nz or from the regionalcouncil’s website: www.nrc.govt.nz/representationreviewA range of general information about the electionsis also available from:www.nrc.govt.nz/electionsCraig says for people interested in standing for theregional council, an official month-long nominationperiod for candidates will start in the latter half ofnext month (July).Emergency management Pollution control Flood management Tourism and economic development Harbours Land and water management

4 Regional Report | June 2013WaiFencingNorthland College student Jayden Joyce built afence as part of a recent Enviroschools NorthlandWaiFencing skills workshops held over four daysat Trefoil Park near Kaikohe.Jayden was one of 59 senior secondary students fromaround the region taking part in the May workshops,which are designed to boost the participants’qualifications and future employment opportunities aswell as better protect the region’s waterways from stock.The WaiFencing workshops form part of a widerWaiRestoration pilot project being jointly developedin Northland by the Northland Regional Council, thenational Enviroschools Foundation and contractor PapaTaio-Earthcare.The WaiRestoration pilot is about supporting farmers andengaging young people and local communities to getinvolved in restoring our waterways and biodiversity.Those involved in the project’s development hope toeventually see it rolled out nationally.Local groupsto advise onwater issuesOur freshwater quality/management programme‘Waiora Northland Water’ is moving forward withthe creation of two new priority catchment groups.The Mangere (west of Whängärei) and DoubtlessBay catchment groups will provide local input andrecommendations on maintaining and improving freshwaterthere, says the council’s Operations Director Tony Phipps.“We know there’s the potential for some real improvementsin these high priority catchments, but there’s no ‘one-sizefits-all’approach. We believe any change needs to reflect thenature of the individual catchments and what communitieswant as much as possible, and these catchment groups allowus to do this.”Under central government policy, the regional council mustset freshwater objectives and water allocation and waterquality limits for all water bodies in Northland.“These local working groups will help set these objectivesand limits, and shape how our individual catchments aremanaged into the future,” says Tony.A number of representatives for the two working groupswere confirmed at the council’s Environmental ManagementCommittee meeting in late May.For the Mangere group – which is in Whängärei districtwest of the Pukenui Forest – members include dairy farmingrepresentatives Shayne O’Shea, Royce Kokich and DenisAnderson; environmentalist Gerry Brackenbury;local resident Roger Holder; Whängärei District Council’sDavid Coleman; and regional council EnvironmentalManagement Committee members Alan Clarkson, Cr Joe Carrand Cr Tony Davies-Colley.Two iwi representatives and a non-dairying farmer have yet tobe appointed to the Mangere group.The Far North’s Doubtless Bay group includes farming andforestry representatives Murray Walden, Dennis O’Callaghanand Beau Mallet; Lester Bridson from DOC; Wayne Parsonsonof Clean Waters To Sea (Tokerau Community CatchmentProject); Peter Wiessing, the regional council’s Kaitäia AreaOffice Manager; Far North District Councillor Di Maxwell; andregional Environmental Management Committee membersCr Bronwyn Hunt and Dr Greg Blunden.Meanwhile, the Doubtless Bay group is still to finalise severalother representatives to round out the group, includingthree iwi representatives and two Doubtless Bay catchmentratepayers put forward by the Te Hiku community board.These are the first of several catchment groups that willbe set up over the next few years to help shape howNorthland’s water is managed. Next in line is the Whängäreicatchment group, which is expected to be formed over thenext few months.For more information on the Waiora Northland Water project,visit our website:www.nrc.govt.nz/waioraPhoto: Taipä, Doubtless Bay.Awards and funding Education and information Biosecurity Regional land transport Environmental planning and monitoring Infrastructure

