Environment domain plan 2013

Transcription

Initiatives to address our
environmental information needs
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Citation
Statistics New Zealand, Ministry for the Environment, Department of Conservation (2013).
Environment domain plan 2013: Initiatives to address our environmental information needs.
Available from www.stats.govt.nz.
ISBN 978-0-478-40832-4 (online)
Published in July 2013 by
Statistics New Zealand
Tatauranga Aotearoa
Wellington, New Zealand
Contact
Statistics New Zealand Information Centre: [email protected]
Phone toll-free 0508 525 525
Phone international +64 4 931 4610
www.stats.govt.nz
Preface
The environment is important to New Zealanders. It is critical to our economic, social, and
cultural well-being. But what shape are we leaving it in for future generations? What
impact are we having on the environment in using its resources?
Environment domain plan 2013 identifies the information we need to answer our big
environmental questions. We gathered the enduring questions, analysed how well the
official data informs these questions, and identified the information we need to improve
future environmental management. The domain plan embodies broad consensus from
stakeholders about the main priority initiatives and the strategy for addressing these over
the next five to eight years.
Domain plans fulfil Statistics NZ’s responsibility under the Statistics Act 1975 to
periodically review information needs, the adequacy of statistics, and to coordinate
statistical activity across government.
This is the first domain plan to focus on the environment and the largest and most
ambitious domain plan so far. We are pleased to see it reach this publication milestone,
where initiatives are outlined.
The process for developing this domain plan required significant collaboration. It was led
by Statistics NZ, the Ministry for the Environment, and the Department of Conservation.
We very much appreciate the strong involvement from other central government
agencies, local government, Māori, Crown research institutes, business, and nongovernment organisations. Particular thanks go to the advisory group members who
helped direct the project and endorsed the process and products.
This environment domain plan is aspirational. Through extensive consultation with
stakeholders 154 initiatives were identified, and 36 of these have been highlighted as the
most important for action. Further work will be needed to consider how best to deliver on
this aspiration. We will need an implementation plan that provides the information and
reporting to support broader Natural Resources Sector priorities, and to enhance
decision-making. This implementation plan will require further collaboration across the
Natural Resources Sector.
The process for developing this domain plan has already helped guide environmental
research and the principles, practices, and priorities of statistical reporting. For example,
the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has incorporated the environment
domain plan questions and initiatives into its funding process for freshwater and
biodiversity research. New Tier 1 statistics under development will also fulfil some of the
domain plan’s ambitions.
Dallas Welch
Acting Government
Statistician
Statistics New Zealand
Mark Sowden
Acting Secretary for the
Environment
Ministry for the Environment
3
Al Morrison
Director-General
Department of Conservation
Contents
Snapshot of the environment domain plan ..................................................................... 9
Purpose............................................................................................................................ 9
Process for developing this domain plan......................................................................... 9
Summary of domain plan process ................................................................................. 10
Enduring questions ........................................................................................................ 11
Stocktake of official information on our environment .................................................... 12
Gap analysis .................................................................................................................. 12
The top-priority initiatives ............................................................................................... 15
1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 18
The importance of our environment .............................................................................. 18
What is a domain plan? ................................................................................................. 18
Purpose of the environment domain plan...................................................................... 18
Process for developing this domain plan....................................................................... 19
Enduring questions ........................................................................................................ 19
Official data stocktake.................................................................................................... 20
Gap analysis .................................................................................................................. 20
10 topic workshops ........................................................................................................ 20
2 Atmosphere .................................................................................................................. 21
Atmosphere questions ................................................................................................... 21
Gap analysis .................................................................................................................. 22
Atmosphere initiatives.................................................................................................... 22
Atmosphere initiatives table........................................................................................... 26
3 Climate change ............................................................................................................ 29
Climate change questions ............................................................................................. 29
Gap analysis .................................................................................................................. 30
Climate change initiatives .............................................................................................. 30
Climate change initiatives table ..................................................................................... 35
4 Coastal and marine environment............................................................................... 39
Coastal and marine environment questions .................................................................. 39
Gap analysis .................................................................................................................. 41
Coastal and marine environment initiatives................................................................... 41
Coastal and marine environment initiatives table.......................................................... 46
5 Ecosystems and biodiversity ..................................................................................... 48
Ecosystems and biodiversity questions......................................................................... 48
Gap analysis .................................................................................................................. 49
4
Ecosystems and biodiversity initiatives ......................................................................... 50
Ecosystems and biodiversity initiatives table ................................................................ 55
6 Energy ........................................................................................................................... 57
Energy questions ........................................................................................................... 57
Gap analysis .................................................................................................................. 58
Energy initiatives............................................................................................................ 58
Energy initiatives table ................................................................................................... 61
7 Freshwater .................................................................................................................... 63
Freshwater questions .................................................................................................... 63
Gap analysis .................................................................................................................. 64
Freshwater initiatives ..................................................................................................... 65
Freshwater initiatives table ............................................................................................ 71
8 Land .............................................................................................................................. 73
Land questions .............................................................................................................. 73
Gap analysis .................................................................................................................. 74
Land initiatives ............................................................................................................... 75
Land initiatives table ...................................................................................................... 80
9 Māori environmental statistics ................................................................................... 83
Māori environmental statistics questions....................................................................... 83
Gap analysis .................................................................................................................. 84
Māori environmental statistics initiatives ....................................................................... 84
Māori environmental statistics initiatives table .............................................................. 86
10 Materials and waste ..................................................................................................... 87
Materials and waste questions ...................................................................................... 87
Gap analysis .................................................................................................................. 88
Materials and waste initiatives ....................................................................................... 89
Materials and waste initiatives table .............................................................................. 94
11 Mineral resources ........................................................................................................ 96
Mineral resources questions.......................................................................................... 96
Gap analysis .................................................................................................................. 97
Mineral resources initiatives .......................................................................................... 97
Mineral resources initiatives table ............................................................................... 101
12 Summary and conclusion ......................................................................................... 102
Next steps .................................................................................................................... 103
References ...................................................................................................................... 104
Appendix 1: Enduring questions .................................................................................. 106
5
Topic 1 – Atmosphere.................................................................................................. 106
Topic 2 – Climate change ............................................................................................ 106
Topic 3 – Coastal and marine environment ................................................................ 107
Topic 4 – Ecosystems and biodiversity ....................................................................... 108
Topic 5 – Energy.......................................................................................................... 109
Topic 6 – Freshwater ................................................................................................... 110
Topic 7 – Land ............................................................................................................. 111
Topic 8 – Māori environmental statistics ..................................................................... 112
Topic 9 – Materials and waste ..................................................................................... 113
Topic 10 – Mineral resources ...................................................................................... 114
Appendix 2: Additional data sources ........................................................................... 115
Appendix 3: Gap analysis process ............................................................................... 122
The process ................................................................................................................. 122
Lessons learned .......................................................................................................... 123
Appendix 4: Workshop process ................................................................................... 125
Appendix 5: Participants ............................................................................................... 126
Central government ..................................................................................................... 126
Local government ........................................................................................................ 126
Crown research institutes ............................................................................................ 127
Māori representatives .................................................................................................. 127
Other ............................................................................................................................ 127
Appendix 6: Environment domain plan history .......................................................... 129
6
List of tables and figures
Tables by chapter
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions ............................... 13
Top initiatives by topic area ........................................................................................... 15
2 Atmosphere .................................................................................................................. 21
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on atmosphere ...... 22
Atmosphere initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question
(SEQ) addressed ........................................................................................................... 26
3 Climate change ............................................................................................................ 29
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on climate change . 30
Initiatives by cluster and climate change area .............................................................. 35
Climate change initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring
question (SEQ) addressed ............................................................................................ 35
4 Coastal and marine environment............................................................................... 39
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on coastal and
marine environment ....................................................................................................... 41
Coastal and marine environment initiatives by priority, complexity, and
supplementary question (SEQ) addressed ................................................................... 46
5 Ecosystems and biodiversity ..................................................................................... 48
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on ecosystems
and biodiversity .............................................................................................................. 49
Ecosystems and biodiversity initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary
enduring question (SEQ) addressed ............................................................................. 55
6 Energy ........................................................................................................................... 57
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on energy .............. 58
Energy initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question (SEQ)
addressed ...................................................................................................................... 62
7 Freshwater .................................................................................................................... 63
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on freshwater ........ 64
Freshwater initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question
(SEQ) addressed ........................................................................................................... 71
8 Land .............................................................................................................................. 73
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on land .................. 74
Land initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question (SEQ)
addressed ...................................................................................................................... 81
9 Māori environmental statistics ................................................................................... 83
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on Māori
environmental statistics ................................................................................................. 84
7
Māori environmental statistics initiatives by complexity and supplementary enduring
10 Materials and waste ..................................................................................................... 87
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on materials and
waste .............................................................................................................................. 88
Materials and waste initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring
11 Mineral resources ........................................................................................................ 96
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on
mineral resources .......................................................................................................... 97
Mineral resources initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring
question (SEQ) addressed .......................................................................................... 101
Appendix 2 Additional data sources ............................................................................ 114
Data sources in the stocktake ..................................................................................... 115
New data sources ........................................................................................................ 119
Figures by chapter
Appendix 3 Gap analysis process ................................................................................ 122
Gap analysis process spreadsheet for climate change .............................................. 123
8
Snapshot of the environment domain plan
New Zealand’s economic activity is largely based on its natural environment. For
example, agriculture, forestry, tourism, and much of our power generation depends on
the environment. Our environment is also important from social and cultural perspectives.
For example, many New Zealanders highly value our rivers, lakes, beaches, forests, and
mountains, and most of these are culturally and spiritually significant to Māori.
The state of our environment is therefore of great interest to many New Zealanders, who
recognise the value of these resources and services to our economy and society, and are
concerned about how using these resources will affect our environment (Pawson, 2012).
This domain plan looks at the statistical information currently available and determines
whether this information answers the big questions about the state of our environment.
Purpose
The purpose of the environment domain plan is to develop a shared understanding of the
strengths, gaps, overlaps, and deficiencies within environmental statistics. It aims to
develop agreement between major users and data custodians on the prioritised initiatives
needed to address the environment sectors’ statistical needs.
The primary purpose of this report is to present the initiatives that were identified in
consultation with expert data gatherers and users to address our environmental
information needs.
These initiatives aim to guide us on how environmental information collection and use
should progress. Unlike Tier 1 statistics, where there are agreed obligations and
timeframes for delivery of the statistics, the environment domain plan initiatives are
aspirational.
The key challenge for us is to realise the initiatives outlined in this domain plan. The
Domain plan for energy sector 2006–16 is a good example of what a domain plan can
achieve. It proposed some future development initiatives, one of which was on measuring
energy end-use. This led to the formation of the New Zealand Energy Use Survey, which
is currently produced by Statistics NZ.
The next phase of the environment domain plan will start in late 2013. This work will
involve a broad range of stakeholders from the Natural Resources Sector to further scope
and then act on the initiatives.
Process for developing this domain plan
This domain plan was developed by subject experts from central and local government,
Crown research institutes, Māori, and other key experts from business and nongovernment organisations (see appendix 5 for list of participants).
There are four steps in this domain plan:
1. develop the enduring questions and the supplementary enduring questions
2. compile a stocktake of official data currently available
3. analyse the stocktake with respect to the questions
4. run 10 topic area workshops to identify and prioritise initiatives.
9
Summary of domain plan process
Enduring questions were developed for each of the 10 topic areas:
1. atmosphere
2. climate change
3. coastal and marine environment
4. ecosystems and biodiversity
5. energy
6. freshwater
7. land
8. Māori environmental statistics
9. materials and waste
10. mineral resources.
These questions are the ‘big picture’ questions – those you’d likely still be asking in 20
years. Sixty-one supplementary enduring questions were also formulated, which focus at
a more detailed level within each topic. An initial list of questions was developed with key
Crown agencies, including Crown research institutes and Māori representatives. These
were then refined and shortlisted by the advisory group comprising Statistics NZ, Ministry
for the Environment, Department of Conservation, Ministry for Primary Industries, local
government, and a Māori representative.
The primary scope of the questions was to look at the biophysical issues while
acknowledging the links with cultural, social, and economic areas.
Most of these supplementary enduring questions are broad and complex, and require
significant amounts of information to answer.
In the opinion of the experts, nearly half of the enduring questions had a medium- to highlevel of information relevant to answering the questions. Four of the 61 questions could
be regarded as well informed. The conclusion from this is that there is a significant need
for more environmental information.
The workshops helped identify over 150 initiatives to address these information needs.
There were several common themes in the initiatives, namely those around governance,
common reporting frameworks, centralised or federated data storing, and baseline
information.
Examination of the supplementary enduring questions showed that all of them are aligned
to at least one Tier 1 environmental statistic (see Tier 1 statistics). Around 40 percent of
the environment domain plan initiatives are aligned with a Tier 1 statistic. This result is
not surprising as Tier 1 statistics were developed before the domain plan initiatives, that
is, the initiatives were often identified to support or extend the Tier 1 processes. There
were common themes in the environment domain plan initiatives, such as governance
and creating information portals that do not link to any particular Tier 1 statistic, but which
will be useful nevertheless.
It is intended that action on the environment domain plan will primarily occur through the
Natural Resources Sector (NRS) information work stream. The domain plan will provide a
useful foundation for the information framework the NRS is developing in consultation
with Statistics NZ. There are other actions currently under way across the NRS that will
help inform these domain questions. These actions include those around Tier 1
environmental statistics, the National Land Resource Centre, freshwater information, and
information for the marine regulations.
10
Enduring questions
Enduring questions were developed for each of the 10 topic areas.
The primary scope of the questions was to look at the biophysical issues while
acknowledging links with cultural, social, and economic areas.
Each topic includes a Māori-themed question. These questions generally have a ‘Crown
view’ flavour to them. The Māori environmental statistics topic captures the wider Māori
view. The scope of this topic was purposely broader than the other nine topics to include
the cultural aspects of the environment from a Māori perspective.
The 10 sets of enduring questions are listed below, and are listed with the supplementary
enduring questions in appendix 1. They have also been published in Stocktake for the
environment domain plan 2012.
Atmosphere
What are the levels of air pollution in New Zealand and what is the consequential impact
on ecosystems and human health?
To what extent has the stratospheric ozone layer over New Zealand been depleted, and
what is the consequential impact on ecosystems and human health?
Climate change
How is New Zealand's1 climate changing?
How are New Zealand’s greenhouse gas levels2 changing?
How are we adapting to the physical impact3 of climate change?
Which environments are most likely to be affected by climate change?
Notes
1. Includes the Ross Dependency and the Chatham Islands.
2. Refers to emissions and sinks.
3. Includes physical impact on sea temperature, sea level, ocean currents, river flows,
and winter snow cover.
Coastal and marine environment
How is the quality and use of our marine environment changing and what is the impact of
human activity, including resource use, on the marine environment?
Ecosystems and biodiversity
To what extent is the native (indigenous) biodiversity of New Zealand being protected and
sustained?
Energy
What is the environmental impact of New Zealand's generation, distribution, and use of
energy, and to what extent are renewable options taken?
Freshwater
How is the quality, abundance, and use of New Zealand's freshwater changing, and what
is the impact on ecosystems and humans?
11
Land
What are our land cover and land use profiles, how are they changing, what is driving
these changes, and what is the consequential impact on New Zealand's soils, and natural
and cultural landscapes, including urban environments and conservation lands?
Māori environmental statistics
From a Māori1 perspective, why, where, and how is New Zealand's environment
changing, and what impact is this having on Māori aspirations2 and well-being?3
Notes
1. Māori includes individuals with a Māori cultural identity and ancestry (whakapapa);
including Māori belonging to iwi / hapū / whānau (tribe / subtribe / family), marae, Māori
organisations, urban authorities, kaitiaki (caretaking) groups, Māori landowners, Māori
businesses, and Māori networks.
2. Aspirations include, but are not limited to, desired goals, preferences, and outcomes
based on cultural values.
3. Well-being refers to, but is not limited to, cultural, spiritual, social, physical, economic,
and political well-being.
Materials and waste
How do production and consumption patterns in New Zealand affect waste generation
and minimisation?
Mineral resources
What are New Zealand's onshore and offshore mineral resources, and what is the
environmental impact of prospecting, exploration, production, refining, processing, and
transporting the resources?
Stocktake of official information on our environment
To see how much we knew about these questions, we undertook a stocktake of official
information on our environment.
Stocktake for the environment domain plan 2012 provides an overview of the nationallevel environmental statistics and data currently available in 10 environmental topic
areas. Information in the stocktake was used to help identify the strengths, gaps,
overlaps, and deficiencies in current data. The stocktake was compiled with the
cooperation of many data custodians, including government agencies and Crown
research institutes (CRIs).
Keeping to the domain plan’s scope, the stocktake is limited to official statistics produced
within New Zealand's Official Statistics System, statistics produced by CRIs, and the data
used to compile these statistics. The scope is also limited to statistics that can be used to
build a national picture.
Gap analysis
As part of a qualitative assessment based on expert opinion, subject experts were asked,
for each of the supplementary enduring questions and for each of the datasets, ‘How well
does this dataset inform us about that question?’ They were also asked, overall
considering all datasets, ‘How well informed is this question?’ The summary of the results
of that analysis are presented below.
12
Table 1 summarises the analysis of how well official information (including CRI data)
informs the supplementary enduring questions. See appendix 3 for details of the analysis
process.
Table 1
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions
Topic
Supplementary enduring question(1)
A
B
C
D
E
Medium
Medium
Low
Medium
Medium
High
High
Medium
Medium
Medium
Coastal and marine
environment
Medium
Low
Low
Low
Low
Low
Ecosystems and
biodiversity
Medium
Medium
Low
Medium
Low
Low
Energy
Medium
Low
Low
Medium
Low
Low
Freshwater
Medium
Medium
Low
Medium
Low
Low
Land
High
High
Low
Medium
Medium
Medium
Low
Māori
environmental
statistics
Low
Medium
Low
Low
Low
Medium
Low
Medium
Medium
Medium
Low
Low
Medium
Low
Low
Low
Low
Low
Low
Atmosphere
Climate change
Materials and waste
Minerals
F
G
Low
1. See appendix 1 for a full list of the supplementary enduring questions.
From table 1 we can see a significant information deficit in environmental information.
Of the 61 supplementary enduring questions, four were assessed by our panel of experts
as highly informed, with 25 assessed as medium informed.
The two areas with highly-informed questions are climate change and land. The highlyinformed questions on climate change cover atmospheric composition and greenhouse
gas emissions; for land, they are about land cover and land use. These two areas have
had significant investment as reflected in the amount of high-quality information available.
Interestingly, atmosphere is moderately well-informed. This shows that air quality and
ozone/UV issues, having been studied for a long time, are relatively well known and
understood. Information needs here may lie around the detailed impacts on human
health, particularly on vulnerable communities.
The least informed topic was mineral resources. This shows that mineral resources are
small and complex systems that are inherently difficult to discover, define, and develop.
Particular areas with a low level of information relate to environmental constraints and the
effects of attaining mineral resources. The low level of information also shows that
13
seafloor mineral resources are included in this area, and there is little seafloor mineral
resource information currently available.
The coastal and marine topic was also lowly informed, showing there is still a lot to
discover and understand about the large fraction of New Zealand’s territory that is the
marine environment.
Māori environmental statistics appear to be poorly informed, reflecting the little
information currently available.
14
The top-priority initiatives
Table 2 contains a list of the three or four highest-ranked initiatives from each of the 10
topic area workshops. The topic chapters detail the complete list. The table also shows
the complexity of the initiative in terms of its implementation.
Table 2
Top initiatives by topic area
Initiative name
Complexity
Helps inform
which
supplementary
enduring
question
AT1
Identify key non-standard air
pollutants
Complex
A, B
AT2
Gather evidence to support
future review of the National
Environmental Standards for Air
Quality
Complex
E
AT3
Develop a national database of
emissions inventories and
concentrations
Moderate
A
AT4
Develop health indicators for air
quality
Complex
B
CC.A1.1
Gather information on national
climate change adaptation
responses
Moderate
D
CC.i1.1
Assess the climate change
impacts on ecosystem services
Highly
complex
D
CC.i1.2
Gather national infrastructure
topography data – LIDAR for
sea level change projections
Moderate
C, D
CC.A2.1
Develop a map of projected sea
level rise around NZ’s coastline
Moderate
C, D
CC.i1.3, CC.i1.4
Assess the impacts of climate
change on Māori
Highly
complex
C
Initiative
number
Atmosphere
Climate change
Coastal and marine environment
CM1
Identify baseline habitat state
Highly
complex
A, B, D, E
CM2
Expand statistical governance
over coastal and marine data
Highly
complex
All
CM3
Review existing datasets
Moderate
All
Table continued next page
15
Table 2 continued
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Complexity
Helps inform
which
supplementary
enduring
question
Ecosystems and biodiversity
EB1
Establish an ecosystems and
biodiversity data forum
Complex
All
EB2
Invest in key databases,
collections, and systems
Complex
All
EB3
Identify repeat measures to
answer supplementary enduring
questions
Complex
All
EN1
Establish baseline knowledge of
energy supply and
environmental impacts
Highly
complex
All
EN2
Conduct research into
distributed energy generation
Complex
A
EN3
Explore underlying resource
data
Complex
All
EN4
Quantify environmental impacts
Highly
complex
B, C, E
FW1
Create a national geo-spatial
platform
Highly
complex
All
FW2
Identify and assess freshwater
values
Complex
D, E
FW3
Reassess information to answer
supplementary enduring
questions
Complex
All
LN1 group
Improve land data access and
use
Complex
All
LN2
Establish multi-sector facilitation
group.
