and date of application, and the location and nature of any sensitive areas. Your records should also include weather conditions at the time of application, including wind speed and direction and any abnormal situation or incident. You will need to supply these details to the Council on request.
You must meet all of these requirements. Otherwise, you will need a resource consent. Full details of the requirements can be found in the Regional Air Quality Plan and Regional Freshwater Plan. Applying
months with the warmer sea temperatures and urged people to act quickly if they had suffered a bite or stung while paddling or swimming. “Our region has some fantastic beaches and the awesome weather we’ve been having means they’ve been really busy with people cooling off and enjoying a swim,” says Ms Matthews. “While we’re not warning people to stay away, we’re reminding beach-goers that there are hazards to be aware of. This includes marine creatures that can bite or sting and that can result in a
November’s stormy weather contributed to a very soggy month with rainfall more than 176% of the long-term average. Rainfall for the month ranged from 129% at Kaupokonui at Glenn Rd to a massive 239% in Stratford. Compared to typical full year totals, on average sites have already received 118.7% of a typical years rainfall, with the highest value 150% at Kapoaiaia at Lighthouse. Following the heavy rainfall, mean river flows for were generally well above typical November averages at around
The project to upgrade and restore Yarrow Stadium’s West Stand is raising the roof! Work started this week on installing the new fabric roof with the mahi expected to be completed before Christmas, weather permitting. Taranaki Regional Council Chair Charlotte Littlewood said it was great to see the work now under way. ”New Plymouth is the sunshine capital of Aotearoa but we had a pretty wet and wild winter which put the brakes on getting the roof on earlier in the year. We’re now hoping for
Business category winners in the 2022 Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Awards. Category sponsor: Daily News Todd Energy - for a significant contribution to the safeguarding and protection of the Kapuni Awa. After major flooding on the Kapuni Awa (river) in South Taranaki in July 2021, Taranaki energy company Todd Energy invested in a 100m-long new rock wall. Around 1500m3 of land within the Nova Generation Solar Farm site was washed away during the major weather event, with sediment
summers, it’s expected that more people will be heading out for a swim to cool off. Council Freshwater and Coastal Team Leader Thomas McElroy says the warmer weather can affect the quality of the water. “Sometimes warmer than average temperatures can promote the growth of harmful algae and other bacteria so it’s really important to check the latest water quality results before jumping in. We want the community to be able to enjoy their favourite swimming spots safely.” It takes about three days from
influenced by its location and exposure to weather systems migrating across the Tasman Sea. Consistent rainfall, a moderate climate and fertile, freedraining soils mean the region is well-suited to productive land uses such as sheep, beef and dairy farming. Science tells us the climate is changing at a rapid pace. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports New Zealand warmed by around 1.1°C between 1910 and 2020, and annual temperature changes have exceeded natural variability across
compared with the previous summer when unusually wet weather gave rise to run-off issues. At least 13 samples were collected for analysis from each of 14 sites between November 2018 and April 2019, with another eight or so collected from eight of the sites. The Policy and Planning Committee was told that bacteria levels in 92% of the 243 samples were within national guidelines, with Opunake, Fitzroy and Oākura (at camping ground) having the best records. Oākura (at surf club) and Ohawe were
Items of interest from this week's meetings of the Council's two key committees, Consents & Regulatory, and Policy & Planning: Sampling results show weather’s influenceThe weather’s influence on the state of rivers and streams is apparent in the latest report on physical and chemical monitoring of Taranaki waterway quality, alongside the continuing benefits of extensive riparian fencing and planting. The latest report covers the 2018-2019 year. Following a number of wetter than normal years, it was comparatively dry, resulting in better water quality as assessed by measures of clarity and turbidity, and levels of suspended solids and nutrients, the Policy & Planning Committee was told. The report assesses a range of measurements taken at 13 sites, as well as medium- and long-term trends based on data from 24 years of monitoring. Based on sampling from 2015 to 2018, the sites were well within compulsory Government nutrient standards, with an A ranking for 73% of relevant samples and B for the rest. The greatest improvement in long-term quality was in the mid-reaches of the Waingongoro River, the result of major discharges being diverted to other treatment options. While long-term trends show deterioration at the lower reaches of Mangaoraka Stream, and the mid-reaches of the Waiwhakaiho River and Maketawa Stream, more recent date suggests the deterioration has ceased or almost ceased. Freshwater physicochemical monitoring report 2018-2019 High-flying marine researchCouncil scientists are now reaching for the sky in their long-term monitoring of Taranaki’s coastal reefs, the Policy and Planning Committee was told. Drone surveys of seagrass cover are a new element in twice-yearly monitoring of six representative reefs around the Taranaki coastline. The latest monitoring report, covering the 2017-2019 period, notes that seagrass is an important habitat and measuring its coverage helps scientists assess the health of reef ecosystems. As well as being a valuable source of kaimoana, reefs are a major factor in marine biodiversity. Their condition can fluctuate from season to season, mainly due natural influences including, notably, sand movement fed by erosion of Taranaki Maunga. Of the six sites surveyed over 25 years, Manihi Reef, south-west of Rāhotu, is consistently the most diverse and rich in species numbers because it is relatively little affected by sand movement. In general across most sites, species richness has increased since 2010. However, the Waihi Reef in South Taranaki appears to be in slow decline, and scientists are investigating further to determine causes. Rocky shore monitoring report 2017-2019 Predator-free effort in full swingTowards Predator-Free Taranaki - Taranaki Taku Tūranga continues to enjoy strong public support as it goes into its third year, the Policy & Planning Committee was told. Around 13,000 traps have been deployed around the region. The rural programme this year saw the creation of a 28,000ha buffer of mustelid traps around Taranaki Maunga, extended to include Oeo on the initiative of enthusiastic landowners. The expansion of the urban programme has been greatly boosted by the leadership and support of the Waitara Taiao community group in North Taranaki, and the zero-density possum programme in the Kaitake-Oākura area is now in a mop-up and monitoring phase. The campaign is notable for its high-tech innovations, including remote sensors, a wireless mode and an app to aid with monitoring. Towards Predator-Free Taranaki is being rolled out across the region in stages and aims to boost populations of native plants, birds and reptiles by removing introduced threats. It is supported by more than $11 million from the Crown company Predator-Free 2050 Ltd. Towards Predator-Free Taranaki - Taranaki Taku Tūranga Well-placed with wetlands dataTaranaki is well placed to have all of the region’s natural wetlands identified and mapped to comply with a new Government directive, the Policy & Planning Committee was told. The Council has been building its wetlands datasets since the 1990s and work continued last summer with a project to identify and map urban wetlands. Council field staff are also verifying the location of wetlands during their regular visits to ring-plain, coastal and hillcountry farms. The Council will commission Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research to review and aggregate its wetlands data sets and create a single map layer to meet the new Government requirements. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, bogs and any inland area where land and water meet. Their diverse ecosystems are essential habitat for a wide range of species. They also help to filter sediment and nutrients, mitigate floods and improve water quality. Some also have cultural and spiritual significance. Downloads Consents & Regulatory agenda October 2020 (4.9 MB pdf) Policy & Planning agenda October 2020 (5.3 MB pdf)
from a record low 9.8% last year. It is still significantly less than the 33% in 2018, when Taranaki Regional Council launched the Towards Predator-Free Taranaki programme. Programme lead Sam Haultain says this year’s result was no great surprise to her team or regional council scientists. “We’ve had amazing weather over the last year or two, which rodents love. They have plenty of food and it has been warm, so last year was always going to be hard to beat! Keeping the rate at 17% is testament to