Transcript Slide 1

ENVIROLINK TOOLS
Framework for identifying and
assessing significance of river uses
and values
Mary-Anne Baker, TDC
BACKGROUND
• Plan objectives for river management
dependent on identification of uses and
values.
• Relative significance of values important
• Level of water abstraction affected by significance
of instream values
• Method to assess relative significance.
SIGNIFICANCE
• Range of significance levels;
– Water Conservation Orders
– Outstanding
– RMA
– Outstanding
– Significant
– NPS
– Outstanding
– Notable
Varied Regional Plan Terminology
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Significant
Regionally significant
Diverse range
Important
Nationally threatened
Rare / Rare association
Particularly uncommon
TOOL DEVELOPMENT
• 2008 Workshop
•
•
•
•
What values?
Programme
Councils/consultants
Review processes
• Literature review;
• Methodology development;
– Salmonid angling exemplar
• Council/expert groups
– Determine criteria
– Test /report back – WORKSHOP
• Final Report
– August 09 (OK there is a bit of slippage!)
Water Management Outcomes
• Consistent terminology – locally and nationally
– Standard methods
• Data needs identified
• Identify management objectives
– based on uses and values of water bodies
– A tool to assist decision makers especially where there are
competing uses and values
• Better Risk Management
– Identify management needs
• Competing applications
– easier to assess with better framework
• More certainty for potential water users and communities
What it doesn’t do
• Provide the answers for water
management objectives
• Establish criteria for lakes and wetlands.
• Consider past values
• Anticipate future values or uses
Salmonid Fisheries
• Provided guidance for developing
methodology.
• Includes
– trout (brown, rainbow, lake and brook)
– salmon (chinook, sockeye, atlantic)
• No salmon in Tasman but criteria
applicable.
Applying the Method
• Attributes to reflect social, economic,
environmental, cultural wellbeing
• easier said than done
• A key concept was the Recreational
Opportunity Spectrum.
– Provided rationale and context for this activity
• Need for discipline in language and
terminology
• Wilderness/scenic attractiveness
• Lucky to have good data (NAS)
– data, angler perceptions
• Water quality thresholds already
determined
Data Gaps
• Users perceptions about
– the importance of the river,
– scenic value
– wilderness value
– Overall evaluation of the fishery
• River labelling
• More robust analysis than already in Plan
– Consistency with WCO and WONI outputs
– Intuitively accurate
• Comprehensive
• Implications for management
– Better understanding of where issues may
arise
Gaps
• Attributes not included;
– Contribution to a collective value
– Scarcity
– Access
– Future/potential value
– Past value
– Existence value
• Relevance for management decisions