Highly
complex
All
LN3
Conduct soil assessment
Highly
complex
A, D, E
Highly
complex
D
Energy
Freshwater
Land
Undertake ecosystem services
assessment
LN4
16
Table 2 continued
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Complexity
Helps inform
which
supplementary
enduring
question
MES1
Develop an engagement
programme for Māori
environmental statistics
Complex
All
MES2
Develop a strategy and mandate
for Māori environmental
statistics
Complex
All
MES3
Establish governance for Māori
Highly
complex
All
MES4
Identify data sources for Māori
Complex
B, C, G
Materials and waste
MW1
Conduct waste-stream data
collection
Highly
complex
A, B, C, D, E
MW2
Assess data needed for a
material flow analysis
Highly
complex
A, B, C, D, E
MW3
Support improved governance
over waste to improve
coordination of waste
information
Complex
All
MR1
Accelerate seafloor mapping
Complex
A, B
MR2
Undertake an airborne national
geophysical survey
Complex
A, B, E
MR3
Undertake a geochemical
national survey
Complex
A, B, C, E, F
Mineral resources
17
The Environment Domain Plan 2013
1 Introduction
This chapter explains the purpose of the environment domain plan and the process
undertaken to develop it. It begins with why the environment is important to New Zealand.
The importance of our environment
New Zealand’s economic activity is largely based on its natural environment.
In 2012, 70 percent of the NZ$46 billion of all goods exported were primary products
(Statistics NZ, 2013). This proportion includes milk powder, butter, and cheese (25
percent), meat (11 percent), logs and wood (7 percent). Another NZ$9.6 billion of export
earnings came from international tourism – the main attraction for visitors being New
Zealand’s natural environment. Seafood exports consistently rank as New Zealand’s
fourth or fifth largest export earner. Our seafood industry sustainably harvests about $1.2
to $1.5 billion each year worth of fish, of which the aquaculture industry contributes about
$200 million per year (Statistics NZ, 2013; Ministry for Primary Industries, 2013).
Our environment is also important from social and cultural points of view. For example,
New Zealanders highly value our rivers, lakes, beaches, and forests. Throughout the
country there are mountains, rivers, lakes, and other sites that are of great importance to
Māori.
In this domain plan, we look at the statistical information currently available and
determine whether they answer the big questions about the information on the state of
our environment.
What is a domain plan?
The primary purpose of a domain plan is to:
• achieve clarity and agreement about the main statistical priorities required to
support that domain, and the strategy required to deliver on these priorities over
the next five to eight years
•
advance the integration and coordination of resources, technology and thinking
within that domain and across the New Zealand Official Statistics System.
Statistics NZ has developed a number of domain plans over the years. Two recent ones
with strong links to the environment domain plan are Agriculture, horticulture, and forestry
domain plan 2009 and Domain plan for energy sector 2006–2016.
The energy domain plan is a good example of what a domain plan can achieve. It
proposed some future development initiatives, one of which was on measuring energy
end-use. This led to the formation of the New Zealand Energy Use Survey, which is
currently produced by Statistics NZ.
Purpose of the environment domain plan
The objective of the environment domain plan is to develop a shared understanding of
the strengths, gaps, overlaps, and deficiencies within environmental statistics. It aims to
develop agreement between major users and data custodians on the prioritised initiatives
needed to address these needs. The primary purpose of this report is to present these
initiatives.
These initiatives will provide some clear guidance about our needs in the gathering and
using of environmental information. Unlike Tier 1 statistics, where there are agreed
18
obligations and timeframes for delivery of the statistics, the environment domain plan
initiatives are aspirational.
Process for developing this domain plan
The first part of the development process was to engage with subject experts from central
and local government and Crown research institutes, and with Māori stakeholders and
other key experts to seek the enduring questions across the 10 topic areas (atmosphere,
climate change, coastal and marine environment, ecosystems and biodiversity, energy,
freshwater, land, Māori environmental statistics, materials and waste, and mineral
resources; see appendix 5 for a list of the participants in the environment domain plan
process). We sought advice to define the enduring questions New Zealanders would like
to ask about our environment, with particular focus on the questions relating to Māori
environmental statistics. To provide a more detailed focus, supplementary enduring
questions were developed under these broad enduring questions.
The next step was to look at the official data that addresses those questions. An analysis
was undertaken to look at the strengths, gaps, overlaps, and deficiencies of these
datasets. Finally, 10 stakeholder workshops were conducted to develop the initiatives that
will address the issues identified by that analysis (see appendix 2 for more detail on these
processes).
The process to develop the domain plan had four steps:
1. develop the enduring questions and the supplementary enduring questions
2. compile a stocktake of official data currently available
3. analyse the stocktake with respect to the questions
4. run 10 topic area workshops to identify and prioritise initiatives.
The domain plan was split into 10 topic areas to make the scope of each of the topics
achievable. However, this created artificial boundaries. For example, issues identified in
the freshwater topic almost certainly would produce issues to be dealt with in the land
topic. Where possible, an issue was dealt with as it arose.
Similarly, the scope of the environment domain plan was limited primarily to biophysical
information issues, with a lesser focus on economic, social, and cultural dimensions.
Again, this was an artificial boundary, and often issues around the other three
components were discussed, particularly around water and with Māori environmental
information needs
Enduring questions
The enduring questions were developed for each of the 10 topic areas in consultation
with experts from across government, Crown research institutes, and Māori. For each
area a principal enduring question (or questions) was developed as well as a set of
around six supplementary enduring questions. The principal questions are broad in
nature, and are likely to still be relevant in 10–20 years. The supplementary enduring
questions focus on the detail of specific issues, but in many cases are still very broad
questions. The principal and supplementary enduring questions were published on 22
August 2012 as part of the Stocktake for the environment domain plan 2012 and are
replicated in this plan.
Each topic includes a Māori-themed question. Additionally, there is a Māori environmental
statistics topic. The scope of this topic was purposely broader than the other nine topics
to include the cultural aspects of the environment from a Māori perspective.
19
Official data stocktake
Stocktake for the environment domain plan 2012 provides an overview of the
environmental statistics and data currently available in 10 environmental topic areas. It is
a collection of metadata for the datasets that inform the enduring questions.
Keeping to the domain plan’s scope, the stocktake is limited to official statistics produced
within New Zealand's Official Statistics System, statistics produced by Crown research
institutes (CRIs), and the data used to compile these statistics.
The stocktake was compiled with the cooperation of many data custodians, including
government agencies and CRIs.
The focus of the environment domain plan is on national statistics, so regional statistics
are out of scope. For example, a database of water quality records from across New
Zealand is included, but a database of water quality records for just the Central Otago
region is not. In practice, national statistics may be consolidated from regional data and
the process of compilation should consider standardisation of methods and practices
across regions.
Research reports, previously compiled stocktakes, lists of databases or metadata in any
storage formats, and planned or incomplete work, are out of scope for this stocktake.
The stocktake also primarily focuses on data that is actively maintained, to promote
ongoing time series of environmental statistics.
Gap analysis
To assess the strengths, gaps, overlaps, and deficiencies of the data in the stocktake
experts analysed each of the datasets. This was to reveal the differences between what
we know against what we want to know.
The gap analysis process asked subject experts to assess, for each of the supplementary
enduring questions and for each of the datasets, ‘How well does this dataset inform us
about that question?’ Given all the datasets, an additional question was also asked, ‘How
well informed is this question?’ See appendix 3 for details on this process.
10 topic workshops
Workshops with subject matter experts were held for each of the 10 topics. These
workshops aimed to identify and prioritise the initiatives that will address the issues
identified by the gap analysis. Over 150 initiatives were generated by this process. See
appendix 4 for details on the workshop process.
The initiatives in this report are presented in the form they were developed in the
workshops. There may be value in combining a number of them together and then
adjusting the work under the new combined initiative.
The next steps would be to determine which agencies might lead each of the high-priority
initiatives, and to work together to develop a plan of action, including time scales and
costs. Possible lead agencies have already been identified for some of the initiatives.
This does not imply agreement or consent by these agencies to do this work.
The initiatives are about gathering data. For those initiatives asking for governance, it is
about how we would work together to gather the required data.
Before further work is undertaken on the initiatives, an assessment is needed to
determine the costs to implement them and how long they would take to complete. This is
part of the scoping process that will follow from here.
20
2 Atmosphere
This chapter lists the questions about air pollution and ozone that we would like
addressed. We present a summary of the analysis of the official data that addresses
those questions. We then outline the initiatives to address our atmospheric information
needs.
The effects of air pollution on the health of New Zealanders were first assessed in Health
and air pollution in New Zealand (Fisher, Kjellstrom, Kingham, Hales, & Shrestha, 2007).
This work was updated in 2012 (Kuschel, Metcalfe, Wilton, Guria, Hales, Rolfe, &
Woodward). The more recent study showed that the total health impacts associated with
anthropogenic air pollution in New Zealand each year included nearly 1,200 premature
deaths, over 600 extra hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiac illnesses, and 1.5
million restricted-activity days.
The total social costs associated with anthropogenic air pollution in New Zealand are
estimated to be $4.3 billion per year or just over $1,000 per person (Kuschel et al, 2012).
The integrity of the ozone layer has been threatened by the release of long-lived manmade chemicals. These changes have caused concerns around the impacts of UV
radiation, as the amount of UV radiation that reaches Earth’s surface is controlled by the
amount of ozone in the atmosphere. This has an impact on New Zealanders. For
example, we have one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, partly due to the
extreme levels of summertime UV we experience. Changes in ozone concentrations over
Antarctica have also resulted in increased winds and rainfall in some parts of the
Southern Hemisphere during summer. These changes have also contributed to
atmospheric warming and cooling over parts of Antarctica, warming of the Southern
Ocean, and a local decrease in the ocean’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide.
Atmosphere questions
This section presents the enduring questions and the supplementary enduring questions
on atmosphere.
Enduring questions
Supplementary enduring questions
A. What are the levels1 and sources of air pollution2 throughout New Zealand and how
are they changing over time?
B. Who experiences poor air quality3 in New Zealand and what is the impact on their
health?
C. What and where is the impact of air pollution on Māori and how does the impact
compare with that on the general population?
D. To what extent has the stratospheric ozone layer over New Zealand been depleted,
and what is the impact on ecosystems and human health?
E. What is being done to reduce, mitigate, and prevent4 air pollution and stratospheric
ozone layer depletion?
21
Notes
1. Levels cover, but are not limited to, average, peak, and exceeding air quality
standards.
2. Includes rural and urban, natural and anthropogenic sources of particulate matter.
Odour and visual smoke are included, but indoor air quality and second-hand smoke are
outside the scope of this domain plan.
3. Poor air quality can be defined by when air quality standards are exceeded. The
definition of poor air quality also includes the impact of highest levels, and averages, for
the air pollution sources described in note 2.
4. Includes expenditure on these activities to inform analysis of the costs, benefits, and
value of environmental protection effort.
Gap analysis
Table 3 summarises the analysis of how well official information (including Crown
research institute data) informs the supplementary enduring questions on atmosphere.
See appendix 3 for details of the analysis process.
Table 3
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on atmosphere
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on atmosphere
Supplementary
enduring
question (SEQ)
Question topic
Level at which official data
informs SEQ
A
Levels and source of air pollution
Medium
B
Who experiences poor air quality
Medium
C
What impacts affect Māori
Low
D
Stratospheric ozone
Medium
E
Mitigation of air pollution and
stratospheric ozone depletion
Medium
Experts determined two data sources as being highly valued:
• Airshed reporting
•
National air quality (nitrogen dioxide) monitoring programme.
Atmosphere initiatives
This section presents the atmosphere initiatives by priority and a discussion of each in
detail.
AT1 Identify key non-standard air pollutants
The first of the top-priority initiatives is to identify and understand the concentrations of
key air pollutants that are not currently covered by an ambient standard in the National
Environmental Standards for Air Quality (NESAQ). These pollutants could include heavy
22
metals such as arsenic, which is largely emitted from burning treated timber used to heat
homes during winter. Another pollutant is benzo[a]pyrene, which is an indicator of
exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and is also emitted from burning
timber. Many PAHs are human carcinogens. Limited information is known about these
and other pollutants, but GNS Science has collected some information on a few of these.
Significant encouragement is needed in this area as monitoring air quality is expensive.
Monitoring pollutants outside of the pollutants regulated by the NESAQ is not currently
within the resources available for many regional councils and unitary authorities.
Internationally, there are increasing concerns about the risks presented by pollutants not
covered by New Zealand’s NESAQ.
Included in this work could be further measurement and analysis of PM2.5 (particles
smaller than 2.5µm which penetrate deep into lungs), which could also support the
second initiative (discussed next). These smaller particles have stronger associations
with adverse health effects and are more closely linked to anthropogenic (humangenerated) sources than PM10, which is covered by the NESAQ. Currently there are a
few PM2.5 measurement sites around the country. Data from these locations could be
further analysed, and the number of monitoring sites extended to ensure representative
coverage across New Zealand.
By doing this initiative, we can use the information on the concentrations of these
pollutants to assess the health impacts of key air pollutants on New Zealanders.
AT2 Gather evidence to support future review of the National
Environmental Standards for Air Quality
Promote the gathering and use of quality statistical data that informs decision-making
around air pollutants such as PM2.5 and health outcomes.
In 2009 and 2010, the National Environmental Standard for Air Quality (NESAQ)
technical advisory group (and various submitters) addressed PM10 regulations and
requested consideration of setting an ambient standard for PM2.5. This and other
potential changes to national air quality guidelines need to be underpinned by research,
standard development, and consultation.
This initiative outlines the need to fully consider statistical information about the linkages
between health outcomes and air pollutants like PM2.5 when setting new national air
quality guidelines.
AT3 Develop a national database of emissions inventories and
concentrations
Develop a national open database or portal of emissions inventories and ambient
concentrations, including source apportionment data. This will give users access to
existing information so that it can be better used and have more value.
Specific objectives of this initiative include:
• provide open access and use of existing data and databases by optimising what
we have and making it accessible to all users
•
improve existing databases and portals by updating, revising, and rationalising
them.
This national database would require custodianship and common data collection and
reporting protocols to enable efficient collection and reporting.
AT4 Develop health indicators for air quality
Create more effective (useful) health indicators for air quality. For example, experts in
Canada have developed a ‘Percent CP Mortality Risk’. This indicator refers to the
23
proportion of cardiopulmonary mortalities estimated to be due to outdoor ambient ozone
or PM2.5 concentrations.
These indicators will show the impact of poor air quality on human health. There may be
a need to better link health data and air quality measurements to know the relationship
between the two. This initiative is linked to initiative AT18.
AT5 Extend health and air pollution study in New Zealand
Air pollution’s effects on health in New Zealand were first comprehensively assessed in
the Health and air pollution in New Zealand (HAPINZ) study in 2007 (Fisher et al, based
on 2001 Census and other data). This study was updated in 2012 to include 2006
Census and other information.
At the workshop, there was a suggestion to run the HAPINZ study more often. This will
enable the gathering of trend information, which will show the changing risks,
improvements, and costs of air pollution to New Zealand. Repeating the study more
frequently will allow the reassessment of some of the underlying assumptions in place
regarding air pollution and health.
AT6 Gather information on the state of indoor air-quality
The workshop determined an indoor air-quality baseline as important – despite indoor air
quality being initially regarded as out of the scope of this domain plan.
Indoor air quality is an important issue to consider, as it could also have adverse health
effects. This baseline can be used to estimate the health effects of indoor air quality in
New Zealand and as the basis for on-going measurements. It could be scoped using a
pilot study.
AT7 Develop reporting protocols
Like other environment domain plan topic areas, developing protocols for metadata and
reporting was identified as an important initiative.
Reporting protocols would help in comparing data from across New Zealand, and would
be most useful when gathering information on the national state, trends, and impacts of
air pollution.
AT8 Estimate costs of health impacts
One area identified as lacking sufficient information is on the social costs of health
impacts of air pollution (eg quantifying the cost to society of an air pollution-related
premature death or hospitalisation). This would build on the work already completed
under HAPINZ.
This information is fundamental to cost/benefit analyses or similar. Case studies and pilot
studies in this area would also be welcome.
AT9 Gather domestic fire-use information
Gather more details on domestic fire use. The census asks about home-heating methods,
but the question is general and is asked only every five years. While it is unlikely that we
can change the census question, initiating more frequent national surveys in other forums
(for example in Statistics NZ’s General Social Survey) to more quickly identify domestic
fire trends would be useful (eg asking the age of the wood burner).
AT10 Understand susceptible groups
Results from a preliminary cohort study undertaken in New Zealand (Hales, Blakely, &
Woodward, 2010) suggest that Māori are more susceptible to the adverse effects of air
24
pollution than the total New Zealand population. This susceptibility may extend to other
ethnic groups.
We need better information to improve our understanding of the susceptibility of Māori
and other groups, such as Pacific islanders and Asians.
AT11 Continue remote sensing of vehicles
Remote sensing of the emissions of light vehicles are being done in Auckland (around
every two years). The results have been critical for assessing trends and policy
effectiveness (eg exhaust emissions standards).
The workshop supported continuing regular remote sensing of vehicle emissions.
AT12 Develop a standard method for assessing exposure
Population exposure to the adverse effects of air pollution can be assessed in a number
of ways. Commonly it is based on results from a fixed monitoring site.
There is a need to develop a standard method for assessing exposure in New Zealand to
air pollutants. This work would include scoping the options available, and focusing on
how these methods can be used to evaluate the impacts of pollution and the
effectiveness of policy. This initiative can include assessing aesthetic, economic, tourism,
and cultural impacts.
AT13 Expand governance group to coordinate information and
research
There was some discussion at the workshop on the governance issues around this topic.
One suggestion was to expand air quality governance. That potentially, a group of
stakeholders could provide guidance on coordinating, collaborating, and integrating data
gathering, and that might direct collective research. There is already a group that does
much of this role, the regional councils’ special interest group for air quality. The Ministry
for the Environment and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research are
already fully engaged with this, with additional support from the Ministry of Health and the
New Zealand Transport Agency.
AT14 Estimate off-road emissions
Another gap in air-pollution understanding is quantifying off-road emissions, eg emissions
from rural vehicles, lawn mowers, marine pleasure craft, and machinery. Given New
Zealand’s reliance on the primary industry sector, these emissions are likely to be nontrivial compared with other sources such as domestic fires and road-based transport.
Further work is needed to quantify these off-road emissions to understand their
contribution to air pollution. Using Statistics NZ’s Energy Use Survey to help quantify
these emissions could be explored.
AT15 Estimate rural air quality
The quality of rural air is not well characterised, especially the quantification of sources
such as open burning. This information could also provide background levels of pollutants
for comparison with urban areas.
Rural air quality and its impacts need to be investigated. One suggestion is to undertake
a pilot study to investigate the scale of the problem.
AT16, AT17 Estimate impacts of ozone
Two of the 19 initiatives suggested during the workshop focus on stratospheric ozone.
25
The first initiative is to investigate the impacts of the changing ozone on New Zealand
biodiversity. The second is to undertake further work on sources of ozone-depleting
substances.
AT18 Develop better health data
Developing better and more useful health data is also important. Consideration needs to
be given to developing a standard methodology for collecting data and setting time
periods (hourly, weekly, or daily), to better link the health outcomes to air pollution
concentrations.
This would be a relatively complex initiative involving cooperative work across both the
science and health sectors. This initiative links to AT4 and AT8.
AT19 Evaluate the effectiveness of air-pollution reduction
approaches
Explore and promote effective responses and approaches to improving air quality.
This initiative will promote successes and improve information transfer across a wider
range of organisations.
Atmosphere initiatives table
Table 4 lists the atmosphere initiatives by priority, estimates of their complexity, and the
supplementary enduring questions they address.
