Hikurangi Swamp Working Group

Meeting

21st July 2015

Meeting held at Fonterra’s Jordan

Valley Farm 1000 - 1200

Agenda Topic/Owner Information

1 Last Meeting Minutes

2 Operations/Maintenance 1. Monthly Overviews from Hydrotech

2. Pump Availability

3. Power Usage

4. Pump Operation

5. Concrete Degradation

6. Winch Repairs

3 Finances Hydrotech Report Review

OPEX 2014/15

OPEX 2015/16

4 15-16 Drain Clearing Proposal

Bell Drain

Maruarua Stream

5 2014/15 Capex Final Activities

Okarika Access

Okarika Tomo

Flow Restriction Removals

6 Berm Land Licences

7 Environmental Ox-bow Restorations

Otakairangi Wetland

Living Water Update

8 Economic Economic Analysis

9 Future Objectives Short / Medium / Long Term Objectives

10 AOB

Operations and Maintenance – Overview

of HydroTech’s April Report

• Settled weather with little rainfall

• 25ml rain over Anzac weekend but

allowed stopbank work to be

completed

• Okarika tomo investigation completed

Operations and Maintenance – Overview

of HydroTech’s May Report

• Couple of stormy periods through the

month which raised river levels but no

flooding issues

• Pump stations were isolated but

closely monitored during rain events to

try and reduce eel fatalities

• Second ox-bow at Okarika planted up

Operations and Maintenance – Overview

of HydroTech’s June Report

• Another drier then average month with

only a couple of rainfall events, again

with minor river rises but no flooding,

pump stations did operate for short

duration

• The access road to Otonga &

Mountain was repaired and raised

• Next to no evidence of last years

flooding, all pastures recovered

Operations/Maintenance - Pump Availability

over April, May & June Station ~1.1 m3/s Pumps ~ 4.1 m3/s Pumps Station

Capacity

(m3/s)

A B C D E

Otonga Flygt (17%) Flygt (17%) Pleuger (65%) 6.3

Te Mata Pleuger (17%) Flygt (17%) KSB (65%) 6.3

Mountain Pleuger (50%) KSB (50%) 2.2

Tanekaha McKewen (50%) Pleuger (50%) 2.2

Junction Pleuger (100%) 1.1

Ngararatunua Pleuger (11%) Pleuger (11%) Pleuger (39%) Pleuger (39%) 10.4

Okarika Pleuger (10%) Pleuger (10%) Pleuger (10%) Pleuger (35%) *1 Pleuger (35%) 11.5

The scheme has one small Pleuger available as a spare in local storage in event of a

Pleuger Pump failure

*1 Pump E at Okarika has been switched out due to a low test in February/March, it is still

available as a spare if required, new seals and tails ordered (~$25k)

Operations/Maintenance - Power Usage

Swamp Power Cost

2012/13 2013/14 2014/15

August 730 0 89095

September 30404 5083 26787

October 30179 16498 47467

November 15947 10183 1901

December 10773 1217 621

January 781 243 23535

February 2374 3479 551

March 2293 833 -209

April 18 246 501

May 331 1412 591

June 997 2503

July 25065 1178

-10000

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

Swamp Power Cost 2012/13

Swamp Power Cost 2013/14

Swamp Power Cost 2014/15

HydroTech April Report Review – Pump Hours Run

Pump Pocket

Junction Te Mata Tanekaha Mountain Otonga Ngararatunua Okarika

A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B 0 0 0 0 0 0

C 0

D 0 0 0 0

E 0 0

HydroTech May Report Review – Pump Hours Run

Pump Pocket

Junction Te Mata Tanekaha Mountain Otonga Ngararatunua Okarika

A 0 45 0 0 0 0 0

B 4 0 0 0 0 0

C 0

D 0 0 0 0

E 0 0

HydroTech June Report Review – Pump Hours Run

Pump Pocket

Junction Te Mata Tanekaha Mountain Otonga Ngararatunua Okarika

A 6 90 10 14 79 0 0

B 26 8 47 43 0 0

C 0

D 0 3 0 0

E 0 0

Concrete Degradation – Otonga PS

Concrete Repairs – Otonga PS

Concrete Repairs – Otonga PS

Winch Replacement – Otonga PS

Winch Replacement – Otonga PS

HydroTech April Report Review - Finances

Inspection Maintenance Environmental Flood

Attendance Drain Clearing

$2,638.22 $360.81 - - $695.00

Inspections Preliminary & General (Monthly Checks)