Regional Report | June 2013 5EelsurveyshedsnewlightAn annual survey designed to learn more aboutthe impact of man-made infrastructure on tuna(eel) populations in the Hikurangi Swamp area isshedding new light on a fascinating species.Now in its second year, the survey is a joint project involvingNIWA and Ngä Kaitiaki O Ngä Wai Mäori, a group made upof six Ngapuhi tribes. It’s also supported by the NorthlandRegional Council along with several other government andnon-government agencies, including local farmers.Allan Halliday of Ngati Hau (a member of Ngä Kaitiaki O NgäWai Mäori) says the survey stemmed from his hapü’s longstandingconcerns about tuna’s ability to migrate throughwaterways that have been changed as a result of floodmanagement infrastructure in and around the swamp.The decades-old Hikurangi Swamp scheme – nowadministered by the Whängärei District Council – aims toremove ponded floodwater to prevent pasture damage tofarmland in the area via a network of seven large pumps.Allan says iwi have no issue with farmers making a living fromland in the area and are pragmatic about the scheme itself,which has now been existence for many years, but want towork with them to ensure the environment – including thetuna – isn’t forgotten along the way.“Tuna are actually a fascinating species but are a bit ofa mystery to most people. The species we’re particularlyinterested in, the short-fin, actually starts life thousands ofkilometres away in Tonga as larvae, which migrate across theocean with the current.”As they near the coast the larvae turn into transparentglass eels which then enter our harbours – in this instance,the Kaipara. Once they reach the point where the salt andfreshwaters of the Northern Wairoa River meet, they startto darken.As elvers, they then migrate upstream either through theMangakahia River catchment or the Wairua River catchment.“This is where the concerns start for us, as it’s really thefirst time they encounter man-made obstructions as they tryto follow their instincts to move upstream and develop intoadults,” Allan says. “From there, they eventually also haveto make the entire journey in reverse years later as they headback to Tonga to breed and then die.”Allan says in order to learn more about the tuna and theproblems facing them, the annual survey was begun last year.Photo: Allan Halliday retrieves tuna (eel) from a fyke net in the HikurangiSwamp as part of an annual survey to learn more about the species.In the latest survey, held over about a week in April, twodozen people were involved with field work, roughly half ofthem students from Whängärei’s Kamo High School.“A couple of hundred” tuna were captured using fyke nets– which look a bit like wind socks – at dozens of differentsites across the Hikurangi Swamp area.The tuna were each measured for length and weight and anote made of whether they were the long or short-finnedspecies. (Typically, long-finned tuna are more common inmost of the Mangakahia catchment and short-fin in theWairua catchment.)Allan says those of breeding age were returned unharmed towhere they were captured, while smaller tuna were dissectedto learn more about their gender and age.“Scientists can use the tuna’s ear bone (otolith) to get anaccurate fix on its age, so for each one we dissected, its earbone was removed, individually bagged and tagged and sentoff to a laboratory in Christchurch for assessment.“Meanwhile, the flesh was donated to a hui that washappening at the time up north – it was important to us thatnothing went to waste.”Allan says a new initiative as part of this year’s survey wasfitting about 50 of the larger, breeding-age tuna (some ofthem more than a metre long) with transponders to enablescientists to track their paths as they migrate.“This is really exciting, because for the first time we’ll get anaccurate picture of the routes the tuna are taking and whatis happening to them along the way, including the potentialdangers they’re facing.“We’re also learning new things all the time, including justhow healthy our local tuna are. For instance, compared to thetuna found in other parts of the country, ours appear to bevirtually free of parasites and other nasties.”A NIWA scientist is currently compiling the survey resultsfrom the Hikurangi Swamp catchment and other informationgathered as part of a second survey at Wairua. Data on tunacaught as part of two tuna workshops (at Akerama Maraenear Towai, and Korokota Marae at Titoki) is also beingexamined. The results of a separate 2012/13 elver transferprogramme at Northpower’s Wairua power station would alsobe included.Allan says the information stemming from that work will beinvaluable and of great use to local hapü, local authoritiesand the farming community going forward.“We’re looking forward to continuing this work in the comingyears and hopefully being able to better protect and enhancethe taonga that is the tuna.”Emergency management Pollution control Flood management Tourism and economic development Harbours Land and water management