Table 4
Atmosphere initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question (SEQ) addressed
Atmosphere initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring
question (SEQ) addressed
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps inform which
SEQ
AT1
Identify key nonstandard air
pollutants
1=
Complex
A, B
AT2
Gather evidence to
support future
review of the
National
Environmental
Standards for Air
Quality
1=
Complex
E
AT3
Develop a national
database of
emissions
inventories and
concentrations
3
Moderate
A
AT4
Develop health
indicators for air
quality
4
Complex
B
AT5
Extend HAPINZ
5
Moderate
B
26
AT6
Develop an indoor
air quality baseline
6=
Moderate
A, B
Table 4 continued
Atmosphere initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps inform which
SEQ
AT7
Develop reporting
protocols
6=
Moderate
A
AT8
Estimate costs of
health impacts
6=
Complex
B
AT9
Gather domestic
fire usage
information
9
Moderate
A
AT10
Understand
susceptible groups
10=
Complex
C
AT11
Continue remote
sensing of vehicles
10=
Moderate
A
AT12
Develop a
standard method
for assessing
exposure
12=
Complex
B
AT13
Expand
governance group
to coordinate
information and
research
12=
Moderate
E
AT14
Estimate off-road
emissions
12=
Complex
A
AT15
Estimate rural air
quality
12=
Moderate
A, B
AT16
Estimate impacts
of ozone
(biodiversity)
12=
Complex
D
AT17
Estimate impacts
of ozone (ozone
destruction)
12=
Complex
D
AT18
Develop better
health data
12=
Highly complex
B
AT19
Evaluate the
effectiveness of air
pollution reduction
approaches
12=
Complex
E
27
3 Climate change
This chapter lists the questions about climate change that we would like addressed. We
present a summary of the analysis of the official data that addresses those questions. We
then outline the initiatives to address our climate change information needs.
The world’s climate is influenced by many factors interacting in very complex ways. Even
measuring global temperatures over time is complex. But there is a general agreement
that the world is experiencing an overall warming trend (with year-to-year fluctuations
superimposed). This warming trend over the 50 years from 1956 to 2005 is nearly twice
that for the 100 years from 1906 to 2005 (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), nd).
Most of the world’s climate scientists consider it very likely, based on several lines of
evidence, that the current warming trend is of human origin and is associated with
increased production of the so-called ‘greenhouse gases’ as a result of fossil fuel use,
agriculture, and deforestation.
Climate change questions
on climate change.
Enduring questions
Climate change is an unusual topic area, in that four enduring questions were identified,
along with five supplementary questions.
Notes
A. Where and how are New Zealand’s climate and atmospheric composition changing?
B. Where and how are New Zealand’s anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and
removals, changing?
C. What and where is the impact of climate change on Māori and Māori-owned assets?
D. Where and how are ecosystems4, people, and New Zealand institutions most affected
by changes to climate and atmospheric composition, and how are they adapting?
E. What greenhouse gas mitigation technologies and practices are we adopting?
29
Note
4. Includes terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems.
Gap analysis
Table 5 summarises the analysis of how well official information (including Crown
research institute data) informs the supplementary enduring questions on climate change.
Table 5
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on climate change
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on climate
change
Supplementary
enduring
question (SEQ)
Question topic
Level at which official
data informs SEQ
A
Atmospheric composition changing
High
B
Greenhouse gas emissions and
removals
High
C
Impacts on Māori
Medium
D
Impacts on ecosystems, people, and
New Zealand institutions
Medium
E
Greenhouse gas mitigation technologies
Medium
Four datasets scored highly for informing the supplementary enduring questions:
•
New Zealand’s national communication under the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
•
National land use and land-use change mapping
•
New Zealand’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory
•
Agricultural production censuses/surveys.
Climate change initiatives
Initiatives to address the issues highlighted by the gap analysis were identified at an
expert workshop. These initiatives were grouped into clusters and sub-clusters, and were
prioritised by voting. The participants were given five votes that could be registered for a
cluster or for individual initiatives. In most other topic workshops, participants only voted
for individual initiatives.
The climate change initiatives were grouped into three major clusters: impacts,
adaptation, and mitigation. The impacts and adaptation clusters were further split into
three and two sub-clusters, respectively.
The impacts clusters received 19 votes overall, adaptation received 14, and mitigation 7.
These results showed that the gaps in information lie in and around the impacts of
climate change and the necessary adaption to those changes, rather than around the
volume and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Of the sub-clusters, the first impacts cluster had 10 votes (either for the entire cluster, or
for individual initiatives within the cluster). Ideas in the first impacts cluster include
developing information on the impacts of climate change on ecosystem services,
30
obtaining laser imaging detection and ranging (LIDAR) data as a base for sea level
change projections, and developing information on the impacts of climate change on
Māori. The first adaption cluster had seven votes, as did the sole mitigation cluster, with
the second adaption cluster having six votes, as did the third impacts cluster. The second
impacts cluster had three votes.
CC.A1.1 Gather information on national climate change adaptation
responses
This is the highest-ranking individual initiative. It suggests surveying and researching the
various adaptation responses around the country, and compiling these to measure
adaptation response across New Zealand. As councils are mostly responsible for
adaptation response (planning, reducing risks, and managing assets) this initiative needs
close cooperation with them. Other organisations undertaking adaptation include major
asset and infrastructure managers, such as New Zealand Transport Authority, Ministry of
Transport, Transpower, and energy companies.
In recent years, the Ministry for the Environment undertook partial assessments of
adaptation responses across the country (unpublished). This initiative recommends a
more comprehensive assessment with results published widely.
Information on adaptation responses will help us know how resilient we are to our climate
and its expected changes. It will also align New Zealand’s approach with those of other
countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, who have conducted coordinated
national risk assessments and have national adaptation programmes.
CC.i1.1 Assess national climate change impacts on ecosystem
services
This is the second-highest individual initiative. It recognises that climate change will likely
affect the services provided by the environment:
•
supporting services – supports primary production
•
provisioning services – provides food, water, and energy (hydropower, biomass
fuels)
•
regulating services – decomposes and detoxifies waste, purifies water and air
•
cultural services – recreational experiences (including ecotourism).
There is no comprehensive analysis of the scale and magnitude of the impacts of climate
change on these services. A project under this initiative would look at the biophysical
impacts (such as increases in temperature, changes in rainfall, flooding) and assess the
impacts on the services the environment provides. This information will be made
available to those making decisions that rely on ecosystem services (such as those in
agri-businesses, fisheries and aquaculture, and councils making decisions on water
flows).
CC.i1.2 Gather national infrastructure topography data – use laser
imaging detection and ranging for projecting sea-level change
To assess the impact of rising sea levels on our coasts, particularly in assessing likely
disruption on our infrastructure, we need details about our terrain height. LIDAR (laser
imaging detection and ranging –- using laser observations from aircraft to assess terrain
height within +/- 15 cm, at horizontal resolutions of less than a metre) can provide the
necessary data. For some parts of the country, mainly around big cities, LIDAR data is
available and provides the level needed to make a useable assessment. However, much
of the country remains unmapped at this high resolution. The data can be useful for other
purposes, such as accurate flood modelling, corridor mapping, wireless network planning,
road and engineering design, power line mapping, hazard clearance, natural resource
assessment, demographic profiling, and urban planning.
31
Land Information New Zealand keeps LIDAR data, but councils or private companies own
them, and data are largely not referenced nationally.
CC.A2.1 Develop a map of projected sea level rise around our
coasts
Much of New Zealand’s key infrastructure lies around our coasts, be it major roads,
substations, and cities. Sea-level rise could significantly affect this infrastructure and our
coastal environment and ecosystems. Along with initiative CC.i1.2, this initiative will
provide key information on the impacts of climate change. This information will be used
for planning around the coasts – namely, creating detailed maps of scenarios of sea-level
rise. The maps will plan 25, 50, and 100 years into the future, and may follow several
greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Maps like these will enable comprehensive risk
analysis that would lead to quality planning and asset management.
CC.i1.3, CC.i1.4 Assess the impacts of climate change on Māori
These initiatives will assess the impacts of climate change on Māori and Māori
enterprises now and in the future. The second initiative (CC.i1.4) will specifically develop
and implement an approach to assess the integrated impacts of climate change on Māori
– that is, not just on the environment, but the cultural, economic, and social aspects. This
initiative should be done in consultation with Māori to ensure representative conclusions
and rapid uptake of the information and knowledge developed.
Initiative CC.i3.1 looks at the need for information, processes, and frameworks for
assessing the risks from climate change. To undertake this assessment, we will need
information on the probability of change and the associated costs (economic,
environmental, social and cultural) of the impacts of those changes. Frameworks are also
needed to make good use of that information.
With current levels of mitigation not yet beginning to reduce the emissions of greenhouse
gases, the chances of staying within a global increase of 2 degrees Celsius are becoming
more remote. Initiative C.i3.2 looks at the impacts to New Zealand of a global change of 4
degrees Celsius. The Ministry for Primary Industries has commissioned research in this
area – this initiative will extend that work to give more relevant information.
CC.A.1.2 Assess the options for adaptation
Investigate the full range of possible future options (including looking internationally) for
adapting to climate change. We will then classify these options and compare them with
current adaptation activities in New Zealand. The aim would be to define global bestpractice adaptation approaches for a New Zealand context. Like CC.A1.1, this will align
our approach with that of other countries.
CC.A1.3 Identify opportunities for step-changes in adaptation
Investigate the possibilities of doing things differently to past practice. This initiative aims
to find the tactical, strategic step-changes that could be made, particularly in agriculture.
One source that could be useful in determining the possibilities is the Agricultural
Production Census. Adding more questions to the survey about adaptation may also
provide more useful information.
CC.A.2.2 Develop tools for local government
Further develop tools that will allow all of local government to access the best planning
information in a way that fits with their current systems. This information will include the
downscaling of relevant current climate data and future projections from national to local
levels. The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research’s (NIWA’s) adaptation
toolbox is a step towards this direction.
32
CC.M.1.1 Evaluate adaptation and mitigation options
Assess the impact and effectiveness of current adaption and mitigation approaches or
technologies in New Zealand. This assessment will be benchmarked against the efforts of
other countries.
CC.M1.2 Survey current climate change activities
Survey current climate change mitigation and adaption activities (ie who is doing them
and what they are doing). The Agricultural Production Census could be used to survey
farmers.
CC.i1.5 Develop current climate impacts Index
Build an index that can reflect the current impacts of climate change.
CC.i1.6 Develop a national assessment of climate change impacts
Develop a national assessment of the environment, social, cultural, and economic
impacts of climate change.
CC.i1.7 Develop better small-scale climate data
Information on the current climate at the smallest scales (micro/meso) could be improved
in quality, resolution, and availability.
CC.i1.8 Link climate-change projections with asset data and social
data
Look at climate change projection with other economic and social data programmes, such
as the Climate Change Impacts and Implications Programme funded by Ministry of
Business, Innovation and Employment’s Science, Skills and Innovation Group. This
programme could progress on these aims (see New Zealand climate changes, impacts,
and implications).
CC.i2.1, CC.i2.2 Assess cost and benefits of climate change
Get information on the costs and benefits of climate change, including the impacts of
unmitigated climate change and several policy response scenarios. We need sectorspecific information that measures ‘costs’ across the social, cultural, and economic
domains.
CC.i3.3 Continue developing projections 1 (sea level rise,
temperature, etc.)
Continue the work on the physical phenomena of climate change, such as temperature
and sea-level rise and rainfall changes. It will provide the input for the two initiatives
above and the one that follows below.
CC.i3.4 Assess implications of the impacts
Look at the physical projections and review the integrated impacts across all sectors and
domains, that is, from weather to social impacts to the flow-on effects.
CC.A2.3 Develop mapping and GIS front-ends to data
Ask for easy access to information interfaces such as GIS, which are now commonly
used for many applications. This will follow work under way at research institutes that
provide information in a format suitable for GIS input.
33
CC.A2.4 Develop tools to access climate data
Provide tools and access to current climate data for end users, such as asset owners. We
need more user-friendly tools than those that are currently available.
CC.A2.6 Present information that is publicly usable
CC.A2.6 would take the CC.A2.4 one step further by providing the information in a form
more useful to the public.
CC.A2.5 Develop information with a regional focus
Enhance the currently available information for local government at a city, town, or farm
level.
CC.M1.3 Develop a database of soil carbon
Extend the current information to a more widely available database on soil carbon.
CC.M1.4 Review of mitigation technology in agriculture
Review the current use of mitigation, for example, through data mining, or data reuse, of
existing information in, the Agricultural Production Census.
CC.M1.5 Assess new generation technologies/practices
Review technologies that are nearing availability and assess their applicability to New
Zealand’s challenges.
CC.M1.6 Assess current mitigation practices
Assess activities/sectors with a wider coverage than that of CC.M1.4. For example, it will
assess a range of sectors, such as local government, agriculture, transport.
34
Climate change initiatives table
At the climate change workshop we gathered the initiatives into clusters, then prioritised
both the clusters and the individual initiatives. We assessed the complexity of
implementing each of these initiatives. Table 6 shows the relationship between the three
climate change areas of impacts, adaptation, and mitigation, and the arrangement of the
clusters of initiatives within those areas.
Table 6
Initiatives by cluster and climate change area
Initiatives by cluster and climate change area
Initiatives –
Climate
change area
Cluster
Impacts
I1
I1.(1–8)
I2
I2.(1–3)
I3
I3.(1–4)
A1
A1.(1–3)
A2
A2.(1–6)
Adaptation
Area.(initiative number)
Mitigation
M1.(1–6)
Table 7 lists each of the climate change initiatives by priority, estimates of their
complexity, and the questions they address.
Table 7
Climate change initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question (SEQ) addressed
Climate change initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question (SEQ)
addressed
Cluster
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Rank
of
entire
area
Complexity
Rank of
cluster
Rank of
initiative
within
cluster
(highly
complex,
complex,
moderate,
low)
Helps
inform
which
SEQ
1
Impacts
clusters
Impacts
cluster 1
Priority
1
CC.i1.1
Assess climate change
impacts on ecosystem
services
1
Highly
complex
D
CC.i1.2
Gather national
infrastructure topography
data – LIDAR for sea-level
change projections
2
Moderate
C, D
35
Table 7 continued
addressed
Cluster
Impacts
cluster 2
Initiative
number
Initiative name
CC.i1.3
Assess the impacts of
climate change on Māori
CC.i1.4
Priority
Complexity
Helps
inform
which
SEQ
3=
Highly
complex
C
Assess the impacts of
climate change on Māori
3=
Highly
complex
C
CC.i1.5
Develop current climate
impacts index
5=
Moderate
C, D
CC.i1.6
Develop a national
assessment of CC impacts
5=
Highly
complex
C, D
CC.i1.7
Develop better small-scale
climate data
5=
Moderate
C, D
CC.i1.8
Link climate change
projections with asset data
and social data
5=
Highly
complex
C, D
6
CC.i2.1
Assess cost and benefits of
climate change
(unmitigated climate
change)
1=
Highly
complex
C, D
CC.i2.2
climate change
1=
Complex
C, D
CC.i2.3
climate change
1=
Complex
C, D
4=
Impacts
cluster 3
CC.i3.1
Risk assessments –
probability of change,
associated costs
1=
Complex
D
CC.i3.2
Global 4-degree Celsius
impacts
1=
Moderate
C, D
CC.i3.3
Continue developing
projections 1 (sea-level
rise, temperature rise,
rainfall changes)
3=
Moderate
C, D
CC.i3.4
Assess implications of the
impacts
3=
Highly
complex
C, D
36
Table 7 continued
addressed
Cluster
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps
inform
which
SEQ
2
Adaptation
clusters
2=
Adaptation
cluster 1
CC.A1.1
Gather information on
national climate
change adaptation
responses
1
Moderate
D
CC.A1.2
Assess the options for
adaptation
2=
Moderate
D
CC.A1.3
Tactical/strategic/step
change adaptation –
make more use of
information from the
Agricultural Production
Census
2=
Moderate
D
4=
Adaptation
cluster 2
CC.A2.1
Develop a map of
projected sea-level
rise around our coasts
1
Moderate
C, D
CC.A2.2
Develop tools for local
government
2
Moderate
D
CC.A2.3
Develop mapping and
GIS front-ends to data
3=
Moderate
C, D
CC.A2.4
Develop tools to
access climate data
3=
Moderate
C, D
CC.A2.5
Develop information
with a regional focus
3=
Moderate
D
CC.A2.6
Present information
that is publicly usable
3=
Moderate
C, D
Mitigation
3
37
Table 7 continued
addressed
Cluster
Mitigation
cluster 1
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps
inform
which
SEQ
2=
CC.M1.1
Evaluate adaptation
and mitigation options
1=
Complex
C, D, E
CC.M1.2
Survey current climate
change activities
1=
Moderate
D, E
CC.M1.3
Develop a database of
soil carbon
3=
Moderate
CC.M1.4
Review of mitigation
technology in
agriculture
3=
Moderate
E
CC.M1.5
Assess new
generation
technologies/practices
3=
Moderate
E
CC.M1.6
Assess current
mitigation practices
3=
Moderate
E
38
4 Coastal and marine environment
This chapter lists the questions about the coastal and marine environment that need to be
addressed. It presents a summary of the analysis of the official data that addresses those
questions, followed by the initiatives to address coastal and marine environment
information needs.
New Zealand's marine environment is one of the largest in the world, containing an
archipelago of more than 330 islands with 18,218km of coastline (Ministry for the
Environment, 2008). New Zealand’s ocean floor area is over 20 times the size of our land
mass and is one of the largest of any nation. New Zealand’s marine environment is
divided into different management zones: the Territorial Sea, the Exclusive Economic
Zone, and the extended continental shelf.
This vast marine area contains a range of ecosystems, from the shoreline to the deepest
trenches, and from subtropical to sub-Antarctic waters that support a wide range of
marine biodiversity.
New Zealand has a rich diversity of marine habitats, which provide homes to over 15,000
known species. Scientists estimate there may be as many as 65,000 marine species in
New Zealand waters. Our isolation means many of these species are not found anywhere
else in the world.
Scientists estimate that as much as 80 percent of New Zealand’s indigenous biodiversity
may be found in the sea. Yet, less than 1 percent of our marine environment has ever
been surveyed. On average, seven new marine species are identified every fortnight
(Department of Conservation, nd).
Māori are also interested in the coastal and marine environments, such as reserves and
customary fishing areas.
New Zealand’s coastal and marine environment contributes to the economy through
fishing, aquaculture and offshore mineral extraction. The wider value of the coastal and
marine environment extends to tourism, scientific research, recreation, transport, and
wider ecosystem services.
Environmentally responsible realisation of resources would benefit New Zealand. To do
this, we need to gather data to enhance the baseline knowledge of the region and the
growth of technical expertise. New Zealand has the opportunity to gather this data now.
The data will be essential in guiding resource-management decisions. These decisions
will contribute to achieving economic growth and environmental conservation, and
minimising usage conflicts.
Coastal and marine environment questions
This section presents the enduring question and the supplementary enduring questions
on coastal and marine environment.
Enduring question
A. What are the spatial and temporal biophysical1 trends in the coastal and marine
environment2 and how are these predicted to change in the future?
39
B. What is the current use of natural resources3 in the coastal and marine environment,
what is the intensity of this use, how is this use changing spatially and temporally, and
how is it predicted to change in the future?
C. What ecosystem services4 are currently provided by New Zealand's coastal and
marine environment and how are these predicted to change in the future?5
D. What is the impact of human activity6 on the coastal and marine environment,
including the cumulative effects on its resilience7, and how is this changing over time?
E. What is the current relationship8 between Māori and the coastal and marine
environment, how is this changing, and what is the impact of human activity, resource
use, and climate change on this relationship?
F. What is the conservation and environmental protection effort9 for the coastal and
marine environment?
Notes
1. Biophysical environment includes the physical environment and the biological life forms
within the environment, including conditions and other variables that affect the
relationship between life forms and their physical environment.
2. Coastal and marine environmental includes the areas of the world usually covered by
or containing sea water, including seas and oceans, harbours, river estuaries, salt-water
marshes and mangroves, and coasts and beaches – including biological and physical
elements such as water temperature, salinity, and the composition and spread of marine
species.
3. Natural resources include renewable and non-renewable resources in the coastal and
marine environment such as fish, mineral and gas reserves, and the resources
supporting aquaculture.
4. Ecosystem services are generally grouped into four main types – provisioning services
(eg providing food), regulatory services (eg when oceans act as carbon sink), supporting
services (eg nutrient cycling), and cultural services (eg the enjoyment visitors gain from
marine reserves).
5. We consider ecosystem services provided by terrestrial and freshwater environments
under the ecosystems and biodiversity topic.
6. Including resource use, climate change, pollution, invasive species, and waste
assimilation.
7. Resilience means the ability to recover readily from some shock or disturbance, adjust
to change, or recover from a catastrophic failure in a system.
8. The relationship between Māori and the coastal and marine environment includes the
impact on taonga (treasured) species.
9. Environmental protection effort includes remediating environmental damage, resource
management, expenditure, areas protected under regulation and legislation, damage
avoidance, research, and minimising natural hazards.
40
Gap analysis
Table 8 summarises how well official information (including Crown research institute data)
informs the supplementary enduring questions on coastal and marine environment. See
appendix 3 for details of the analysis process.
Table 8
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on coastal and marine environment
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on coastal and
marine environment
Supplementary
enduring
question (SEQ)
Question topic
data informs SEQ
A
Biophysical trends
Medium
B
Current and future use of natural resources
Low
C
Ecosystem services
Low
D
Impacts of human activities
Low
E
Relationships between Māori and the coastal
and marine environment
Low
F
Conservation and environmental protection
effort
Low
Four data sources scored moderately as informing one or more of the supplementary
enduring questions:
•
statistical/sustainability information on fish stocks
•
national aquatic biodiversity information system
•
main catch/effort database
•
trawl survey database.