Maintenance Okarika Pump E removal & installation of spare

Drain Clearing Pine removal from Mangawhero Stream

HydroTech May Report Review - Finances

Inspection Maintenance Environmental Flood

Attendance Drain Clearing

$3,297.78 $458.59 $1,870.37 - -

Inspections Preliminary & General (Monthly Checks) & Quarterly Inspections

Maintenance Rubbish disposal charges, rat bait & Otonga Pump Station

contactor replacement (temporary switched out for permanent)

Drain Clearing Pine removal from Mangawhero Stream

HydroTech June Report Review - Finances

Inspection Maintenance Environmental Flood

Attendance Drain Clearing

$2,638.22 $9,551.92 $558.21 $2,847.25

Inspections Preliminary & General (Monthly Checks) & Quarterly

Inspections

Maintenance Investigate and replace damaged electric fence at

Okarika Pump Station, mow spillways, replacing missing

chain on handrails & replace main switch following phase

fault at Otonga Pump Station

Flood Attendance Five separate visits followed by weed clearing

Drain Clearing Excavate Bell Drain (1220m)

Finances – OPEX 2014/15

These figures are not final and subject to fluctuation in month 13 (July 2015) which

weren’t available at time of presentation preparation

Big hits were 2013/14 power bill and pump rewinds coming across ($348k was spent)

Account Description

2013/14 Actuals

Full Year

2014/15 Actuals

YTD

2014/15 Budget

Full Year

Variance to

Budget

Miscellaneous Income Received (49,126) (27,366) 0 (27,366)

Insurance Recoveries (69,715) (35,213) 0 (35,213)

Other Rentals Received (45,255) (54,171) (41,555) (16,283)

Staff Training Costs 0 248 0 248

General Miscellaneous 0 287 0 287

Telephone and Other Communication 0 3,060 0 3,740

Electricity Supply Costs 61,604 190,841 180,000 25,841

Water Rights Paid NRC Consent 1,205 4,042 2,000 3,042

Payments to External Contractors 164,759 237,837 190,000 63,837

Legal Fees 18,954 8,956 10,000 (742)

Engineering Fees 5,466 11,968 30,000 (18,033)

Other Professional Fees 2,652 3,640 5,000 (680)

Plant & Equip Maintenance non Contract 24,740 87,708 100,000 (12,292)

Grand Total 115,285 431,835 475,445 (13,614)

Finances – OPEX 2015/16

Account Description 2014/15 Forecast 2014/15 Budget Full Year 2015/16 Budget

Miscellaneous Income Received (5,325) 0 0

Insurance Recoveries (7,934) 0 0

Other Rentals Received (53,593) (41,555) (42,594)

Staff Training Costs 248 0 0

General Miscellaneous 287 0 0

Telephone and Other Communication 3,740 0 0

Electricity Supply Costs 210,249 180,000 184,500

Health & Safety Compliance 0 0 5,000

Water Rights Paid NRC Consent 5,042 2,000 2,050

Payments to External Contractors *1 201,285 190,000 170,000

Legal Fees 9,697 10,000 10,000

Engineering Fees 16,101 30,000 0

Other Professional Fees 4,320 5,000 3,000

Infrastructure & Services (not Contract) 0 0 60,000

Plant & Equip Maintenance non Contract 91,845 100,000 90,000

Total 475,961 475,445 481,956

*1 Drain clearing rate budget is $100k, ($96k in rates plus $4k carryover) and is

included in this budget

2015/16 Drain Clearing – Proposal • Lesson learnt from 2104/15 recommend that we

have the list compiled by mid-October, giving HydroTech time to prepare for November start, January finish

• Proposal; – Schedule next swamp meeting for mid-October

– WDC to send out drain clearing requests to Reps

– Reps to distribute, collect and return to WDC by start of October

– WDC to collate and bring along to mid-October meeting

– Work through and finalise list at mid-October meeting

2015/16 Drain Clearing – Bell Drain

• Received an early request for this years drain clearing; cleared Bell Drain with excavator (1220m), this will be taken account of in 2015/16 drain clearing split

2015/16 Drain Clearing – Bell Drain

2015/16 Drain Clearing – Bell Drain

2015/16 Drain Clearing – Bell Drain

2015/16 Drain Clearing – Maruarua Stream

• NRC have reviewed WDC’s draft application – Apologises in delay in providing response to this.

– These documents look good.

– Only addition is that under new Schedule 4 of RMA which details what have to be in an application, you need to include;

• Assessment of Part 2 of the RMA

• Objectives and Policies of Regional Plans

• Cover Section 11 of the RWSP in application.

