Working with people | caring for our environment

The Taranaki Region

A New Zealand Fresh Water and Land Management Story

Mike Nield Director-Corporate ServicesTaranaki Regional CouncilNew Zealand

Geospatial World Forum, Hyderabad, India, January 2011

Working with people | caring for our environment

Introduction

New Zealand • A world-leading agriculture-based economy• One of the world’s biggest and most efficient

dairy producers.

Taranaki• A region of intensive agriculture, specifically dairy

farming, on the West Coast of the North Island.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Working with people | caring for our environment

The Taranaki region

• Mt Taranaki dominates the region’s landscape.

• Temperate climate. • Volcanic ash soils.• Over 300 rivers

emanate from the forested mountain and water these rich agricultural soils.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Working with people | caring for our environment

Our economy

• Dairying makes a significant contribution to New Zealand’s economic and social well-being.

• New Zealand produces about 2% of total world dairy production.

• Taranaki is one of New Zealand’s leading dairying regions.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Working with people | caring for our environment

Our economy

Dairy farming covers most of the ring plain around the mountain

• 1,870 dairy herds with 480,000 dairy cows.• Dairying results in diffuse (widespread) source

discharges to our waterways.• Need to avoid, remedy and mitigate impacts

on water quality.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Working with people | caring for our environment

Voluntary riparian programme

• Council promotes and supports landowners to plant and fence waterways.

• Significant investment by the Council and the farming community.

• Effective riparian management requires active management and ongoing commitment from landowners.

• The largest community-planting scheme in NZ.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Regional council responsibilities

• Council is responsible for the control of water and land and the control of discharges of contaminants into the environment.

• Often no absolute answers to environmental problems – involves community value judgments.

• Tailored solution for Taranaki’s issues.

Working with people | caring for our environment

The solution

Riparian Management Programme• A long-running voluntary programme.• Council supports farmers to fence and replant

riparian margins on the ring plain. • Property specific riparian plans are prepared.• Low-cost riparian plants supplied.• Ongoing advice and assistance provided.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Working with people | caring for our environment

Riparian plans

• Prepared by Council at no cost and no obligation to landowner.

• Tailored to the needs of the property.

• Plan includes – aerial map with GIS

layers highlighting recommended work

– planning and budgeting tables.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Working with people | caring for our environment

Pre-GIS

• Production of maps and plans was slow and labour intensive.

• 279 plans produced up to 2001.• No way to monitor

implementation of plans.• Needed to automate the

process to cover all 1,800 farms in an acceptable timeframe.

• 1,955 plans prepared since 2001.

Working with people | caring for our environment

The solution

• Developed GIS application in partnership with Explorer Graphics Ltd, (EGL) who are part of the NorthSouth GIS Group.

• Automated production of riparian plans and then monitoring implementation and reporting on achievement of riparian management.

• GIS application was implemented using technology from Esri.

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The GIS application

• Riparian plan production and reporting is consolidated with a comprehensive farm land management application.

• A complete solution for farm management.• Delivered as ArcGIS (ArcView) ArcMap extension

– “Land Management Application” (LMA) GIS toolbar and LMA GIS menu items.

• Council land management officers access necessary functions for operational use via LMA GIS Toolbar or LMA menu item in ArcMap.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Working with people | caring for our environment

Reporting

• Status of farm plan production is available as a layer in the corporate Intranet GIS application.

• Used for executive management reporting and strategic planning.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Working with people | caring for our environment

Results

• 1995 to 2001 - 279 plans prepared.• Since 2001 - 1,955 plans prepared. • Farm management and riparian plan production

now largely completed.• Focus is now on implementation and monitoring.At 30 June 2010 landholders had• fenced 1,383 kilometres of stream bank• planted 769 kilometres of stream banks • 68% of stream banks are fenced and 59% of

stream banks are planted (includes existing).

Working with people | caring for our environment

Benefits

• The riparian programme is a national leading-edge water quality and farm management programme for New Zealand.

• Water quality is stable or improving on all significant watercourses in the region.

• Continuing intensification of the dairy industry.• Move to larger farms for dairy production.• Higher stocking rates.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Working with people | caring for our environment

Progress

• At 30 June 2010 - 2,334 plans prepared covering 95% of dairy farms.

• Plan preparation largely completed and focus is on the implementation of plans.

• Landowners are slowly but surely implementing the plans.

• Since 1996 over 1.9 million plants have been supplied.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Progress since 2004/2005

• Council has monitored the implementation of riparian plans.

• Over the last five years, plan holders have– fenced 1,014 kilometres of stream bank– planted 613 kilometres of stream bank.

• 8,001 km of stream banks are now fenced – 68% of total covered by riparian plans.

• 5,094 kilometres of stream banks are protected by vegetation (existing or newly planted)– 59% of total length relevant for planting.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Working with people | caring for our environment

Good business practice model• The riparian programme

personifies the good business practice model – the “should do, can do, people want” success formula.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Good business practice model

First stage• Idea about what we should do.• Developed and tested the idea of the riparian

management programme via policy Second stage• Gained support of others for the riparian

management programme.Third stage• Provide the capacity for the Council to deliver

– Professional staff– Appropriate systems and technological support

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Conclusion

Council’s riparian management programme leads the way in addressing an increasingly important issue for New Zealand.

• How to ensure our agricultural industries, which are vital to our economic and social wellbeing, promote the sustainable management of our resources.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Working with people | caring for our environment

Conclusion

• The riparian management programme is a large-scale voluntary programme that is transforming the Taranaki landscape.

• It cannot be delivered by the Council on its own.• Riparian management requires active and ongoing

management and commitment from landowners with support from industry and the wider community.

Working with people | caring for our environment

Working with people | caring for our environment

Conclusion

• The Council’s approach has been proactive and innovative.

• Council has applied critical success factors of successful organisational strategy to – obtain buy-in to the programme– gain agreement on roles and responsibilities– maintain capacity to deliver.

Working with people | caring for our environmentGeospatial World Forum, Hyderabad, India, January 2011

Questions

Mike NieldEmail: mike.nield@trc.govt.nzPhone: 0064 6 765 7127Mobile: 0064 274 549 120