Coastal and marine environment initiatives
This section presents the coastal and marine environment initiatives by priority and a
discussion of each in detail.
CM1 Identify baseline habitat state
The highest-priority initiative identified in this workshop is to identify the baseline state of
habitats in New Zealand. This initiative specifies baseline-data gathering in the coastal
and marine environment to assess the capacity of habitats to withstand pressures from
climate change and other activities in the New Zealand context (eg. fishing, mining, and
energy generation).
Essential to this initiative is achieving an agreed definition of the baseline and its
parameters.
These baseline parameters could include:
•
water column and seafloor characteristics
•
water composition (including productivity and pH )
•
water temperature
41
•
ecosystem health
•
biodiversity
•
benthic habitats (ie physical and biotic)
•
sensitive habitats
•
fish populations.
Key benefits from this initiative are:
•
better understanding of the biophysical baseline of New Zealand’s coastal and
marine environment
•
improved mapping of our marine resources, including a systematic complete
mapping of the New Zealand seabed in the Exclusive Economic Zone and the
continental shelf. Mapping benthic habitats will enhance our understanding of
sensitive habitats and the environmental constraints on marine resource use.
CM2 Expand statistical governance over coastal and marine data
Priority initiative 2 is to create a statistical governance group for coordination, facilitation,
and decision-making among data custodians, policymakers, researchers, and other
stakeholders in the coastal and marine environment.
The benefits of having a statistical governance group include:
•
improve coordination of gathering, custodianship, and information sharing
between government agencies involved in marine protection
•
reinforce the open government initiative to make existing data readily available
•
improve understanding of coastal management under the New Zealand Coastal
Policy Statement
•
understand the extent of coastal development and demand, gather information on
subdivisions resource consents, and develop an online system to monitor this.
Intrinsic to this initiative is the whole-of-government integrated research plan linking
research to this domain plan. This initiative will link with initiatives currently underway in
the Natural Resources Sector (NRS).
CM3 Review existing datasets
Review existing datasets to identify priorities for integrating them, acquiring future data,
and having wider access to existing data. This initiative requires coordination between
and unrestricted access to all datasets. This initiative is supported by initiative CM2,
expand statistical governance over coastal and marine data.
This review can check for overlaps in effort, and see if any datasets can be more useful
with only minor changes. Preliminary work under the Ministry for Primary Industries’
Marine Environmental Monitoring Programme Project is almost complete and could be a
starting point for any future development. A critical requirement is making existing data
readily available through expanding data access for national use. Making more use of
existing data sources, such as samples, specimens, acoustic readings, cores, or video
footage adds more value to these existing datasets.
This initiative will identify databases that could be integrated to provide more than the
sum of their parts. As an example, the trawl survey database and National Aquatic
Biodiversity Information System could be integrated. Analysing these two databases
could improve our understanding of trends in fishing and its impacts on the environment.
Building inter-operability between environmental, economic, social, and cultural datasets
will encourage improved integrated policy and decision-making, which is transparent,
robust, and supports the resilience of the coastal and marine environment.
42
CM4 Integrate current marine research and initiatives
Integrate marine research and initiatives across government, for example, the NRS
research strategy; Ministry for Primary Industries, Department of Conservation, and
Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment investment; and NIWA’s MV
Tangaroa. Maximising these efforts can clarify the approach to integrated coastal and
marine research. A whole-of-government research plan, which the NRS could lead, can
address the gaps raised by this domain plan and recognise other research and initiatives.
Initiative CM2, expand statistical governance over coastal and marine data, can support
the coordinated decision-making on research and initiatives. This initiative can build on
existing activities and outcomes, such as the Ministry for Primary Industries-funded
Marine Environment Monitoring Programme. This programme can ensure the integrity of
core sites, promote standards, and fill gaps in knowledge by designing a strategic
research plan for the study of marine mammals.
An integrated approach to data collection will enable us to assess and better understand
long-term trends in the New Zealand coastal and marine environment. It will allow us to
better understand marine variability and assess marine ecosystem resilience. Creating a
marine project meta-database of all government marine projects and reports help us
integrate current research and new initiatives, such as that being done under the Marine
Environment Monitoring Programme.
We need to ensure that long-term marine research and data collection strategies occur
across national and regional government boundaries. Expanding from national reporting
to international reporting has value, and aligning with international standards can also be
thought of as ‘good world citizenship’.
CM5 Complete Ocean Survey 20/20 project
The Oceans 20/20 project is a Government initiative, which aims to provide New Zealand
with better knowledge of its ocean territory, including the Exclusive Economic Zone,
Continental Shelf, and the Ross Sea region.
Further work on the sub-projects of the Ocean Survey 20/20 will strengthen statistical
knowledge of New Zealand’s ocean territory (sea floor, water column, subsurface, and
atmosphere).
The benefits of a completed Oceans 20/20 project would be a fuller understanding of
coastal and marine environment characterisation.
The Oceans 20/20 project includes:
•
having a more comprehensive information base on the character of the nation's
sea-floor, oceanography, and ocean resources, both physical and biological
•
having a robust and expanding knowledge base on the nature and distribution of
marine biodiversity, from the coast and estuaries to the deep sea
•
generating a considerable body of new scientific data on an unprecedented scale,
providing ongoing opportunity for research and development in marine sciences
•
contributing to the sustainable management of critical ecosystem services and
important economic and biological resources
•
mapping ocean resources that will support effective marine management in the
same way that mapping New Zealand's land area has delivered extensive
benefits for land management
•
having greater ability to predict how these ecosystems will respond to future use
pressures and management intervention.
43
CM6 Produce a System of Environmental and Economic
Accounting account of coastal and marine mineral and energy
resources
Produce a System of Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA) account of
coastal and marine mineral and energy resources. This account will be part of a suite of
SEEA accounts on the environment and economy produced by Statistics NZ in
partnerships with data providers. This initiative requires resources, commitment, and
planning from Statistics NZ and information from the NRS and additional parties.
Building this full account of New Zealand’s marine and energy resources using an
internationally comparable method would provide useful information to New Zealand.
CM7 Develop national spatial and temporal monitoring
Develop national spatial and temporal monitoring of the coastal and marine environment
through the national Marine Environment Monitoring Programme. By doing this, we will
be able to assess long-term trends and cycles and the variability of biological, physical,
and chemical properties of the sea.
This initiative requires resources and combined efforts among the Natural Resources
Sector.
Spatial and temporal monitoring will enhance our understanding of the following trends in
the coastal and marine environment:
• What effects will climate change have on the marine environment, including
effects of sea-level rise on coastal productivity and changes in oceanic currents
on plankton production? The Marine Environment Monitoring Programme has
already completed lots of the ground work.
•
What is the connection between the New Zealand ocean system and the bigger
drivers (eg. the Antarctic Marine processes)? New Zealand Antarctic Research
Institute is looking at this connection.
•
The potential for temperature and chemistry changes in the coastal and marine
environment to affect and be affected by aquaculture. Ministry for Primary
Industries is examining this.
•
Assessing the vulnerability of marine species due to changes in water
temperature and chemistry and link this to biodiversity changes.
•
Assessing fish populations.
•
Assessing biosecurity risks due to changes in the marine environment.
CM8 Expand data access and interpretability
Expand data access and interpretability for national use.
This initiative supports the New Zealand Government Open Access and Licensing
(NZGOAL) framework, a government initiative to make existing data readily available for
reuse by others. Achieving this initiative requires extensive coordination and agreement
between many parties.
CM9 Increase data mining
Increase data mining to make more use of existing data and interpretation.
Making more use of existing data will provide more return on any investment. It will also
give data users greater detail and more information.
44
Existing data sources may be from the Marine Environment Monitoring Programme and
other initiatives, such as Tier 1 statistical development.
CM10 Improve monitoring of marine protected areas
Improve monitoring of marine protected areas and marine reserves, which may help:
• measure the response to protection of species and habitats in marine protected
areas
• understand the impacts of extractive activities outside protected areas
• provide a nationwide picture of the state of New Zealand’s marine protected
areas, including aspects such as location, scale, and representation.
Monitoring marine protected areas, along with strong national spatial and temporal
monitoring (initiative CM7), will also help in setting thresholds, limits, and tipping points
for marine environment ecosystems, especially those related to activities and the use of
resources and ecosystem services.
Overall, this initiative will analyse existing efforts for conservation and environmental
protection, and look at opportunities for integrating data and filling gaps of areas needing
protection. The Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries already
work together in this area.
CM11 Complete an assessment and valuation of marine resources
Complete a strategic environmental assessment of ocean resources. This includes
assessing and valuating marine resources, such as mineral, fishing, and other assets. It
could also include an assessment and valuation of marine ecosystem services.
Related to this initiative is CM6, produce a System of Environmental and Economic
Accounting (SEEA) of coastal and marine mineral and energy resources. However,
further SEEA accounts will be needed to assess and value non-mineral or energy marine
resources.
CM12 Identify priority monitoring sites
Identify priority monitoring sites for environmental variables. These sites may be needed
for other initiatives, for example, CM5, complete Ocean Survey 20/20 project, and CM7,
develop national spatial and temporal monitoring.
CM13 Undertake baseline mapping
Undertake systematic baseline mapping, which may be important to and needed as part
of other initiatives, for example, CM7, develop national spatial and temporal monitoring,
CM1, identify baseline habitat state, and CM5, complete Ocean Survey 20/20 project.
CM14 Conduct horizon scanning
Conduct foresight and horizon-scanning and produce papers on key emerging issues,
including cost-benefit analysis.
CM15 Improve international reporting alignment
Align New Zealand reporting with international reporting. The objective is to maintain and
improve our international reputation by improving data use and alignment to national and
international commitments.
CM16 Assess coastal vulnerability
Assess the vulnerability of economic, cultural, social, and environmental assets in coastal
areas to sea-level rise and storm surge. This initiative is linked to Ministry of Business,
Innovation and Employment’s Natural Hazards Research Platform.
45
CM17 Improve resource information reuse
Make better use of existing samples and resources, for example, seabed footage. This
initiative relates to initiative CM9, increase data mining.
CM18 Map and characterise benthic habitats
Map and characterise all, or a representative sample, of New Zealand benthic habitats.
This initiative is included in CM1 Baseline habitat state and links to CM5, complete Ocean
Survey 20/20 project.
Coastal and marine environment initiatives table
Table 9 lists the coastal and marine environment initiatives by priority, estimates of their
complexity, and the supplementary enduring questions they address.
Table 9
Coastal and marine environment initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary question addressed
supplementary question (SEQ) addressed
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps inform
which SEQ
CM1
Identify baseline
habitat state
1
Highly complex
A, B, D, E
CM2
Expand statistical
governance over
coastal and
marine data
2=
Highly complex
All
CM3
Review existing
datasets
2=
Moderate
All
CM4
Integrate current
marine research
and initiatives
4=
Moderate
All
CM5
Complete Ocean
Survey 20/20
project
4=
Moderate
A
CM6
Produce a SEEA
of coastal and
marine mineral
and energy
resources
6
Moderate
B
7=
Highly complex
A, D
Develop national
spatial and
temporal
monitoring
CM7
46
Table 9 continued
supplementary question (SEQ) addressed
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps inform
which SEQ
CM8
Expand data
access and
interpretability
7=
Highly complex
All
CM9
Increase data
mining
7=
Moderate
All
CM10
Improve
monitoring of
marine protected
areas
7=
Moderate
F
CM11
Complete an
assessment and
valuation of
marine resources.
11
Highly complex
B
CM12
Identify priority
monitoring sites
12
Moderate
A
CM13
Undertake
baseline mapping
13=
Moderate
All
CM14
Conduct horizon
scanning
13=
Moderate
All
CM15
Improve
international
reporting
alignment
13=
Low
All
CM16
Assess coastal
vulnerability
16=
Moderate
A, D, E
CM17
Improve resource
information reuse
16=
Moderate
All
CM18
Map and
characterise
benthic habitats
16=
Moderate
A
47
5 Ecosystems and biodiversity
This chapter lists the questions about ecosystems and biodiversity that we would like
those questions. We then outline the initiatives to address our ecosystems and
biodiversity information needs.
Ecosystems and biodiversity are essential to New Zealand. Biodiversity is the
biological variability among living organisms within terrestrial, aquatic, and marine
ecosystems. Human well-being is dependent upon ‘ecosystem services’ provided by
nature, such as water and air purification; fisheries; timber; nutrient cycling; and the
aesthetic, recreational, and spiritual benefits gained from the environment. Pressures
resulting from population growth, changing diets of people, urbanisation, climate
change, and many other factors can cause biodiversity to decline and ecosystems to
be degraded. The loss of other valuable ecosystems can directly impact on food, fresh
water, and energy security (European Commission, 2013).
The Convention on biological diversity defines biological diversity as "the variability
among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and
other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this
includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems" (United
Nations, 1992).
The services that nature provides us with, like clean water, clean air, fertile soil, food,
are not only crucial for the well-being of human-kind; they also represent an
astronomical economic value (Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, nd).
Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, has
a role to play.
Ecosystems and biodiversity questions
on ecosystems and biodiversity.
Enduring questions
sustained?
A. How and where is the diversity and condition of indigenous species changing?1
B. How and where is the diversity and condition of indigenous ecosystems changing?
C. What impact does change to the diversity and condition of indigenous species and
ecosystems have on natural capital2 and the provision of ecosystem services?3
D. What is driving the change4 to the diversity and condition of indigenous species and
ecosystems, where does it occur, and how is it changing over time?
E. What ecosystem services5 are currently provided by New Zealand’s terrestrial and
freshwater environments, and how are these predicted to change in the future?
F. What and where is the impact of change to culturally significant indigenous taonga
(treasured) species, mahinga kai (customary food gathering areas and practices), and
ecosystems, and what is being done to protect and sustain them?
48
G. What and where is environmental protection effort6 being undertaken to protect and
sustain the diversity and condition of indigenous species and ecosystems, including
people and agencies, time and capital and how effective are the different efforts?
Notes
1. Changes include how and where the threats to indigenous biodiversity are changing,
such as threats from exotic weeds and pests, human activity resulting in habitat loss, land
use intensification, climate change, and air pollution.
2. Natural capital includes renewable and non-renewable resources in ecosystems (eg
indigenous forests).
3. Ecosystem services are grouped into four main types – provisioning services (eg
providing food), regulatory services (eg when oceans act as a carbon sink), supporting
marine reserves).
4. Changes include how and where the threat to indigenous biodiversity is changing (eg
threats from exotic weeds and pests, human activities resulting in habitat loss, land use
intensification, climate change, and air pollution).
marine reserves). Coastal and marine environment ecosystem services are considered in
that Coastal and marine area.
Gap analysis
Table 10 summarises how well official information (including Crown research institute
data) informs the supplementary enduring questions on ecosystems and biodiversity. See
Table 10
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on ecosystems and biodiversity
and biodiversity
Supplementary
enduring
question (SEQ)
Question topic
data informs SEQ
A
Changes to the diversity and condition of
indigenous species
Medium
B
Changes to the diversity and condition of
indigenous ecosystems
Medium
C
Impacts on natural capital and ecosystem
services
49
Low
Table 10 continued
and biodiversity
Supplementary
enduring
question (SEQ)
Question topic
data informs SEQ
D
Drivers of changes to the diversity and
condition of indigenous species
Medium
E
Ecosystem services provided
Low
F
Impacts of changes to culturally significant
indigenous species, and ecosystems
Low
G
Environmental protection effort
Low
We scored five data sources as highly informing the supplementary enduring questions:
•
Natural Heritage Management System
•
National Vegetation Survey databank
•
Freshwater ecosystems of New Zealand
•
Plant Pest Information Network
•
Forest health database.
Ecosystems and biodiversity initiatives
In these initiatives, biodiversity excludes exotic species. However, exotic species may be
included in ecosystems services information. For example, exotic trees may provide a
high-quality ecosystem service in preventing soil erosion.
EB1 Establish an ecosystems and biodiversity data forum
New Zealand’s native biodiversity is unique, born of long isolation as small islands in a
vast ocean.
The high percentage of endemic species (those found nowhere else in the world), make
New Zealand’s native biodiversity both special and highly vulnerable. The initiative that
received the highest priority at the workshop was to create an ecosystems and
biodiversity forum. Specifically, this involves setting up a national biodiversity data forum
similar to the land and water forum. The current issue for ecosystems and biodiversity
governance is no overarching coordination or strategic direction. The will to lead this
initiative is needed and multiparty / agency participation is essential for such a forum to
succeed. Department of Conservation with the wider Natural Resources Sector (NRS)
may have an important role here.
Membership and leadership of the forum may include:
• Crown research institutes (CRIs) – continue to advise the best approach to
national environmental reporting
•
Local Government New Zealand – coordinate regional council data nationally
•
regional government
•
Department of Conservation – with support from Statistics NZ acting as leading
data custodian through the Official Statistics System
•
non-governmental organisations involved in data collection and storage
50
•
museums (such as Te Papa Tongarewa)
•
Citizen Science New Zealand – assist systematic biodiversity data collection.
It is common across this domain plan for a top-ranked initiative to concern leadership and
governance.
The first task of this initiative is to identify an agency to coordinate and lead the forum.
This lead agency will report on the status and trends in biodiversity and ecosystem
services, and oversee and coordinate regional, national, and international reporting. The
forum will create a stakeholder-led collaborative vision and determine the way forward
(see Land and Water Forum, 2012, for how this may work).
There is an extensive biodiversity chapter in the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Aquatic
environment and biodiversity annual review 2012 that relates to this initiative.
The forum could:
• govern forum processes, such as how to approach collaboration and how to
measure success
• have a lead role in ecosystems and biodiversity research, data provision, and
collaboration
• provide strategic direction on data collection, storage, and reporting
• establish collaboration processes for all involved in bio data capture and storage
• provide technical expertise, such as in the architecture of data storage
• conduct a collaborative ‘state of New Zealand’s biodiversity’ research project to
provide information on defining our current biodiversity and its status
• coordinate members and actions.
Should this forum adopt an advisory function for national biodiversity and ecosystems
data, it may help clarify and standardise the following about the topic:
•
definitions
•
methodologies
•
assessments.
An initial co-benefit will be improving the link between data providers and users and
coordinating data sharing, reuse, and integration.
EB2 Invest in key databases, collections, and systems
Invest in and maintain key databases, collections, and systems, to support decisionmaking and to answer the supplementary enduring questions across the eco-systems
and biodiversity domain.
Specifically this initiative involves:
•
identifying data voids and obtaining targeted funding for filling high-priority gaps
•
identifying key datasets and dedicating long-term funding to ensure their
continuity
•
funding and implementing technical architecture for methods and data
•
funding and maintaining ecosystem and biodiversity monitoring systems, IT
systems, and supplementary systems
•
ensuring commitment to maintaining systematic biodiversity data collection and
attendant databases.
This initiative is related to EB1, establish an ecosystems and biodiversity data forum.
51
EB3 Identify repeat measures to answer supplementary enduring
questions
Identify and establish unbiased repeat measures and methods to answer each
supplementary enduring question, using existing systems where possible. Doing this
work will improve the statistical reporting of environmental issues about this topic and the
Official Statistics System. Part of this work may be to review the supplementary enduring
questions due to developments in this area.
This initiative moves beyond the gap analysis process, in that it aims to identify systems
that will consistently provide data that answers the supplementary enduring questions.
There is a need to identify the indicators, baseline, and trend data needed for each
question.
To successfully achieve this initiative we need to complete an assessment of each
biodiversity database to know:
• what the database holds
• what their strengths are
•
what are the data limitations for databases both inside, and possibly outside of, the
Official Statistics System.
The Ministry for Primary Industries’ Aquatic environment and biodiversity annual review
contributes to this work.
Collaborative research projects that define our current biodiversity and answers the
supplementary enduring questions may further inform on the state of New Zealand’s
biodiversity. We should keep in mind that any biodiversity indicators we use to answer the
supplementary enduring questions (relating to terrestrial, freshwater, and marine
biodiversity) should also be meaningful to Māori.
The following supplementary enduring questions need further information.
Supplementary enduring question D, on the drivers to changes to ecosystems and
biodiversity could include for example, Statistics NZ asking animal health boards about
possum numbers – are they declining or increasing? What is the rate of damage on
indigenous vegetation and indigenous species? In this example, we want to know if
possums are driving change and by how much, although this data is very specific to
possums.
Supplementary enduring question G is about environmental protection efforts. Statistics
NZ can inform this by collating information from the QE II Trust and Councils to determine
how much land is protected for biodiversity purposes, such as covenanted lands, regional
parks, and esplanade reserves. Department of Conservation also has information on the
amount of land in the natural estate. Currently, this legally protected land is a variable of
the native land cover collected by the Ministry for the Environment. Also available is
information on land identified by councils as significant natural areas or indigenous
vegetation. The QEII Trust can also provide data on nationwide costs.