6 Regional Report | June 2013Info evenings for PROSPECTIVEregional councilLORSAre you interested in standing for election as a NorthlandRegional Councillor?With the official nomination period for this year’s localbody elections drawing closer, we’re running a seriesof non-political public information evenings to informpotential candidates about what a regional councillor jobentails, the responsibilities and remuneration.As this edition of the Regional Report was going topress, the first two in a series of six public “ProspectiveCandidate Information Evenings” were due to be heldin Dargaville on Monday 17 June at the Masonic Lodge,Hokianga Road and in Whängärei on Tuesday 18 June atthe Northland Regional Council, Water Street.It will be Kerikeri’s turn on Thursday 20 June, at theTurner Centre, Cobham Road.Next month will see meetings at:• Mangawhai, Monday 01 July, Mangawhai Club,Molesworth Drive• Kaikohe, Wednesday 03 July, Kaikohe and DistrictMemorial RSA, Broadway• Kaitäia, Thursday 04 July, Te Ahu (Cinema room),intersection South Rd, Matthews Avenue andChurch Street.Further information is available from the regionalcouncil’s website: www.nrc.govt.nz/electionsRPS hearingsto wrap up soonMore than a month of hearings on the ProposedRegional Policy Statement (RPS) for Northland– arguably the region’s most important planningdocument – will close at the beginning of July.By the time the hearings period wraps up, more than300 people will have stepped forward to support theirsubmissions on the Proposed RPS (which sets out howour natural and physical resources are to be managed)before a panel of three independent commissioners.The end of the hearings marks another importantstatutory step towards the completion of a new RPSwhich has been in development for over three years.The independent commissioners’ panel will now gearup to deliberate and make its final recommendationsto the Northland Regional Council.Once council makes its final decisions on the newRPS – currently anticipated to be in September thisyear – a standard 20-day appeal period occurs. Areasof the RPS which aren’t appealed during that periodbecome ‘operative’ – that is, take effect legally.To find out more about the Proposed Regional PolicyStatement for Northland, including what the processis from here, go online to:www.nrc.govt.nz/newRPSSign up for email updatesDid you know you can register to receive updates from our website straight into your email inbox?Sign up to our subscription service and you’ll get notifications of our latest news, upcoming consultations,council meeting agendas and minutes, job vacancies, tenders, publicly notified consents and more.To find out more and register, visit our website at: www.nrc.govt.nz/subscriptionsnewtide tablesout soonThis free booklet is packed with usefulinformation for boaties, including tidetables, safe boating advice and local rules.The 2013-14 edition will be available fromearly July. You can pick up a copy from yourlocal Northland Regional Council office.Business awardS: entries OpenEntries for the 2013 Westpac Northland Business Excellence Awards are now open.The awards are a great opportunity for Northland businesses – small, medium and large – to receive recognition for theirachievements and celebrate their contribution to the regional business environment.Northland Regional Council is a proud supporter of this prestigiousevent and sponsors the Sustainable Business Award, which goes tothe Northland business that best epitomises an overall commitment tosustainable development.Entries for all award categories close on Friday 16 August 2013.Find out more at: www.northlandbusinessawards.co.nzLocal Civil