• Will prepare documentation with view to having consent ready for this year’s drain clearing (2015/16)

Stopbank Adjustments – Final Activities

• Surveyed Okarika stopbank from Matarau

Road to northern end of spillway (awaiting

results)

• Repairs to access way to Tanekaha Pump

Station

• Re-bench marking the level on the pumping

stations (checking for vertical movement)

• All banks now at design level. 5 event

monitoring as per consent can now start.

Stopbank Adjustments – Okarika Access

• Request received to lock-off the gate to the Jordan Valley Road Access to Okarika Stopbank

Stopbank Adjustments – Okarika Access

Cattle and vehicular damage to top of stopbank

Stopbank Adjustments – Okarika Tomo

Stopbank Adjustments – Okarika Tomo

Stopbank Adjustments – Okarika Tomo

Stopbank Adjustments – Okarika Tomo

Stopbank Adjustments – Okarika Tomo

Stopbank Adjustments – Okarika Tomo

Stopbank Adjustments – Flow Restriction Removal

Berm Land – Licences

• A number of berm land licences have still not been

returned or have finances outstanding

Environmental – Ox-bow Restoration

• Work has been completed on second (No.2) ox-bow restoration;

– Area been fenced off

– Area has been sprayed and willows treated

– Bund has been constructed and water level has risen

– 3000 plants planted

1

2

Environmental – Ox-bow Restoration

Environmental – Ox-bow Restoration

• Working with Fish & Game to fence off and eradicate

the weeds from WDC land (1.2 to 2 ha) adjacent to

Wairua Reserve

Environmental – Otakairangi Wetland

• DoC indicated wetland level has dropped, associated

with Otakairangi drain. WDC to discuss with DoC /

Living Water how this may be addressed.

Living Water – Update from Tim Brandenburg

• 15/16 business planning – detailed work planning well underway and will be approved by late July mid August. Our 3 Year Strategy and the annual business plan draft going to Steering Committee for feedback and approval end of this week (24 July). We will be able to report back to you once these plans signed off.

• Mangahahuru Update - you will recall this Committee approved a project to trial planting along part of this stream. What seemed simple has got more complicated as the detailed work planning got underway. The project will now involve contouring of the stream bank to create a two tiered profile. This is the recommended form for flood streams and it requires resource consent so Fiona Gordon from DOC is working through that process. Signs from NRC have been positive.

• Steve Brown’s low cost constructed wetland fencing and planting is now complete and worth a look if you are passing. Will be better in a years time when the plants get growing. A low cost video covering that project will be available shortly.

Economic Analysis

• What do floods cost?

• Consultant to collect that information

• Looking at funding options with NRC

and Fonterra

Short Term Objectives (Page 1 of 2)

• To meet the terms of the resource consent ($350k for stop bank levelling) – Completed, flood monitoring can now begin

• Survey the berm land to understand the height variation/ restrictions down through the swamp – 3 perpendicular stopbanks removed, aerial survey?

• Address the issue with the large trees/ significant undergrowth in the berm land to the immediate SW of Otonga PS – $20k assigned this year*1, any suggestions where?

• Assess the restrictive influence of the old road formation below the Jordan Valley Bridge – aerial survey?

• Assess the condition and understand the possibility of clearing restrictions on the Wairua River downstream of the Matarua Bridge – completed

Short Term Objectives (Page 2 of 2) • Assess the channel profile (presently pools and riffles)

between the Jordan valley Bridge and Matarau Bridge in the Wairua River - $20k assigned this year*1

• Consider the possibility of trading off ox-bow within the berm land with ox-bows on private land on the pocket-side of the stopbanks to aid smooth flow through the scheme whilst maintaining the environmental balance. – planned for this year in Okarika

• Lock down the date at which the scheme becomes debt free – to be completed

• Investigate external sources of funding for environmental improvements within the pockets – working with Living Water

Medium Term Objectives (1 – 5 years)

• Spillway monitoring and spillway / stop bank alterations (if required) – completed & assess data from next 5 compatible flood events

• Investigate if Junction pocket does indeed receive additional overflow over the stopbanks due to the speed at which the flows come down from the upper catchments – encourage reporting where stopbanks overtop & assess data from next 5 compatible flood events

• To get the scheme running as originally intended

• Clear vegetation in river channel / berm land

• Clear willows downstream of scheme (i.e. below Matarau Road Bridge) – $20k assigned this year*1

Long Term Objectives (5+ years)

• Feasibility Study – Economic analysis data being

collected now?

• Possible change in land-use

• Increase flooding protection (e.g. higher stopbanks,

larger floodgates, sacrificial areas)

• Hydrologists interpretation of future hydrographs

• Any other proposals?

AOB