Department of Conservation supports the regional councils’ initiative to adopt systematic
terrestrial monitoring under the Natural Heritage Management System. Department of
Conservation (DOC) and Landcare Research are supporting regional councils to adopt a
similar approach, to lead monitoring across non-DOC land. An assessment may be
needed on whether a more pragmatic stratified approach is needed.
A review of the enduring questions after a reporting cycle may be useful and could be led
by Statistics NZ. The Natural Resources Sector may assist in assessing each enduring
question for data required. More information on how existing data contributes to
questions would need to be discussed with CRIs. Statistics NZ could lead these
discussions.
52
This initiative could link strongly to EB1, establish an ecosystems and biodiversity data
forum, depending on the terms of reference established for the forum.
EB4 Implement a biodiversity information architecture
Develop biodiversity information architecture / infrastructure, for example, similar to the
Atlas of Living Australia. The Atlas of Living Australia has information, analysis, maps,
and data on all known species in Australia.
This initiative relates to initiative EB2, invest in key databases, collections, and systems,
as funding is needed to implement the technical architecture for methods and data
measuring ecosystems and biodiversity. It also relates to EB1, establish an ecosystems
and biodiversity data forum.
This initiative also needs to build the infrastructure that integrates with existing data.
Doing this will create a portal for this data and will make it useful to more users.
EB5 Assess the value of ecosystems and biodiversity (see also
LN4, undertake ecosystem services assessment)
Assess the value of ecosystems and biodiversity to New Zealand. These values extend to
the cultural, social, and environmental aspects as well as economic values, and may
differ among sectors and communities in the country.
Values initiatives also appear in other topics, such as freshwater (see chapter 7). There
are many interests in the natural environment and values may compete against each
other.
Determining the value of ecosystem services in New Zealand, across all values, is a
component of this initiative. We can achieve this by doing case studies that focus on
areas of current attention, for example, water quality and its links to dairy farming. At a
higher level these studies could focus on the value of ecosystem services from the
environment to New Zealand as a whole.
Cross-departmental research projects about ecosystems services exist (including work
completed by former Biosecurity NZ), which inform risk-assessment decisions on the
impact of introducing new species to the New Zealand environment.
EB6 Develop a national information portal
Develop a national portal to enable access and sharing of information. This initiative
would be enhanced with the use of common data measuring and reporting processes,
such as those mentioned in initiatives EB9, align ecosystems and biodiversity database,
and EB15, develop metadata standards.
EB7 Develop indicators reflecting Māori values
Develop ecosystems and biodiversity indicators that reflect Māori values. This may build
on the concepts that were developed around Māori values of water, and extending these
across a more holistic system.
EB8 Develop a portal listing all existing projects
Develop a portal that lists all existing projects, initiatives, and efforts on ecosystems and
biodiversity. Having this portal will make organisations aware of the data, maximise its
benefits, and avoid duplication.
EB9 Align ecosystems and biodiversity database
Align ecosystems and biodiversity collection and reporting databases that are similar.
This will standardise data collection and reporting. The Terrestrial and Freshwater
53
Biodiversity Information System, run by Department of Conservation, will likely support
work like this to improve the coherence of information management
EB10 Evaluate ecosystem and biodiversity goals
Evaluate existing national biodiversity and ecosystems goals to specify more clearly what
we are aiming for.
EB11 Develop capacity and capability
Develop the capacity and capability of people to answer future ecosystems and
biodiversity questions. This initiative also includes supporting citizen science for the
benefit of New Zealand.
EB12 Identify key datasets and custodians
Identify the key datasets, their custodians, funding security, and quality, including fitness
for purpose.
EB13 Facilitate local government working with DOC
Facilitate regional and district councils, and others working with Department of
Conservation (DOC), to help provide data on ecosystems and biodiversity.
EB14 Define New Zealand’s biota
Develop a strategy for advising and defining New Zealand’s biota. This strategy will be
created by the lead agency of the ecosystems and biodiversity forum. This would perhaps
extend the work already underway at Landcare Research for defining biota and the New
Zealand Organisms Register.
EB15 Develop metadata standards
Develop a standard for ecosystems and biodiversity metadata. Having a standard will
enhance the use of data-sharing portals, such as that proposed in initiatives EB6,
develop a national information portal, and EB9, align ecosystems and biodiversity
database.
EB16 Develop the analysis and feedback loops
Develop the analysis and feedback loops for ecosystems and biodiversity reporting. This
initiative relates to databases initiatives EB6, develop a national information portal; EB8,
develop a portal listing all existing projects; and EB9, align ecosystems and biodiversity
database. It also relates to EB1, establish an ecosystems and biodiversity data forum.
54
Ecosystems and biodiversity initiatives table
Table 11 lists the ecosystems and biodiversity initiatives by priority, estimates of their
complexity, and the supplementary enduring questions they address.
Table 11
Ecosystems and biodiversity initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring questions addressed
enduring question (SEQ) addressed
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
rank
Complexity
Helps inform
which SEQ
EB1
Establish an
ecosystems and
biodiversity data
forum
1=
Complex
All
EB2
Invest in key
databases,
collections, and
systems
1=
Complex
All
EB3
Identify repeat
measures to
answer
supplementary
enduring
questions
3
Complex
All
EB4
Implement a
biodiversity
information
architecture
4=
Complex
A, B, D, F
EB5
Assess the value
of ecosystems
and biodiversity
(see also LN4)
4=
Highly complex
C, E, F
EB6
Develop a
national
information portal
6
Moderate
All
EB7
Develop
indicators
reflecting Māori
values
7=
Highly complex
F
EB8
Develop a portal
listing all existing
projects
7=
Moderate
All
Align ecosystems
and biodiversity
database
7=
Moderate
All
EB9
55
Table 11 continued
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
rank
Complexity
Helps inform
which SEQ
EB10
Evaluate
ecosystems and
biodiversity and
goals
7=
Moderate
All
EB11
Develop capacity
and capability
11=
Complex
All
EB12
Identify key
datasets and
custodians
11=
Complex
All
EB13
Facilitate local
government
working with DOC
13=
Complex
All
EB14
Define New
Zealand’s biota
13=
Complex
A, D, F
EB15
Develop
metadata
standards
13=
Moderate
All
EB16
Develop the
analysis and
feedback loops
13=
Moderate
All
56
6 Energy
This chapter lists the questions about energy that we would like addressed. We present a
summary of the analysis of the official data that addresses those questions. We then
outline the initiatives that have been identified to address our energy information needs.
New Zealand’s environment and economy interact through many obvious links. One such
link is energy – or more specifically – the supply, distribution, and use of energy.
This link functions as follows – energy is sourced from the environment through different
forms, both renewable and non-renewable. This energy is then distributed to the
economy – typically as electricity – to supply the needs of industries, businesses, and
households.
Renewable energy plays an important role in New Zealand's energy supply system, as
described in the New Zealand Energy Strategy. Concern about climate change and limits
on fossil fuel reserves is driving the development and uptake of even more renewable
energy technologies to generate electricity, provide heating, and power our vehicles
(Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, 2013).
Energy questions
on energy.
Enduring question
A. What and where are New Zealand’s current energy resources and what is the potential
for future exploitation and development?
B. What and where is the environmental impact of energy1 generation2, distribution, and
use in New Zealand?
C. What and where is the environmental impact through the life cycle3 of renewable
energy generation, and which types of renewable energy best support New Zealand's
sustainable development?
D. To what extent are energy conservation and energy efficiency options being taken,
and where and how are these affecting the demand for energy?
E. What and where are the environmental-cultural risks and impact of energy generation,
distribution, and use, for Māori, and how can they be minimised?
F. What and where is environmental protection effort 4 being done to address the
environmental impact of energy generation, distribution, and use?
57
Notes
1. Both non-renewable (includes, but is not limited to, coal, gas, and oil) and renewable
(includes, but is not limited to, hydro, geothermal, wind, biogas, solar, tidal, and wave)
resources.
2. Generation refers to extracting and capturing resources for productive use.
3. The life cycle covers the cumulative environmental impact of building power generation
capacity, and maintaining, running, and decommissioning plant and equipment.
Gap analysis
data) informs the supplementary enduring questions on energy. See appendix 3 for
details of the analysis process.
Table 12
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on energy
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on energy
Supplementary
enduring
question (SEQ)
Question topic
data informs SEQ
A
Current and potential resources
Medium
B
Environmental impacts of energy
Low
C
Life cycle and sustainable development
Low
D
Energy conservation and efficiency
Medium
E
Risks to Māori
Low
F
Low
We scored three data sources highly for informing the supplementary enduring questions:
•
Energy efficiency and renewable energy monitoring process
•
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas inventory
•
Energy statistics (produced by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and
Employment).
Energy initiatives
This section presents the energy initiatives by priority and a discussion of each in detail.
EN1 Establish baseline knowledge of energy supply and
environmental impacts
This is one of the top-rated initiatives for the energy topic. It aims to gather baseline data
on energy supply and subsequent environmental impacts. Baseline knowledge is
important for understanding energy and its relationship to the environment and economy.
58
Baseline parameters may include:
• fuel prices
•
discretionary income
•
land use
•
water quantity and quality
•
air quality.
EN2 Conduct research into distributed energy generation
Assess the current state and potential for distributed energy generation in New Zealand.
Distributed generation or small-scale distributed energy production systems could play an
important role in the primary production sector, which is a key contributor to New
Zealand’s economy. These systems can be a more reliable supply for users, and
potentially avoids various costs. Currently, benefits are for users only; however, this
initiative may also benefit the whole country after an increase in the use of micro-energy
production.
Part of this initiative may be the need to assess the costs of distributed generation. We
may need to consider the costs on infrastructure from widespread distributed generation
as well as those from electricity suppliers that need to be factored in. In the short term,
high costs are likely and benefits may not be clear.
We need to explore the potential for distributed generation and if it will likely happen.
Currently, distributed generation is complex to set up. There are small-scale energy
sources in operation in New Zealand (eg in agriculture), but many rules and regulations in
place for those wanting to invest in distributed generation.
Beyond farming, there is also a potential for distributed generation for homes and other
sectors.
The Electricity Authority, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, and Crown
research institutes would work with industry to assess the potential for developing and
exploiting distribution generation. Electricity Authority has already undertaken work on
exploring the regulatory setup for distributed generation.
EN3 Explore underlying resource data
Collate, analyse, and map the underlying resource data for both renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Doing this would ensure long-term risks to the resources
(such as security of supply) can be evaluated. Data on energy sources would be made
publicly available.
Energy sources include, but are not limited to:
• hydro
•
wind
•
solar
•
wave
•
geothermal
•
petroleum
•
gas hydrates
•
biomass.
59
EN4 Quantify environmental impacts
Establish what environmental factors are needed to define the environmental impacts of
energy production, use, and generation. To do this, we need to determine a method to
quantify the environmental impacts. Understanding the direct link of energy production,
use, and generation to environmental impacts will help determine future best practices.
This initiative could be done as a research project with funding from industries or Crown
research institutes, extending work already under way.
EN5 Collate regional energy datasets
Combine regional energy datasets so they are easily accessible at a national level. A
centralised regional consent database would be created to store this information. It will
provide good information on such parameters as:
• environmental protection expenditure
•
resource consents
•
mitigation
•
transport by mode.
Some standardisation may be required as regional data is often not comparable.
This database could be funded by the central government.
EN6 Collate consents information
Collate information on consents applied for, granted, and built (for both renewable and
non-renewable energy) under the Resource Management Act 1991. This will provide
national oversight and may be useful for assessing impacts.
The database could possibly be administered by the Ministry for the Environment or the
Environmental Protection Authority.
Initiative MR4, compile regional council data, from the mineral resources topic is linked to
this initiative.
EN7 Undertake survey of iwi organisations
Conduct a survey to capture information around both iwi activity and perceptions on
energy. Information from the survey may help working relationships between different
organisations. Survey questions could include topics such as energy concerns for iwi or
what resources iwi organisations use. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority
and Te Puni Kokiri would be candidates for leading this work.
EN8 Expand externalities of energy data
Add requirements to current energy reporting. The additional data may include transport
data and volume for getting fuel products to users.
Much of the desired information will be available from regional councils as part of
consents and consent-monitoring frameworks. This links to initiative EN6, collate
consents information, which may be a more efficient way of collecting that information.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment; Electricity Authority; Ministry of
Transport; Ministry for the Environment; Environmental Protection Authority; and the Gas
Industry Company may carry out this initiative.
EN9 Expand research on climate change impacts
Investigate climate change impacts further. The impacts of climate change on energy
generation, production, security, and use are not always obvious. Research to explore
60
these impacts in more detail will be useful in a wider environmental context. This
research could be commissioned by a central government agency or as part of core
funding for the Crown research institutes.
EN10 Influence consumer behaviour
Conduct a survey or social science research to know the public’s view of energy and
associated impacts. By measuring this, it may be possible to influence the public’s
behaviour around energy use and so reduce environmental impacts. The Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Authority would be involved in this initiative and the Ministry
of Business, Innovation and Employment supports research in this area.
EN11 Measure policy effectiveness
Measure the effectiveness of regional and national renewable energy policy. This
initiative could be linked to the National Monitoring and Review Project, currently
undertaken by the Ministry for the Environment.
EN12 Introduce cultural values census question
This initiative suggests Statistics NZ include a cultural values question to the Census of
Population and Dwellings. The question will relate to cultural values on using resources. It
will be targeted to Māori and broad ethnic groups.
EN13 Identify best energy practice for quantifying environmental
impacts
Identify best energy practice for quantifying environmental impacts. This will build on the
existing energy awards process currently run by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Authority. This initiative is linked to initiative EN4, quantify environmental impacts.
EN14 Improve environment domain plan process
For future environment domain plans, this initiative seeks to improve consultation around
gathering data for the stocktake and for engaging experts in the process.
Energy initiatives table
Table 13 lists the energy initiatives by priority, estimates of their complexity, and the
61
Table 13
Atmosphere initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question addressed
Energy initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question (SEQ)
addressed
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps inform
which SEQ
EN1
Establish baseline
knowledge of energy
supply and
environmental
impacts
1=
Highly complex
All
EN2
Conduct research
into distributed
energy generation
1=
Complex
A
EN3
Explore underlying
resource data
1=
Complex
All
EN4
Quantify
environmental
impacts
1=
Highly complex
B, C, E
EN5
Collate regional
energy datasets
5
Complex
All
EN6
Collate consents
information
6
Moderate
A, B, C, E
EN7
Survey iwi
organisations
7=
Moderate
E
EN8
Expand externalities
of energy data
7=
Moderate
All
EN9
Expand research on
climate change
impacts
7=
Highly complex
D
EN10
Influence consumer
behaviour
10=
Moderate
D, F
EN11
Measure policy
effectiveness
10=
Complex
All
EN12
Introduce cultural
values census
question
12=
Moderate
E
EN13
Identify best energy
practice
12=
Moderate
D
EN14
Improve environment
domain plan process
12=
Moderate
All
62
7 Freshwater
This chapter lists the questions about freshwater that we would like addressed. We
present a summary of the analysis of the official data that addresses those questions. We
then outline the initiatives that have been identified to address our freshwater information
needs.
Fresh water is among our most valuable natural assets. New Zealand’s rivers, streams
and lakes are highly valued for recreational activities, providing a safe drinking supply
and sustaining natural ecosystems that are home to many of New Zealand’s native
species.
Fresh water is a vital part of the New Zealand economy: it is used to irrigate crops and
pastures, dispose of or dilute trade wastes and sewage, and produce hydro-electric
energy.
Water is also a fundamental taonga (treasure) for Māori. Māori have cultural, historical
and spiritual links with many of the country’s springs, wetlands, rivers, hot pools, lakes
and also value having healthy water bodies for mahinga kai (customary food and
resource gathering) (Ministry for the Environment, 2007).
Freshwater questions
on freshwater.
Enduring questions
A. What is New Zealand's freshwater1 quality2, what are the spatial and temporal trends,3
and how are these affected by climate change, human activity, and other pressures?
B. What is the quantity (stocks) of New Zealand's freshwater, what are the spatial and
temporal trends, and how are these affected by climate change, human activity, and other
pressures?
C. What is the use (flows) and allocation of our freshwater, what are the spatial and
pressures?
D. What impact does the change to quality, quantity, and use of freshwater have on
ecosystems and humans?
E. What is the health4 of freshwater and freshwater mahinga kai (customary food
gathering areas and practices) from a Māori perspective5, and how and why is this
changing?
F. What, where, and how is environmental protection effort6 being done to maintain and
improve freshwater?
63
Notes
1. Freshwater includes (but is not limited to) rivers, lakes, wetlands, rain, snow, ice, and
ground water.
2. Quality includes measures of nutrient, heat, organic, sediment, macro-invertebrates,
and bacteriological quality. Emerging contaminants, such as endocrine disruptors, may
also be considered.
3. Trends include the general directions of the past and present, and predictions of future
possibilities.
4. Health includes the look, sound, smell, and feel of freshwater, uses of the river, the
abundance and diversity of mahinga kai, water quality, riverbank condition, water flow
characteristics, and safety of the water to drink and other indicators.
5. At the catchment and site level.
Gap analysis
data) informs the supplementary enduring questions on freshwater. See appendix 3 for
details of the analysis process.
Table 14
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on freshwater
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on freshwater
Supplementary
enduring
question (SEQ)
Question topic
data informs SEQ
A
Freshwater quality
Medium
B
Freshwater quantity (stocks)
Medium
C
Use and flows of freshwater
Low
D
Impacts of changes
Medium
E
Health of freshwater and mahinga kai
Low
F
Low
We scored four data sources as moderately informing the supplementary enduring
questions (none scored highly):
• Freshwater ecosystems of New Zealand geo-database (FENZ)
•
State and trends in the river water quality
•
Snapshot of water allocation in New Zealand
•
Snapshot of groundwater quality in New Zealand.
64
Freshwater initiatives
This section presents the freshwater initiatives by priority and a discussion of each in
detail.
FW1 Create a freshwater national geospatial platform
The highest-scoring initiative for freshwater is to create one national geospatial platform
linked to nationally consistent environmental reporting, applicable first to central
government and second to local government. This initiative can be applied to all topics
and many environment domain plan initiatives.
Geospatial information describes the location and names of features beneath, on, or
above the earth's surface. At its simplest, this can mean the basic topographical
information found on a map, but also includes different location-related datasets
combined into complex layers that show information such as land use and population
density.
Land and Water New Zealand’s (LAWNZ’s) web interface has the potential to be the
national geospatial platform. LAWNZ is a regional council-led initiative that already
displays freshwater information from all regional councils. The Ministry for the
Environment is currently holding talks with regional councils to see if national-level data
could be displayed on this same web platform. The datasets used by the LAWNZ website
are held by regional councils and are collected and stored using different methods.
However, multiple initiatives are under way to increase the consistency and encourage
open access and data reuse.
An important current database is the Freshwater Ecosystems of New Zealand (FENZ)
geo-database. FENZ provides an independent national representation of the biodiversity
values and pressures on New Zealand’s rivers, lakes, and wetlands.
Additionally, the New Zealand Geospatial Office, part of Land Information New Zealand,
provides significant geospatial information.
Doing this initiative will have the following key benefits for New Zealand:
•
geospatial information supports many businesses, government, and community
activities
•
use and reuse of this information has significant productivity-related benefits.
Government topographic data forms a common base layer for many location-related
datasets used by government and non-government organisations. The New Zealand
Government has invested heavily in collecting geospatial information, but at present
using this information to its full potential is often difficult. For example, linking separate
pieces of information about the same location is sometimes impossible because of the
different ways the location is described.
The New Zealand Geospatial Office's goal is to overcome these issues by promoting the
collection, management, and use of geospatial information to build a common base of
data so people and organisations can use them for many applications.
On ownership or governance, freshwater communities of interest should contribute to
forming the governance structures, which will define and agree on standards, fund their
development, approve them, drive their evolution, and certify their application.
FW2 Identify and assess freshwater values
This initiative concerns the many values surrounding freshwater, specifically which values
are associated with fresh waterways, and how well we are protecting these values.
65
To achieve and measure a coherent national set of values, including Māori values, this
initiative requires:
• identifying the many values related to freshwater
•
having accessible databases holding freshwater values data
•
understanding the status of the resource against values at the appropriate scale
and site
•
having values-data available to inform good water decisions and making tradeoffs between values, for example, the decisions on one value compared with
another.
Identifying and assessing values requires building a national picture of freshwater health
from a Māori perspective, and linking that with other values, including other cultural
values, and those surrounding fisheries, swimming, economic use, and other ecological
values, which all need to be considered together. Currently, there is work under way by
the Ministry for the Environment on the proposed National Objectives Framework which
has strong links to freshwater values.
This initiative should recognise the development and adoption of a consistent typology of
values by the Land and Water Forum and National Objectives Framework. This work has
helped to come up with a coherent and consistent set of value names, and can inform an
agreed list of values and sub-values.