Defenceinfo on Facebook andaa Roadwatch websiteWant to know more about what’s going on duringwinter storm events and other emergencies?Facebook and the Automobile Association’sRoadwatch website are two of the latest toolsNorthland’s Civil Defence team is using to help keepyou informed.The Civil Defence Facebook page:www.facebook.com/civildefencenorthlandis increasingly popular with people wanting up-todateinfo, especially during storms or when tsunamiwarnings have been issued.If you would like details about local district councilroad and State Highway closures/issues in Northlandduring a storm, visit the AA Roadwatch site:www.AAroadwatch.co.nzIt contains a map and brief description of closed/affected roads and an indication of when the issuesinvolved are likely to be resolved.General Civil Defence information is also availablefrom the regional council’s website:www.nrc.govt.nz/civildefenceAwards and funding Education and information Biosecurity Regional land transport Environmental planning and monitoring Infrastructure

Regional Report | June 2013 7Community Response Planfor north HokiangaPhoto: The aftermath of the devastating Panguru flood of 1999. (Northern Advocate photograph)Self-reliance is a crucial aspect of coping withflooding and other emergencies. Northlanders– especially those in more remote areas – are beingurged to do more to protect themselves and thosethey care about.The region’s Civil Defence officials say Northlanders haverepeatedly proven they’re collectively quite resilient and betterable to cope with disaster than many in urban centres – butthere’s always room for improvement. One key component isgood planning.“Many Northland communities can potentially be cut offduring an emergency event, making it vital they plan tosurvive with little or no outside help for at least three days,”says Graeme MacDonald, spokesman for Northland CivilDefence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group.The CDEM Group says one way smaller communities ofinterest can plan for, and cope with, disaster is through thejoint development of tailor-made Civil Defence CommunityResponse Plans (CRPs) with their local district councils.Fifty-one of these plans have been completed in Northlandsince 2004; 28 in the Far North, 16 in Whängärei district andseven in Kaipara.Bill Hutchinson, Civil Defence Coordinator for the FarNorth District Council, says the plans aim to ensure localcommunities identify hazards and risks and collectivelyunderstand how they will manage their response.They also identify local leaders who’ll volunteer tocommunicate emergency management information tothe community and relay community concerns back toCivil Defence.Finally, CRPs outline what resources the community hasand how these can be used in an emergency (for example,communications, identification of welfare centres, physicalequipment and a list of key community contacts).Graeme says Mäori make up many of those living in some ofNorthland’s more remote communities and Civil Defence hasalready worked successfully with several marae as part ofwork to develop CRPs in other parts of the region.“However, as part of our continual efforts to refine thisprocess, we’re always looking for opportunities to engagewith various sectors of our communities. We acknowledgethat there are opportunities in some areas to better engagewith local Mäori communities, including marae.”With that in mind, Bill says work has begun with Te Runangao Te Rarawa in and around the tiny northern Hokiangasettlement of Panguru to include a cluster of local marae inCRP development.“We’ve been working with Te Rarawa intermittently for anumber of years. However, things have really escalated overthe past 12 months or so and we’re now at the point where adraft CRP is being circulated to six marae in five communitiesin and around Panguru for their input.”Waipuna Marae (Panguru) representative for Te Runanga oTe Rarawa, Abe Witana, (who recently joined the regionalcouncil’s planning department) says the six marae involvedcover an area from Motuti in the east, across to RangiPoint and north to Mitimiti. The marae are; Waipuna, NgatiManawa, Tamatea, Waiparera, Waimirirangi and Matihetihe.Abe, from Panguru but currently living in Ahipara, has firsthandknowledge of a civil defence emergency in the Hokianga.He was in Panguru during its infamous 1999 flood whichcaused widespread damage and raised a number of questionsabout Civil Defence responses nationally.He says while Civil Defence and other organisations canhelp in an emergency, individuals are ultimately responsiblefor protecting themselves and their property from the effectsof disasters.