Initially, it is necessary to confirm agreement on value names and meanings for such
freshwater elements as:
• biodiversity
•
wild and scenic rivers
•
recreational use, such as white water rafting
•
tangata whenua
•
hydropower generation
•
other river lakes and stream use.
After agreeing on value names and meanings it is necessary to:
• identify all values among the different groups and sectors
•
assess where those values are held throughout New Zealand
•
establish databases with values information
•
analyse and assess how well we are meeting those values.
FW3 Reassess information to answer supplementary enduring
questions
Reassess the information available to answer the enduring and supplementary enduring
questions, to more fully answer the freshwater topic questions. This initiative could be
extended to reassess the supplementary enduring questions.
This reassessment could confirm:
• what information is available
•
at what scale this information is available
•
what’s missing
•
what’s needed
•
what mechanism exists for prioritising further initiatives.
66
Additionally, this initiative covers designing a system to ensure the right questions are
asked, establishes the solutions to data needs, and include scale and temporal answers
to the enduring questions.
Initially, assessments of how much water is being used by industry (by sector) and
households are required. It is conceived that new information from Resource
Management (Measurement and Reporting of Water Takes) Regulations 2010 on actual
use will contribute to meeting this objective, and enable answering the supplementary
enduring questions to some degree.
This initiative requires integrating freshwater quality and quantity monitoring, reporting,
decision making, and policy making, and highlighting questions such as:
•
What information is needed by whom and where and why and at what scale and
timeframe?
•
What do we need to know to answer the supplementary enduring questions?
•
Is water available for use?
•
Is water supply and use fit for purpose?
•
What will the water supply regime cost?
In particular, building a national picture of environmental protection effort on freshwater
may become achievable – from compiling a new national dataset of these based on
existing information. Environmental protection effort reporting will use the System of
Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) standard.
FW4 Expand data governance
Expand governance over freshwater data. Governance is an initiative present in many of
the environment domain plan’s 10 topics. Establishing data governance creates an
enabling structure to:
• govern the collection and storage
•
share the costs
•
collect and store the data
•
ensure data and database management.
Consolidating on previous efforts, a governance structure at the national level for
freshwater builds on other work, such as the National Environmental Monitoring and
Reporting project (project participants include the Ministry for the Environment (MfE),
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), GNS Science, and Opus),
Land and Water Forum, and the National Environmental Monitoring Standards initiatives.
All of these projects involve regional council groups.
The governance group may include the Natural Resources Sector, Land and Water
Forum, Crown research institutes, regional councils, National Environmental Monitoring
and Reporting project, and other interested parties. This work may start by building the
governance structure at the national level then expanding to fully include all regional
levels.
Governance should:
• address the issue of water management, which is currently hindered by being
inherently integrative but seldom integrated
•
allow for adaptive freshwater management, reversible allocation, use of the
precautionary principal which requires information and implies uncertainty
67
•
provide for integration of quality and quantity in monitoring, reporting, decisionmaking and policy-making
•
provide honesty and openness in providing freshwater information
•
balance all user needs and timeframes in water management.
Issues for governance include financing data collection and data management. When
funds decline, answering questions such as:
• What data will we have from the existing data collection?
• What datasets should be terminated or interrupted given enduring
questions/priorities?
• What is happening now to assist in managing the issue?
• Where does funding come from (eg water users, government)?
FW5 Establish key indicators
Establish a set of key indicators for understanding freshwater, including:
•
analysing the cost effectiveness of water use
•
conducting sensitivity analysis of freshwater issues and hot spots
•
observing trends in water quality and ecosystems health
•
reporting on what people care about, including swim-ability, fish-ability, and water
drinkability (work under initiative FW2, identify and assess freshwater values, will
inform this question).
This is a wide-ranging initiative that reaches across all freshwater enduring questions.
To be very useful, key indicators information should be made available in a timely fashion
and in a suitable format.
Key indicators may possibly include proxy indicators such as those for drivers of water
quality. A possibility is water quality based on milk-solid production and correlating this to
observed trends in water quality and surrounding ecosystems. Such indicators may
inform on the links between land use and water quality.
Key indicators should be representative of all types of freshwater including:
• rivers, streams, and water races
•
lakes and artificial lakes
•
groundwater
•
freshwater wetlands
•
snow and ice.
Key indicators inform the enduring questions and supplementary enduring questions, as
well as stakeholders and people who value freshwater. Important work for this initiative
was started in the National Environmental Monitoring and Reporting (NEMaR) indicator
and variable work, and continues in the National Objectives Framework project.
FW6 Produce a SEEA water flow account
For Statistics NZ to undertake a System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA)
water flow account. The benefit of using the SEEA framework is that reports on water use
in the environment and economy are on an industrial-sector basis.
This SEEA account would be undertaken by Statistics NZ, requiring data from regional
councils and assistance from the Ministry for the Environment (MfE). New information on
68
freshwater use is being collected through measuring and reporting water takes according
to the Resource Management (Measurement and Reporting of Water Takes) Regulations
2010.
The benefit of this initiative to New Zealand is having an assessment of how much water
is being used by industry sector and households, so policy and management decisions
may be better informed. This information will be useful for reporting on Green Growth and
Sustainable Development.
FW7 Agree on categorisation systems
Achieve comprehensive and agreed categorisation systems.
By achieving agreement on categorisation systems, having documentation, and
disseminating categorisation systems, New Zealand will benefit because everyone
understands concepts and terms the same way.
For example, for question E (What is the health of freshwater and freshwater mahinga kai
from a Māori perspective and how and why are these changing?) there is a need for
systems to categorise mahinga kai / health / matauranga – but at what scale do the
categories apply?
Agreed categorisation systems will require extensive consultation, and reference to
current categorisations, to be accepted. This work will build on current well-developed
frameworks and categories.
Agreement and documentation of any agreement will be followed by dissemination.
The following terms are examples of what could be included in this categorisation
initiative, where further agreement in meanings would be useful. These examples could
benefit from agreement on clear definitions together with inclusions and exclusions:
•
biodiversity
•
wild and scenic rivers
•
recreational use such as white water rafting
•
tangata whenua
•
hydropower generation.
This initiative could start with including the existing typologies (classifications) of rivers,
lakes, and wetlands included in the Freshwater Ecosystems of New Zealand
geodatabase and elsewhere in New Zealand.
FW8 Produce a SEEA environmental protection account
For Statistics NZ to undertake a SEEA environmental protection expenditure account.
The benefits of using the SEEA framework include reporting environmental protection
effort in the environment and economy on an industrial sector basis.
Environmental protection effort aids the analysis of the impacts of economic and social
policy on the environment. In addition, it can be used to infer the economic response to
environmental policies and regulations. Environmental protection effort also enables the
calculation of the contribution of the 'environment industry' towards gross domestic
product.
For Statistics NZ to undertake this work, coordination with Ministry for the Environment
and access to in-depth environmental protection effort information from all councils and
organisations undertaking environmental protection effort would be required.
69
FW9 Conduct cross-dataset reporting
Conduct cross-dataset reporting to enable reporting that is publicly accessible. Linking
datasets allows for assessing structured data from various sources so they can be
interlinked and become more useful. More value from data and potential large-cost
savings are possible with this initiative.
This initiative can be applied to all topics and many environment domain plan initiatives,
and would require extensive coordination and communication. Additionally, the linking of
data to address values in reporting is seen as a priority initiative (see FW2, identify and
assess freshwater values).
FW10 Carry out forecasting modelling
Carry out forecasting modelling, in particular to conduct national modelling including
predictive forecasting and analysis. There would be a need to develop the ability to report
on this and emphasise forecasting analyses during communication.
This initiative seeks to develop modelling for predictive forecasting. Also included in this
initiative is developing a suitable communication and reporting tool.
FW11 Create a values inventory
Extends the work of initiative FW2, identify and assess freshwater values, by creating a
values inventory. This inventory will include different regional and societal values.
This initiative seeks to bring together all the wider values of biodiversity, such as wild and
scenic rivers, recreational use of freshwater, hydropower generation, tangata whenua,
and other values held in New Zealand.
FW12 Develop an integrated catchment management tool
Develop an integrated catchment management tool that can establish cause and affect
relationships. This initiative is a large task with extensive coordination and causational
analysis required.
The benefits may include a better understanding of all factors in catchment management.
It will also improve decision-making.
FW13 Produce a SEEA water monetary stock account
For Statistics NZ to undertake a SEEA water monetary stock account. The benefits of
using the SEEA framework include reporting water monetary stocks in the environment
and economy on an industrial sector basis.
Historically, water has been treated as a free and often unlimited resource, but irrigation,
industrialisation, and population growth are leading to increased demand and
competition. Allocation of water rights, pricing, pollution, and conservation are becoming
increasingly important.
For Statistics NZ to undertake this work, coordination with Ministry for the Environment
and in-depth water monetary stocks information would be required from all councils and
organisations involved in water valuations and water market activity.
FW14 Establish a national map of water flow lag times
Create a national map of water flow lag times, including groundwater. This in turn will
allow us to have a national map of lag times for flows of water above and below ground.
This national map will add to the understanding of the hydrological flow cycle and will
benefit freshwater management in New Zealand.
70
This initiative requires extensive CRI and regional council involvement.
FW15 Undertake water flow lag-time predictions
Undertake water flow lag-time predictions, including groundwater, and predicting the
future state of lag times. This initiative requires extensive Crown research institute (CRI)
and regional council involvement. It also relates to initiative FW14; establish a national
map of water flow lag times.
Freshwater initiatives table
Table 15 lists the freshwater initiatives by priority, estimates of their complexity, and the
Table 15
Freshwater initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question (SEQ) addressed
Freshwater initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps inform which
SEQ
FW1
Create a freshwater
national geospatial
platform
1
Highly
complex
All
FW2
Identify and assess
freshwater values
2
Complex
D, E
FW3
Reassess
information to
answer
supplementary
enduring questions
3
Complex
All
FW4
Expand data
governance
4
Complex
All
FW5
Establish key
indicators
5
Complex
All
FW6
Produce a SEEA
water flow account
6
Complex
B, C, D
FW7
Agree on
categorisation
systems
7
Highly
complex
All
FW8
Produce a SEEA
environmental
protection account
8=
Moderate
F
FW9
Conduct crossdataset reporting
8=
Moderate
All
8=
Complex
All
Carry out
forecasting
modelling
FW10
71
Table 15 continued
Freshwater initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps inform which
SEQ
FW11
Create a values
inventory
11=
Highly
complex
All
FW12
Develop an
integrated
catchment
management tool
11=
Highly
complex
All
FW13
Produce a SEEA
water monetary
stock account
11=
Complex
B, C, F
FW14
Establish a national
map of water flow
lag times
14=
Complex
B, C, D
FW15
Undertake water
flow lag-time
predictions
14=
Complex
B, C, D
72
8 Land
This chapter lists the questions about land that we would like addressed. We present a
summary of the analysis of the official data that addresses those questions. We then
outline the initiatives that have been identified to address our land information needs.
Soils, landscapes and natural resources (such as water) underpin natural and
managed ecosystems. They provide ecosystem and productive services on which we
rely for agriculture and forestry and act as a platform for communities, infrastructure,
and the national identity on which our culture and tourist trade is based.
Current land uses, intensification, the changing geographic pattern of our land uses,
as well as climate change and variability, are putting increasing pressures on our soils,
landscapes, and natural resources threatening their ability to sustain the critical
functions on which we depend (Landcare Research, 2013).
Land-use decisions balance societies’ various calls on this limited resource. It is critical
they are informed by good data on the impacts and trade-offs such decisions involve.
Land questions
on land.
Enduring questions
A. What is New Zealand’s land use, and how is this changing1 spatially and temporally?
B. What is New Zealand’s land cover and how is this changing spatially and temporally?
C. What is driving the changes2 in New Zealand's land use and land cover?
D. What is the current and potential future impact3 of land use and land cover change in
New Zealand?
E. What is the quality4 and quantity of New Zealand’s soil and how is this changing
spatially and temporally?
F. What is the impact of land use and land cover profiles on Māori and Māori-owned land
and how is this changing?
G. What and where are New Zealand’s protected areas,5 how are they changing, and
what is the environmental protection effort6 done?
73
Notes
1. Changes in land use include land use intensification, change in soil quantity, and
potential changes to land use.
2. Changes include market and non-market factors.
3. Impact of land use and land cover in New Zealand can extend to soils, freshwater,
greenhouse gas emissions, natural hazards, biodiversity, coastal environments,
ecosystem services, and the loss of versatile soils (fertile, well-drained, slopes less than
12 degrees, valuable for food production, and an important natural resource) to urban
development.
4. Soil physical quality could be judged against land use, with quality being regarded as
meaning 'fit for purpose'. For example, even small patches of soil contaminated from past
industrial or agricultural use may be of poor quality for urban residential land use, but of
acceptable quality for some industrial use.
5. Protected areas include all lands legally protected for conservation purposes, including
amenity areas, conservation parks, ecological areas, fixed marginal strips, government
purpose reserves, historic reserves, local purpose reserves, national parks, private
covenants (eg Queen Elizabeth II, Ngā Whenua Rāhui), recreation reserves, regional
parks, scenic reserves, stewardship areas, wildlife management areas, and wildlife
refuges.
Gap analysis
data) informs the supplementary enduring questions on land. See appendix 3 for details
of the analysis process.
Table 16
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on land
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on land
Supplementary
enduring
question (SEQ)
Question topic
informs SEQ
A
Land use
High
B
Land cover
High
C
Drivers of change
Low
D
Current and potential future impacts
Medium
E
Soil quality and quantity
Medium
F
Impacts on Māori
Medium
G
Low
74
We scored three datasets as highly informing the supplementary enduring questions:
• Land Use Map
•
Land cover database (databases 1,2, and 3)
•
National land use and land-use change mapping.
Land initiatives
This section presents the land initiatives by priority and a discussion of each in detail.
LN1 Improve access to and use of land data (see also LN9 and
LN10)
The highest-priority land initiative is to optimise data accessibility and use.
Specific objectives of this initiative include:
• improve overall access and use of existing data and databases by optimising
what we have and making it accessible to all users
•
improve the existing data by updating, improving, and enabling linkages between
existing databases and ensuring land data is up to date
•
remove barriers that prevent open access to publicly-funded data.
For the last item above, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment plans to
advise Crown research institutes (CRIs) there should be open access to data where that
data collection was publicly funded. This will ensure data created from publicly-funded
research enters and remains in the public domain.
The approach to achieving this initiative seeks to rationalise the different databases in
agencies. Initiative LN9, promote data integration, relates to this initiative with the
objective of getting the most out of what exists. LN10, assess data for fitness for use,
aims to achieve improved use and usability of land data and databases.
Initially, this initiative will require:
•
identifying the relationships, dependencies, and harmonisation possibilities
between databases
•
identifying the most valuable datasets
•
confirming how current they are
•
examining how current they need to be
•
examining the types of access required (to maximise usage)
•
funding the databases and providing access to them
•
owning the datasets
•
pursuing lower transaction costs to access and use data
•
establishing standards and automation in data access
A benefit to New Zealand will accrue if:
• there is an increase in open data use and availability
•
data is shared which increases knowledge and quality of understanding
•
we are getting more out of what we have, for example, integrating secondary use
and secondary data sources
75
•
we conduct rationalisation of existing land information databases (this could be
led by the Ministry for Primary Industries)
•
all land-related databases are linked including common geographic referencing.
It is also important to be clear about:
• who uses and should ideally be using databases
•
the scale of data and databases
•
what state and trend data is available
•
spatial and temporal coverage
•
end-use such as policy use and implementing regulations.
This initiative’s overall objective is to better inform land use and non-use decisions.
Reducing barriers to access is also a priority, for example, urging CRIs to comply with the
New Zealand Government Open Access and Licensing framework. This makes sure that
all can access and use data with agreed and fit-for-purpose quality and standards.
Associated with this is the need to identify and establish enduring governance for
datasets. This can be achieved by agencies taking responsibility for either ownership or
governance.
LN2 Establish a multi-sector facilitation group
Establish a multi-sector group to facilitate cooperation, coordination, sharing,
custodianship, and governance in the land sector.
This initiative needs extensive coordination and agreement among all land sector
organisations.
It builds on the activities of a number of agencies in creating a governance group for land,
including central and local governments, Crown research institutes (CRIs), Māori,
industry, and non-government organisations, to coordinate activity and support data
sharing and communication.
Included in this initiative is to complement existing governance, stewardship, and
custodianship arrangements to achieve a more cohesive and inclusive form of
governance.
Specific proposals could include:
• Ministry for the Environment to establish and run a monitoring, reporting, and
coordination forum
•
Ministry for Primary Industries to conduct rationalisation of existing land
information databases
•
Ministry for Primary Industries to facilitate an improved understanding of Māori
land, such as understanding its ownership, management structure, and use
•
Ministry for Primary Industries to lead the assessment of environmental services
flow-data for various land uses
•
Ministry for Primary Industries to analyse land use optimisation initiatives by
matching land use to land-use capability
•
natural resource agencies to conduct a national ecological assessment.
Key participants could include:
76
•
National Land Resources Centre – one of its activities would be to set up a
governance group for CRI-managed land data
•
Natural Resources Sector – could have a crucial role
•
Geospatial Office – set up a national spatial database for complete environmental
data.
Regional councils can support this initiative by conducting biodiversity monitoring with a
focus on environmental monitoring, ecological integrity, and the impact of environmental
protection expenditure for all of New Zealand.
Essential to this initiative is expanding, strengthening, and ensuring engagement with
Māori to better identify how existing data satisfies and supports their values and landmanagement choices.
LN3 Conduct soil assessment (see also LN8)
Ensure we have a full picture of New Zealand’s soil quality and quantity. By doing this, we
can account for and assess soil stocks, and review developments on soils. Soil is a
fundamental resource and a driver of land-use decisions in New Zealand.
This initiative includes conducting a national environmental assessment and baseline
survey.
To achieve this initiative, S-Map, the new national soils database, should be sped up to
complete the coverage of the whole country. It is important to recognise the creation of an
S-map coverage for low land, which is being co-funded by regional councils and
Landcare Research.
When completed, S-Map will provide seamless digital soil-map coverage for New
Zealand. S-map is designed to be applied at any scale, from farm to region to nation. Smap is compiled by Landcare Research, with maps and other information available on
this site from many sources. The information for the country is not as complete, correct,
or up to date as desired to fulfil this initiative. This initiative supports the completion and
maintenance of the S-Map database (Landcare Research, 2012).
In the future, a focus for this initiative could be to capture temporal and spatial change
data, for example, soil quality and land-use intensification.
The Ministry for the Environment is starting a project for the soil health indicator which is
likely to look at ecosystem services from soil and target ranges for soil quality to deliver
those services. This also relates to LN4.
There is the possibility for Statistics NZ to produce an ongoing account, possibly based
on the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA), that will cover soil
quantity and quality to identify changes in soil stocks.
LN4 Undertake ecosystem services assessment (see also EB5)
Complete an ecosystem services assessment by undertaking an initial national soils
assessment/baseline survey with complete biodiversity monitoring to better understand
ecosystem services. This initiative needs to first define information gaps as there are
extensive soil maps already in existence.
This is a highly complex initiative that needs extensive analysis. It is important for New
Zealand’s involvement in the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services.
Leadership from government bodies would help bring together better information at the
sector level, specifically:
77
•
New Zealand would benefit from having an ecosystems services account
produced by Statistics NZ using System of Environmental and Economic
Accounting principles.
Ecosystem services are grouped into four main types:
•
provisioning services (eg provision of food)
•
regulating services (eg when oceans act as a sink for carbon)
•
supporting services (eg nutrient cycling),
•
cultural services (eg visitors enjoying marine reserves).
Coastal and marine environment ecosystem services are considered in the coastal and
marine environment topic.
LN5 Introduce data standardisation
Introduce data standardisation, interoperability, and access.
This initiative will benefit from initiative LN1, improve access to and use of land data. Both
initiatives focus on improving data use and access, and will benefit from support from the
Natural Resources Sector.
LN5 includes developing standards for authoritative multi-source databases, and linking
all databases with the spatial land-analysis work currently under way by various
organisations.
A specific proposal is to integrate the Land Cover Database with Land Use Mapping. This
is a complex issue and previous efforts to do this have met significant difficulties, such as
having non-compatible definitions, which prevented progress.
This initiative also seeks to identify how data can be standardised, for example, to
promote relationships and dependencies between databases, and then improve our
knowledge of available data (ie metadata).
A number of objectives were identified to achieve this initiative:
•
increase open data use and availability, that is share data more easily and
willingly
•
increase all participants’ knowledge and the quality of their understanding
•
lower transaction costs to access and use data (eg through standards and
automation)
•
increase education on data and database use
•
develop the Land Use Database by using multiple sources and conducting a
rationalisation of existing land information databases similar to the Land Use
Database (this could be led by the Ministry for Primary Industries).
LN6 Produce a SEEA environmental protection effort account
For Statistics NZ to undertake a System of Environmental and Economic Accounting
(SEEA) environmental protection effort account.
This initiative will help monitor and report on environmental protection effort expenditure
against environmental outcomes. It requires gathering comprehensive environmental
protection effort data to analyse the protection expenditure and support the desired
outcomes for land. Extensive cooperation from regional councils is needed to collate the
data.
78
Undertaking this environmental protection effort initiative will be valuable to New Zealand
in identifying total environmental protection effort, particularly expenditure by
Government, households, and industry on Crown and privately owned land.
Included in this initiative is creating a new research programme, led by the Department of
Conservation (DOC) and Landcare Research, to better answer the questions around
protected areas and their condition. Specifically:
•
What data already exists to help answer questions about effort?
•
What new data needs to be collected?
•
If we measure protection efforts, is this enough to inform ecological integrity?
•
If we don’t measure protection efforts, what measures, indicators, or proxies could
we use to measure ecological integrity?
LN7 Build future skills and capability
Build the future capability of skilled analysts in New Zealand. Gaps around the growing
skills and capability relating to land and soil analyses in New Zealand were identified, as
those with the greatest expertise are nearing retirement. Carrying out a national strategy
to improve these skills is essential to New Zealand’s future understanding of land and
soils.
This initiative addresses concerns over the future capability of scientists and researchers
and subsequent analysis in land and soil (eg. spatial literacy). It seeks to improve the
understanding, capability, and skills for data creators, managers, and users.
Increasing skills is essential in ensuring land and soil scientific capability in the future.
This focus enables the continuing capture, analysis, synthesis, and interpretation of
temporal and spatial change data (eg soil quality and land use intensification) for
evidence-based policy-making and monitoring.
LN8 Establish baseline soil data (see also LN3, MR2, MR3)
Establish a geophysical and geochemical baseline of soil data in New Zealand. This
initiative involves acquiring new national geophysical and geochemical datasets, using
laser imaging detection and ranging (LIDAR) (perhaps even New Zealand could lease
access to a satellite) to measure soil data. LIDAR mapping would have multiple uses.
This baseline data could be taken from a national geochemical baseline survey on a
multi-element 4km grid. This could improve the measurement of environment public
health, agricultural health, and mineral outcomes.
The Ministry for Primary Industries could lead in assessing environmental services flow
data for various land and soil uses.
This initiative reflects a common theme in this domain plan, which is to create a baseline
understanding of an essential aspect of the environment.
One good example of a national mapping database is the British Geological Survey’s G–
BASE regional geochemical atlas series.
LN9 Promote data integration (see also LN1 and LN5)
Initiative LN9’s objective is to integrate data. This begins with determining the
relationships between the datasets, databases, and the enduring questions through a
data-integration exercise.
This initiative more closely examines the relationships between datasets and data, and
strongly links to initiative LN1, improve access to and use of land data.
79
Specifically, this initiative aims to:
•
identify the relationships and dependencies between databases
•
lower transaction costs to data access and use
•
integrate secondary data use and secondary data sources
•
improve compatibility between databases through standards and automation
The objective is to get more out of what we already have.
The Ministry for Primary Industries could lead the rationalisation of existing land
information databases.
LN10 Assess data fitness for use (see also LN1)
Assess the data available and its fitness for use against current and known future needs.
This initiative aims to examine data and its fitness for use against scale, resolution, and
data coverage.
It also addresses initiative LN1, improve access to and use of land data, by reviewing
fitness for use against all parameters and data requirements.
LN11 Establish Māori land management needs
Address Māori land management needs, specifically to engage with Māori at iwi level,
about their land management needs and how best to meet them.
This initiative relates to initiative LN2; establish a multi-sector facilitation group, as
effective and inclusive governance will be essential. Much consultation, communication,
coordination, and a high level of agreement are needed to successfully achieve this
initiative.
Essential to this initiative is expanding, strengthening, and ensuring engagement with
Māori to better identify how existing data satisfies and supports their values and land
management needs.
LN12 Identify the drivers of land-use change
Identify the drivers of change in land use.
To understand what the drivers of change are, this initiative aims to conduct a metaanalysis of the drivers for land use change across all sectors and locations.
This initiative is complex and requires extensive data and high analysis capability. It will
also most likely need a substantial amount of time and resource.
LN13 Optimise land-use mapping
To map and assess land use to achieve land-use optimisation.
This initiative relates to initiative LN1, improve access to and use of land data, and is part
of initiative LN5, introduce data standardisation, which includes the Land Cover Database
and Land Use Mapping.
Land initiatives table
Table 17 lists the land initiatives by priority, estimates of their complexity, and the
80
Table 17
Land initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring questions addressed
Land initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question
(SEQ) addressed
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps inform
which SEQ
LN1
Improve access to
and use of landuse data (see also
LN9 and LN10)
Entire
LN1
group is
ranked 1
Complex
All
LN1.1
Optimise data
accessibility
Group is
1
Moderate
All
LN1.2
Improve existing
databases
Group is
1
Moderate
All
LN1.3
Open access to
publicly funded
data
Group is
1
Moderate
All
LN1
group
total
LN1 group total
Group is
1
Complex
All
LN2
Establish a multisector facilitation
group
2=
Highly complex
All
LN3
Conduct soil
assessment (see
also LN8)
2=
Highly complex
A, D, E
LN4
Undertake
ecosystem
services
assessment (see
also EB5)
4
Highly complex
D
LN5
Introduce data
standardisation
5
Highly complex
All
6
Complex
G
Produce a SEEA
environmental
protection effort
account
LN6
81
Table 17 continued
Land initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question
(SEQ) addressed
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps inform
which SEQ
LN7
Build future skills
and capability
7=
Complex
D
LN8
Establish
baseline soil data
(see also LN3)
7=
Highly complex
E
LN9
Promote data
integration (see
also LN1 and
LN5)
7=
Complex
All
LN10
Assess data
fitness for use
(see also LN1)
10
Complex
All
LN11
Establish Māori
land
management
needs
11=
Highly complex
F
LN12
Identify the
drivers of landuse change
11=
Highly complex
A, C, D, F
LN13
Optimise landuse mapping
13
Highly complex
A, C, D, F
82
9 Māori environmental statistics
This chapter lists the questions about Māori environmental statistics that we would like
those questions. We then outline the initiatives that have been identified to address our
Māori environmental statistics information needs.
The environment is at the core of many decisions made by and for Māori. These
decisions include planning (for example, asset management, Resource Management Act
1991 responsibilities, hazard management) or around business concerns (for example,
environmental management decisions on fisheries, forestry, and agriculture).
The Māori economic model clearly reflects the need for the sustainable use of resources.
This model implies an environmental conscience in using land, and coastal and marine
resources. The workshop on Māori environmental statistics showed there is very little
data available that reflects the Māori perspective – a view that wants to see the
environment preserved and managed sustainably for the future.
Māori environmental statistics questions
on Māori environmental statistics.
Enduring questions
Notes
A. How well are Māori represented in the governance and management of natural
resources, and how effective is this representation for achieving desired outcomes for
Māori?
B. Where, why, and how are the abundance of taonga (treasured) species and mahinga
kai (customary food gathering areas and practices) changing?1
C. Where, why, and how is the condition of taonga species and mahinga kai changing?
D. What is the condition of sites of cultural, spiritual, and natural significance?2
E. To what extent are Māori able to access natural and customary resources, and what, if
any, are the impediments?
F. Where, why, and how are land cover and land use changing3 on Māori land through
time?
83
G. Where and how are Māori practising and implementing kaitiakitanga (caretaking)
across defined areas or regions?4
Notes
1. May include the presence/absence of such species or mahinga kai, the
distribution/location, or the abundance/scarcity.
2. Can include significant sites and areas such as wāhi taonga and wāhi tapu (eg puke
(hill), maunga (mountain), awa (river), manga (stream), roto (lake), repo (swamp), ara
(pathway), marae (meeting area), pā (village) sites) at the discretion of iwi / hapū /
whānau. Does not include highly confidential or sensitive areas.
3. Includes changes in areal extent of Māori land.
4. Includes land, air, freshwater, coastal, and marine areas.
Gap analysis
data) informs the supplementary enduring questions on Māori environmental statistics.
Table 18
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on Māori environmental statistics
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on Māori
Supplementary
enduring
question (SEQ)
Question topic
data informs SEQ
A
Māori representation in resource
governance
Low
B
Abundance of taonga species and
mahinga kai
Medium
C
Condition of taonga species and
mahinga kai
Low
D
Condition of sites of significance
Low
E
Access natural and customary
resources
Low
F
Land cover and land use change on
Māori land
Medium
G
Practising kaitiakitanga
Low
We scored two datasets as highly informing the supplementary enduring questions:
•
Māori Land Online
•
Our Environment.
Māori environmental statistics initiatives
In December 2012, experts at a Statistics NZ workshop discussed the Māori
environmental statistics work programme. They identified key emergent themes and
84
issues on the topic. Some of these issues were already identified at a previous gap
analysis.
Workshop participants identified a set of initiatives to address these key themes and
issues. For other topic workshops, participants prioritised the initiatives through a voting
process. For the Māori environmental statistics topic, the initiatives were regarded as
being of equal priority and sequential and so no voting was needed. For the Māori
Environmental Statistics programme to be successful four key initiatives were identified
and actions developed for each:
MES1 Develop an engagement programme for Māori environmental
statistics
It will be essential to develop a consistent framework and process for engagement with
iwi/hapū to guide the building of future relationships, respect, and trust. As part of this
initiative it is necessary to develop a tikanga-based approach and kaupapa – a plan/set of
principles/ideas and protocols to guide the engagement process and inform our
behaviour and customs. The tikanga-based approach and kaupapa will also identify the
key parties (ie who would be involved on both sides and at what level). It will clearly
explain why iwi/hapū should be involved in the Māori environmental statistics programme
and what the benefits are for involvement. It will also help us understand the Māori view
of the environment. A principal goal for this initiative will be to build capacity for
understanding and assessing Māori environmental statistics –- both externally (with iwi)
and internally (within Government).
MES2 Develop a strategy and mandate for Māori environmental
statistics
Explore the information needs on Māori environmental statistics, and set up a mandate
for doing this. This initiative will draw on the findings from initiative MES1, develop an
engagement programme for Māori environmental statistics, to explain why iwi/hapū
should be involved in the Māori environmental statistics programme and the benefits for
involvement.
MES3 Establish governance for Māori environmental statistics
Establish a ‘project governance model’. Doing this will need careful scoping to
differentiate the Māori environmental statistics work programme from other wider issues
(eg deciding whether inter-generational issues should be explicitly dealt with). This
initiative will identify the correct processes needed to coordinate government and Māori
views on the importance of this work, determine the needs of both parties, and decide
how best to resource this work programme and maintain ongoing relationships among
stakeholders.
MES4 Identify data sources for Māori environmental statistics
Identify the main sources of information or data that can be accessed to satisfy
information needs. It will also identify areas where no data is currently available, and the
spatial and temporal nature of this data. Some potential sources of data for Māori
environmental statistics were discussed and identified at the December 2012 workshop.
One significant source identified is that of historical narratives and oral histories, such as
those documented in the Treaty of Waitangi claims and reports (see Waitangi tribunal).
Participants at the workshop agreed there is a wide resource of ‘untapped knowledge’
available. This untapped knowledge could provide qualitative and quantifiable information
on Māori perspectives, and be relevant to the sustainability of the environment (eg.
knowledge of the historical state against the current state of the natural environment,
particularly on benchmarking mahinga kai species, taonga species, aspects of
manawhenua, kaitiakitanga, rangatiratanga, manaakitanga). Data in local government
archives may provide an understanding of culturally significant areas. It may also give
information on areas under some form of Māori governance that show how natural
resources are managed. In this initiative, we will explore opportunities to capture these
85
resources with the aim of tracking change and providing trend information on the natural
and cultural environment.
Māori environmental statistics initiatives table
Table 19 lists the Māori environmental statistics initiatives by complexity and the
Table 19
Māori environmental statistics initiatives by complexity and supplementary enduring question (SEQ) addressed
Māori environmental statistics initiatives by complexity and supplementary
Initiative
number
Initiative
name
Complexity
Helps inform which SEQ
MES1
Develop an
engagement
programme
for Māori
environmental
statistics
Complex
All
MES2
Develop a
strategy and
mandate for
Māori
environmental
statistics
Complex
All
MES3
Establish
governance
for Māori
environmental
statistics
Highly complex
All
MES4
Identify data
sources for
Māori
environmental
statistics
Complex
B, C, G
86
10 Materials and waste
This chapter lists the questions about materials and waste that we would like addressed.
We present a summary of the analysis of the official data that addresses those questions.
We then outline the initiatives that have been identified to address our materials and
waste information needs.
Few incentives exist to use resources frugally. Gross national product and similar
economic measures do not capture the environmental and social consequences of waste
production and disposal costs.
The growth in the volume of waste brings increasing cost implications for its disposal. The
economic costs of waste disposal include higher prices paid for landfill use and cleaning
unproductive waste storage areas. Some forms of waste produce greenhouse gases
while others can have significant health impacts on humans and animals. There are also
associated health effects.
The initiatives discussed in this chapter seek to improve information, monitoring,
reporting, governance, standards, recognition of indigenous values, levy changes,
international comparisons, and the use of current information to inform debate on the
issues.
The initiatives focus on a future for all materials – for waste-streams to enter zero-waste
flow or produce commercially viable local resources.
Sources of waste
The following are the economic and social activities and processes from which waste
originates from.
Exploration, mining, quarrying, physical and chemical treatment of minerals, agriculture,
horticulture, aquaculture, forestry, hunting and fishing, food preparation and processing,
wood processing, production of panels and furniture, pulp, paper, and cardboard, leather,
fur and textile industries, petroleum refining, natural gas purification, pyrolytic treatment of
coal, organic and inorganic chemical processes, manufacture, supply and use of coatings
(paints, varnishes and vitreous enamels), adhesives, sealants and printing inks,
photography, thermal processes, shaping and physical and mechanical surface treatment
of metals and plastics, oil wastes, wastes of liquid fuels, organic solvents, refrigerants
and propellants, construction and demolition, contaminated soils, human and animal
health care, research, waste-water treatment, preparation of drinking and industrial water,
and municipal waste including household, commercial, industrial and institutional wastes.
Materials and waste questions
on materials and waste.
Enduring questions
and minimisation?
A. What and where are the effects1 of production and consumption on New Zealand’s
environment?
87
B. To what extent is New Zealand adopting technologies, production methods2, and best
practices that make more efficient use of natural resources, minimise waste, and reduce
the impact on the environment from production and consumption?
C. What and where is the total amount and composition of waste3 generated, recycled,
and disposed of in New Zealand?
D. What is the environmental impact of waste in New Zealand?
E. To what extent are Māori values affected by current waste management practices?
F. What environment protection effort4 is undertaken to reduce the impact of waste on the
environment?
Notes
1. The effects of production and consumption include the physical flow of materials into,
through, and out of the economy.
2. Production methods and practices to reduce waste and increase resource use
efficiency include waste management, waste minimisation systems, technologies for
achieving waste reduction, and improving natural resource use efficiency.
3. Waste includes hazardous waste, solid, liquid, and gaseous waste, and materials
disposed of in landfill, and dryfill.
Gap analysis
data) informs the supplementary enduring questions on materials and waste. See
Table 20
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on materials and waste
waste
Supplementary
enduring
question (SEQ)
Question topic
informs SEQ
A
Environmental effects from
producing and consuming
materials and waste
Medium
B
Adoption rate of technologies
and best practices
Medium
C
Amount and location of waste
Medium
88
Table 20 continued
waste
Supplementary
enduring
question (SEQ)
Question topic
informs SEQ
D
Waste impacts on New
Zealand’s environments
Low
E
Impact on values of Māori
Low
F
Environmental protection efforts
Medium
Five datasets scored highly for informing the supplementary enduring questions:
•
WasteTRACK
•
Solid waste analysis protocol baseline programme
•
Territorial authority stocktake
•
Waste minimisation fund projects and accredited product stewardship schemes
database
•
Incidents database.
Materials and waste initiatives
Twelve initiatives for the materials and waste topic were identified at the workshop. These
are listed by priority below.
MW1 Conduct waste-stream data collection
Conduct data collection at the national level to provide uniform and consistent data
collection across the whole waste-stream. This work will focus on information collected
from:
• levied landfills
• transfer stations
• clean fills
• other types and sources of waste management sites.
The type and source of waste data to be collected is:
• household waste
•
industrial waste
•
hazardous waste
•
bio-solids
•
organic and green waste.
The reporting system could:
• be mandatory
• have consistent methodologies
89
• meet all stakeholders’ needs
• provide a complete dataset for the whole waste stream.
Information about materials diverted from the waste-stream, through recycling, reuse, and
recovery is sparse and gathered irregularly. Improving diversion information would
contribute greatly to recognised needs. Specifically, it would be useful to measure
diversion from landfill and provide information that can be used to assess Waste
Minimisation Act 2008 achievements.
This initiative could support compulsory data collection to ease concerns on the quality
and quantity of data. It also needs to relieve concerns over confidentiality within the waste
industry.
Having consistent and standardised methodologies will present information clearly for key
users of waste data at all levels (eg. central and local government).
This initiative is linked closely to initiative MW10, establish international best practice in
monitoring and reporting waste, and MW4, improve understanding of waste and
hazardous sites.
MW2 Assess data needs for a material flow analysis
Assess data needs to enable analysis of material flows, specifically for:
• developing indicators that show material flows life cycles
•
monitoring and reporting of resource use and flows through the economy and
environment.
Data is required to provide measures of:
•
the intensity / efficiency at which resources are being used
•
waste generation by industry groupings.
This initiative seeks to ensure data is available on all aspects and stages of materials and
waste-stream flows. This data will support robust monitoring and reporting of activity
within all sectors where these occur.
Statistics NZ would undertake this initiative by producing (or having a feasibility study on)
a System of Environmental and Economic Accounting of material flows. Key data
collectors should be consulted to ensure enough information is collected in a sufficient
manner.
Generally, material flow accounts measure the flows from the environment to the
economy (United Nations, nd, p12).
Information provided for a material flows analysis enables a deep understanding of the
relationships between the environment and the economy in New Zealand.
This initiative is linked to initiative MW1, conduct waste-stream data collection.
MW3 Support improved governance over waste to improve
coordination of waste information
Support improved waste sector governance and leadership to assist with more
coordinated and integrated data collection on waste-flows, sources of waste, and the
impacts of waste.
Expanding the governance of waste can enable:
•
stronger collaboration and greater consistency in data collection
90
•
increased coordination on the gathering, custodianship, and information sharing
of waste data.
The complex character of environmental issues requires stakeholders to adopt clear
management. Governance includes business and society stressing a whole-system
management approach. Waste governance directly influences public health, the
economy, safety, and environmental outcomes.
MW4 Improve understanding of waste and hazardous sites
Better understand the harm from waste and hazardous sites, including contaminated
historic sites, and be better positioned to prevent future harm to people and damage to
the environment by:
• integrating waste and hazardous sites information
• having a nationally consistent approach to identifying, recording, and remediating
hazardous sites.
Many hazardous materials are stored in landfills or other containment areas. If these
hazardous waste sites are not properly designed or managed, their contents can be
released into the surrounding environment, posing a threat to biodiversity, natural
environments, and public health.
This initiative supports having a national register of all waste and hazardous sites in New
Zealand and their contents, and mapping materials and waste movements.
MW5 Establish recycling standards
This initiative seeks to develop:
•
standards for recycling collection, processing, and reuse
•
measures that will assess if recycling is effective at reducing waste entering
landfill and maximising resource recovery
•
an accurate assessment of what is recycled and to what standard.
In general, most products are not designed with recycling in mind. However, recycling
conserves natural resources and reduces the amount of waste that is buried or burnt.
Recycling has other benefits, too. Landfills take up space and emit methane while
burning can produce noxious emissions.
Remedying this problem may need a rethinking of industrial processes, where recycling
becomes part of the design process rather than a process to deal with design flaws.
Recycling saves energy and raw materials and reduces pollution. This initiative supports
the standards for recycling processes and the implementation of measures that assess
how well recycling is effective at reducing waste entering landfill and maximising resource
recovery.
MW6 Research how waste may become a resource
This initiative focuses on the future for waste and its potential as an enduring resource. In
particular, this initiative pays attention to the catalysts for turning waste into a resource,
for example:
•
using natural fermentation to turn kitchen waste into usable gas
•
extracting hydrogen from food waste using bacteria
•
recovering materials from electronic waste for reuse.
This initiative supports research on ways that enable materials and waste to become
valued inputs. For example, waste could be used in other ways to deliver good economic,
91
environmental, social, and health outcomes. Transforming waste into an economic
resource reduces it being returned to the environment.
There is current activity into this area. For example, the Waste Minimisation Fund is
funding projects on waste as a resource.
MW7 Integrate Māori values into waste management
Recognise and determine the specific values of Māori on waste and materials, and
conduct robust research into developing waste management to reflect these values.
Māori have long adhered to a notion of kaitiakitanga (resource guardianship) to maintain
the integrity of environments. In Māori culture, Papatuanuku (the earth) is extremely
important and tangata whenua (local people) have a vital role as kaitiaki (guardians) of it.