“One way we can help people to do that is through maraebasedplanning, which offers a number of advantages– including the ability to tap into existing formal andinformal family and other networks, and the invaluable localknowledge that comes with these.”“Our marae are the centrepoints of our communities on allmatters, not just Civil Defence, and that’s where a whole lotof our decision-making takes place,” Abe says.“It makes sense to incorporate these Community ResponsePlans into existing Hapü Marae Community Plans.”Bill says feedback from the marae is expected over the nextfew weeks and, all going well, will then be incorporated intoa single Community Response Plan for those north Hokiangamarae communities.Ultimately, the lessons learned will be rolled out to otherparts of Northland.For further information on Civil Defence in Northland, visit theCivil Defence Facebook page:www.facebook.com/civildefencenorthlandOr visit the Northland Regional Council’s website:www.nrc.govt.nz/civildefenceEmergency management Pollution control Flood management Tourism and economic development Harbours Land and water management

8 Regional Report | June 2013Free weedworkshopsregister now!KaitäiaAre you keen to learn more about some of the worstweeds threatening our region – and how you cantackle them? Then sign up now for one of NorthlandRegional Council’s free, three-hour weed workshops!Wednesday 3 July 2013, 9am-12pm or 1pm-4pmWhare Marino, Kaitaia Primary School, Mission PlaceKerikeriThursday 4 July 2013, 9am-12pm or 1pm-4pmSt John Ambulance Hall, 367 Kerikeri Road, KerikeriWhängäreiFriday 5 July 2013, 9am-12pm or 1pm-4pmor Saturday 6 July 2013, 9am-12pmNorthland Regional Council, 36 Water St, WhängäreiTo register, contact Sara Brill on 0800 002 004or email sarab@nrc.govt.nzDates toremember17 June – 4 JulyInformation evenings for prospectiveregional councillors – details page 6www.nrc.govt.nz/electionsJuneLocal Government Commission decision onits preferred option for Northland’s localgovernment structure expected to be releasedwww.lgc.govt.nz3-6 JulyFree weed workshops – see left for datesJuly/AugustNominations period for regional councillorcandidate positions – check our website forlatest information on dateswww.nrc.govt.nz/electionsPLease update your contactsOur Whängärei office phone number changed some time ago. To make the transition easier, you’ve stillbeen able to call us using the old phone number – but from now on you’ll need to use the new one.Update your contacts: Phone 09 470 1200 and Fax 09 470 1202Our free phone number (0800 002 004) and other regional office phone numbers are all still the same.SeptemberRegional Policy Statement – final decisionsexpected to start coming throughwww.nrc.govt.nz/newRPS20 September – 12 OctoberElections voting period.Your Vote, Your Community!www.nrc.govt.nz/electionsYOUR REGIONAL COUNCILLORSCraig Brown(Chairman)WhängäreiPh: (09) 432 7575Email: craigb@nrc.govt.nzJoe CarrFar NorthPh: (09) 401 9197Email: carr.clan@farmside.co.nzTony Davies-ColleyWhängäreiPh: (09) 435 4090Email: tony@westpoint.co.nzBronwyn HuntFar NorthPh: (027) 522 2116Email: bronyh@hotmail.comJohn Bain(Deputy Chairman)WhängäreiPh: (09) 437 6096Email: jbain@internet.co.nzGraeme RamseyKaiparaPh: (09) 439 7022Email: baylys@igrin.co.nzBill RossiterWhängäreiPh: (09) 437 2807Email: brossiter37@gmail.comIan WalkerFar NorthPh: (09) 408 0072Email: ian@folders.co.nzCONTACT DETAILSFree phone 0800 002 004Environmental Hotline 0800 504 639Websitewww.nrc.govt.nzEmailmailroom@nrc.govt.nzFacebook www.facebook.com/NorthlandRegionalCouncilTwitter www.twitter.com/NRCExpressREGIONAL OFFICESWhängärei36 Water StPh: (09) 470 1200Fax: (09) 470 1202Dargaville61b Victoria StPh: (09) 439 3300Fax: (09) 439 3301Kaitäia192 Commerce StPh: (09) 408 6600Fax: (09) 408 6601ÖpuaUnit 10, Öpua Marine ParkPh: (09) 402 7516Fax: (09) 402 7510CREATING A REGION OF CHOICE | Putting Northland firstPutting Northland first www.nrc.govt.nz