Waste can reduce or destroy the life supporting capacity of soils by damaging the mauri
(life essence) of the land and affecting the Taonga (that which is to be prized or
treasured) of resources. Therefore, the places where it is disposed of are considered
carefully (Barlow, 1991).
Water is a Taonga and is an integral aspect of the environment; its life-supporting
capacity can also be reduced by waste.
This initiative supports integrating Māori values into all aspects of the issues surrounding
materials and wastes in New Zealand.
MW 8 Maintain a national directory of waste management and
diverted materials sites
Maintain a national directory of waste management and diverted materials sites. The
directory would list:
•
all landfill and transfer station sites
•
all non-landfill sites where waste is disposed of to land (eg cleanfills, monofills)
•
all sites providing hazardous waste treatment and disposal
•
all sites where sorting and / or processing of diverted materials occurs
•
all sites that provide opportunities for companies requiring specific treatment and
disposal needs, such as medical waste disposal requirements and services
•
descriptions of their services.
Note: Some sites will fall into more than one of these categories.
The freshwater topic addresses wastewater sites.
Such a register also provides for a potential hazardous waste mapping system for
mapping wastes to particular locations. Before this work can be done, some analysis is
needed of the regulatory framework that is needed to achieve this initiative, and who
would be involved in this (eg. regional councils, central government).
MW9 Integrate international best practice into New Zealand waste
management
This initiative looks to determine international best practice on waste management,
including future management technologies and the most effective return for waste
management efforts. Best practice for waste management is to be encouraged across the
whole waste stream. For example, international best practice could help guide central
government legislation, local government waste plans, industry waste plans, and the
management of domestic waste.
92
This includes the best waste management plans that focus on:
• integrating programmes that deal with all types of waste
• covering all facets of the waste management process
• building technical, financial, and administrative capability to sustain them.
MW10 Establish international best practice in monitoring and
reporting waste
Find out what international requirements and best practice exist for improving waste
monitoring and reporting.
Environmental performance reviews: New Zealand (2007) (Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development, 2007) and Targets in the New Zealand waste strategy:
2006 Review of progress (Ministry for the Environment, 2007a) found that lack of
information hampers the ability to set and achieve targets for waste minimisation.
This initiative encourages the adoption of consistent, meaningful methodologies and
international best practice that enable informed monitoring and reporting of waste
management in New Zealand.
This initiative is linked to MW1, conduct waste-stream mandatory data collection, and
MW9, integrate international best practise into New Zealand waste management
materials site.
MW11 Conduct research to inform future reviews of the waste levy
The Waste Minimisation Act 2008 provides for a levy (currently $10 per tonne), payable
by disposal facility operators. Half the income is given to territorial local authorities to help
them reduce waste in their areas. The remainder is pooled to fund waste minimisation
projects throughout New Zealand.
This initiative seeks to better understand costs and benefits of different levy rates to
inform future reviews of the waste levy.
MW12 Make better use of current information
Following the stocktake of data available, this initiative seeks to confirm that the
information available is used in the best ways. For example, the solid waste analysis
protocols could be better used to provide a national estimate. It could also be the best
information available on the composition of waste to municipal landfills.
93
Materials and waste initiatives table
Table 21 lists the materials and waste initiatives by priority, estimates of their complexity,
and the supplementary enduring questions they address.
Table 21
Materials and waste initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question (SEQ) addressed
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps inform which
SEQ
MW1
Conduct wastestream data collection
1
Highly complex
A, B, C, D, E
MW2
Assess data needs
for a material flow
analysis
2=
Highly complex
A, B, C, D, E
MW3
Support improved
governance over
waste to improve
coordination of waste
information
2=
Complex
All
MW4
Improve
understanding of
waste and hazardous
sites
4=
Moderate
All
MW5
Establish recycling
standards
4=
Moderate
All
MW6
Research how waste
may become a
resource
4=
Moderate
A, B
MW7
Integrate Māori
values into waste
management
7
Moderate
B, E
MW8
Maintain a national
directory of waste
management and
diverted materials
sites
8
Highly complex
A, C, D
MW9
Integrate international
best practice into
New Zealand waste
management
9
Highly complex
All
94
Table 21 continued
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps inform which
SEQ
MW10
Establish international
best practice in
monitoring and
reporting waste
10=
Moderate
All
MW11
Conduct research to
inform future reviews
of the waste levy
10=
Moderate
F
MW12
Make better use of
current information
10=
Highly complex
All
95
11 Mineral resources
This chapter lists the questions about mineral resources that we would like addressed.
We present a summary of the analysis of the official data that addresses those questions.
We then outline the initiatives that have been identified to address our mineral resources
information needs.
New Zealand’s mainland, combined with its Exclusive Economic Zone and Territorial
Sea, houses a variety of mineral resources including oil, gas, coal, and precious metals.
These resources are the metaphorical (and in some cases, literal) building blocks of New
Zealand’s economy.
Obtaining these resources requires prospecting, exploring, producing, refining,
processing, and transporting, all of which have a potential impact on the environment.
The challenge for policymakers is to build the economy while limiting the environmental
impacts to acceptable levels.
Mineral resources questions
This section presents the enduring question and the supplementary enduring questions
on mineral resources.
Enduring question
What are New Zealand's onshore and offshore mineral resources, and what is the
A. What and where are New Zealand’s onshore and offshore mineral resources1?
B. What are the quantity, quality, and composition of these resources?
C. What are the environmental constraints on exploration and development?
D. What and where is the environmental impact of attaining2 mineral resources?
E. What mineral resources exist on Māori land and in tribal customary areas across New
Zealand, both onshore and offshore?
F. What, how, and where is environmental protection effort3 being done to understand,
avoid, remedy, and mitigate the environmental impact of attaining mineral resources?
Notes
1. The difference between a resource and a reserve is that a resource has the potential
for economic extraction; a reserve is limited to materials that can be extracted at a profit.
2. Attaining includes prospecting, exploration, production, refining, processing, and
transporting.
96
Gap analysis
data) informs the supplementary enduring questions on mineral resources. See appendix
3 for details of the analysis process.
Table 22
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on mineral resources
How well official data informs supplementary enduring questions on mineral
resources
Supplementary
enduring
question (SEQ)
Question topic
informs SEQ
A
Quantity and location of mineral
resources
Low
B
State of mineral resources
Low
C
Constraints on attaining mineral
resources
Low
D
Impacts of attaining mineral resources
Low
E
Resources on Māori land
Low
F
Low
We scored one data source as moderately informing the supplementary enduring
questions:
• Petroleum Report Library (GNS Science).
Mineral resources initiatives
This section presents the mineral resources initiatives by priority and a discussion of each
in detail.
MR1 Accelerate seafloor mapping
This was the highest-scored initiative from the mineral resources workshop. It proposes
continuing, expanding, and accelerating existing national seafloor topographic and
geophysical mapping and research on seafloor resources. Currently, maps cover about
one-quarter of the Exclusive Economic Zone and extended continental shelf. However,
only 15 percent is mapped to a standard necessary to distinguish likely benthic
environments, such as hydrothermal vents (Ministry for the Environment, 2012).
Most of the mapped environments need more sampling to confirm the data. Increasing
this coverage is seen as a high priority.
New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone is one of the world’s largest and contains a
significant proportion of our mineral resources. It is important to understand the
geography and geology of the ocean floor so we can evaluate the opportunity and
constraints on mineral resource use.
Mapping will also provide biophysical information so environmental baselines can be
determined. This need for baselines in the marine environment is highlighted in the
coastal and marine environment workshop initiatives, which is the highest-ranked of
those initiatives (CM1, identify baseline habitat state). Seafloor maps are produced from a
combination of bathymetric and multibeam data.
97
NIWA and GNS Science could be potential leaders of this initiative. They are currently
undertaking an offshore geology research project along the Kermadec Arc (see
Environmental monitoring on the NIWA website).
MR2 Undertake an airborne national geophysical survey
Develop and run an airborne geophysical survey of New Zealand. Such a survey would
provide geological information for key users from central government, Crown research
institutes, industry, and local government. New Zealand is lagging behind many other
mineral-rich countries in the world in having published, detailed airborne geophysical
data. Existing airborne survey coverage of New Zealand is piecemeal, using different
methods and capturing data to varying levels of detail. A national airborne geophysical
survey would provide users with consistent (and accessible) data.
This survey will provide these benefits:
• subsurface information for resource exploration (minerals, petroleum, geothermal)
•
subsurface information for evaluating land capabilities, both urban and rural
•
monitoring changes, particularly for groundwater
•
hazard information.
Such a survey would use an aircraft mounted with geophysical measurement apparatus.
Magnetic and radiometric methods are most widely used and New Zealand’s existing
coverage is poor by international standards. More costly electromagnetic and gravity
methods could be of particular value for some regions.
New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals and GNS Science can lead the development of this
survey as they have the technical expertise and are potential organisers of funding.
This initiative and initiative MR3, undertake a geochemical national survey, are linked to
land initiative LN8, establish baseline soil data.
MR3 Undertake a geochemical national survey
Run a ground-based geochemical survey of New Zealand. This survey will measure the
chemical composition of materials throughout New Zealand’s land environment. Samples
may include:
•
stream sediment
•
rock
•
soil
•
river and stream water
•
vegetation.
Information collected will provide a baseline overview of the geochemical landscape of
New Zealand. Such data is available in many countries, for instance, the Geochemical
Atlas of Europe and the British G-BASE survey. The geochemical atlas and the G-BASE
survey is used widely – for environmental change mapping, mineral exploration, public
health and agricultural research support, and policy-making.
The geochemical survey could be coupled with geological and geophysical surveys to
provide in-depth information that would cover many of the gaps identified by this domain
plan. Mineral resources question B (the state of our mineral resources) can be answered
in more detail if this initiative is undertaken. Knowing the composition of a mineral
resource will aid exploration into the appropriate areas.
New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals and GNS Science are well placed to lead the
development of this survey.
98
This initiative and MR2, undertake an airborne national geophysical survey, are linked to
initiative LN8, establish baseline soil data.
MR4 Compile regional council data
Create a coordinated database of regionally collected data around environmental impacts
(on air, soil, water, and probably wider). Regional, district, and city councils collect
information through consents and applications under the Resource Management Act
1991. This information will be powerful if compiled into a national picture.
Impacts assessments can be made which will provide guidance for developing policies
that affect New Zealand’s environment. There will also be a greater level of oversight at
the national level as impacts currently tend to be site-specific.
The Ministry for the Environment could be the potential lead agency for this initiative.
Initiative EN6, collate consents information, from the energy topic is similar to this
initiative.
MR5 Compile resource exploration data
Collect exploration data about minerals on privately-owned land.
Privately-owned lands have a lot of mineral resources (eg aggregates). However, we
have little information about these as there are no regulations for reporting them, and
thus we have limited information of mineral resources on private land. To have access to
this data would cover a significant gap in our knowledge.
This initiative will need regional councils to change their reporting requirements so they
can capture information on Crown and privately-owned land. The issue of confidentiality
will have to be dealt with as much of the information will be commercially sensitive.
Consultation with affected parties at an early stage would be essential.
Both initiatives MR4, compile regional council data, and MR6, develop a mineral resource
stock account, could benefit from the undertaking of this initiative.
MR6 Develop a mineral resource stock account
Build a System of Environmental and Economic Accounting of New Zealand’s stock of
mineral resources. This account will capture the opening, closing, and changing stocks
over time for key mineral resources. It will be part of a suite of SEEA accounts on the
environment and economy produced by Statistics NZ with data providers. This specific
account will be done by Statistics NZ and New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals.
This initiative relates to other initiatives, particularly to CM6, produce a SEEA account of
coastal and marine mineral and energy resources, from the coastal and marine
environment topic.
MR7 Collate multiple impacts data
Collect and collate multiple impacts data. Multiple impacts refer to the impacts from
disturbances, such as mining or building in a particular area.
The initiative is split into two parts – onshore and offshore.
MR7a, onshore data, received no votes in the mineral resources workshop. Impacts data
may already be available onshore.
MR7b, offshore data, scored highly in the workshop implying we have limited knowledge
of offshore impacts data.
99
Examples of offshore disturbances include mineral mining, bottom trawling fishing, and
marine research. Building disturbances include oil platforms, aquaculture structures, and
cable laying.
Multiple impacts data, both actual and potential, will be important to different groups,
ranging from policymakers to explorers. These impacts can be addressed, evaluated, and
mitigated if they are understood.
Crown research institutes, industry, and central and local government departments can
keep multiple impacts data. This data would need to be collated, standardised, and
maintained by a governance group.
MR8 Develop information portal
Improve access to subsurface resources data by forming a single portal for all publiclyfunded research and information on mineral resources.
The idea of having a single portal for accessing data is not a new one and in some topics
(such as land) it already exists. The need for such a portal is reflected in many
environment domain plan initiatives.
MR9 Expand LINZ cadastral database
Expand on the Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) cadastral database to include
mineral ownership in current land ownership mapping. This initiative also seeks to map
Māori land with mineral resources. LINZ could assume the lead role for this initiative.
MR10 Model validation in environment domain plans
Include model validation in future environment domain plans. Specifically, a set of criteria
will be developed for modelled data to ensure it is of an adequate standard.
MR11 Determine onshore environmental baseline
Determine the onshore environmental baseline through methods such as mapping. This
initiative may provide a platform for other initiatives.
MR12 Create governance group
This initiative expresses the need for ocean governance so offshore mineral resources
information is brought together. Doing this initiative will fill some of the data gaps
identified by this domain plan (especially in the coastal and marine environment).
MR13 Develop an environmental protection expenditure account
Build a System of Environmental and Economic Accounting that details the environmental
protection expenditure in New Zealand. Statistics NZ will expand on existing work, with
the New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals as a potential partner and key user of the
information.
100
Mineral resources initiatives table
Table 23 lists the mineral resources initiatives by priority, estimates of their complexity,
and the supplementary enduring questions they address.
Table 23
Mineral resources initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring question (SEQ) addressed
Mineral resources initiatives by priority, complexity, and supplementary enduring
Initiative
number
Initiative name
Priority
Complexity
Helps inform
which SEQ
MR1
Accelerate seafloor
mapping
1
Complex
A, B
MR2
Undertake an
airborne national
geophysical survey
2=
Complex
A, B, E
MR3
Undertake a
geochemical national
survey
2=
Complex
A, B, C, E, F
MR4
Compile regional
council data
4=
Complex
D, E, F
MR5
Compile resource
exploration data
4=
Highly
complex
All
MR6
Develop a mineral
resource stock
account
4=
Complex
A, E
MR7
Collate multiple
impacts data for
onshore and offshore
4=
Complex
D
MR8
Develop information
portal
8
Complex
All
MR9
Expand LINZ
cadastral database
9
Complex
E
MR10
Model validation in
environment domain
plans
10=
Moderate
All
MR11
Determine onshore
environmental
baseline
10=
Complex
A, B
MR12
Create governance
group
10=
Complex
All
MR13
Develop an
environmental
protection expenditure
account
10=
Moderate
F
101
12 Summary and conclusion
The environment domain plan presents over 61 questions about our environment. Most of
these questions are broad and complex, and need significant amounts of information to
answer them.
The analysis of official environmental data showed that of the 61 supplementary enduring
questions, four were highly informed, 25 were moderately informed, and 32 were poorly
informed. There are deficiencies in the information we require on our environmental
issues. This analysis was a qualitative assessment based on expert opinion.
The gap analysis process suggested there were still significant information needs at a
lower level for those questions that were highly informed. For example, not one of the gap
analysis was an under estimate. Many of the experts suggested the analysis
overestimated the level at which the questions were informed by the data. For example,
how well informed the land use questions are depends strongly on how much detail is
needed in assessing land use. If not much is required, then an assessment of ‘high’ is
correct (eg Land Cover Database 3 will satisfy broad land-use information needs). But if
more detail is required (eg land use intensity, farming type, stocking rates, and rotations),
then a rating of ‘low’ is more appropriate.
The workshops helped identify over 150 initiatives to address these information needs, of
which 36 were the highest priorities. There were several common themes in the
initiatives, namely around governance, common reporting frameworks, centralised or
federated data storing, and baseline information.
Tier 1 statistics are key official statistics produced by a number of government agencies.
Tier 1 statistics have priority to be produced as they are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
essential to critical decision-making
are of high public interest
allow for international comparability
meet international statistical obligations
allow for long-term data continuity
meet expectations of impartiality and statistical quality.
The greatest value to informing questions about our environment will occur where the
environment domain plan initiatives align with Tier 1 statistics.
Examination of the supplementary enduring questions showed that all of them align with
at least one Tier 1 environmental statistic. Around 40 percent of the environment domain
plan initiatives are aligned with Tier 1 statistics. This result is not surprising, as Tier 1
statistics were developed before the environment domain plan initiatives, that is, the
initiatives were often identified to support or extend the Tier 1 processes. There were
common themes in the domain plan initiatives, such as governance and creating
information portals that do not link to any particular Tier 1 statistic, but which will be
useful, nevertheless.
A further analysis was also undertaken of the relationships between the supplementary
enduring questions and Tier 1 statistics. For each of the 12 environmental Tier 1
statistics, a supplementary enduring question was identified as relevant. How well each of
the supplementary enduring questions rated was compared with the current status of the
Tier 1 statistics.
102
We found that a Tier 1 statistic could be well informed, even when its associated
supplementary enduring question has a low level of information. For example, Tier 1
statistics on marine protected areas are well informed, but the associated supplementary
enduring question on environmental protection efforts in the coastal and marine topic is
not.
Policy questions, including those behind Tier 1 statistics, often have a very narrow focus.
The supplementary enduring questions are deliberately wide ranging. The result is that
many of the Tier 1 statistics could be well informed while the supplementary enduring
questions have significant information needs.
A similar analysis of the 22 national state-of-the-environment indicators shows the
associated supplementary enduring questions were either rated ‘high’ or ‘medium’. On
the surface these indicators appear better informed than the relatively new list of Tier 1
statistics, perhaps reflecting the effort put into developing them over the years.
Next steps
The challenge now is to act on the environment domain plan initiatives, especially as they
are regarded as aspirational. There is no formal obligation for any organisation to make
progress against any of these initiatives. Statistics NZ’s role, together with the Ministry for
the Environment and the Department of Conservation, is to champion the implementation
of this environment domain plan.
The next steps may be to determine which agencies might lead each of the high-priority
initiatives, and to work together to scope out a plan of action, including time scales and
costs. Possible lead agencies have already been identified for some of the initiatives.
This does not imply they have agreed or consented to do this work.
Before further work is undertaken on the initiatives, an assessment is needed on what
they would cost to implement and how long they would take to complete. This is part of
the scoping process that will follow from here. The initiatives are presented in this report
in the same form they were developed in the workshops. There may be value in
combining a number of them together and then reworking the scope of the work under
the combined initiative.
The next step is to work with the Natural Resources Sector chief executives forum, data
gatherers, funding organisations, researchers, and data users to see what can be
achieved in promoting, scoping, and acting upon the ideas in these initiatives.
103
References
Barlow, 1991. Tikanga whakaaro: Key concepts in Māori culture. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Department of Conservation (nd). New Zealand’s marine environment. Available from
www.doc.govt.nz.
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (2013). Renewable energy. Available from
www.eeca.govt.nz.
European Commission (2013). The economics of ecosystems and biodiversity. Available
from http://ec.europa.eu.
Fisher, G, Kjellstrom, T, Kingham, S, Hales, S, & Shrestha, R (2007). Health and air
pollution in New Zealand. Available from www.hapinz.org.nz.
Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (nd). EU biodiversity strategy to 2020. Available from
http://ec.europa.eu
Hales, S, Blakely, T, & Woodward, A (2010). Air pollution and mortality in New Zealand:
cohort study. Available from www.otago.ac.nz.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (nd). Climate change 2007: Synthesis
report. Available from www.ipcc.ch.
Kuschel, G, Metcalfe, J, Wilton, E, Guria, J, Hales, S, Rolfe, K, & Woodward, A (2012).
Updated Health and Air Pollution in New Zealand Study. Volume 1: Summary Report.
Prepared by Emission Impossible and others for Health Research Council of New
Zealand, Ministry of Transport, Ministry for the Environment, and NZ Transport Agency.
Available from www.hapinz.org.nz.
Land and Water Forum (2012). Third report of the Land and Water Forum: Managing
water quality and allocating water. Available from www.landandwater.org.nz.
Landcare Research (2012). S-mapOnline. Available from www.landcareresearch.co.nz.
Landcare Research (2013). Soils and landscapes. Available from
www.landcareresearch.co.nz.
Ministry for the Environment (2007). Fresh water. Available from www.mfe.govt.nz.
Ministry for the Environment (2007a). Targets in the New Zealand waste strategy: 2006
Review of progress. Available from www.mfe.govt.nz.
Ministry for the Environment (2008). New Zealand’s marine area. Available from
www.mfe.govt.nz.
Ministry for the Environment (2012). Regulatory impact statement: Regulations under the
Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012.
Available from www.mfe.govt.nz.
Ministry for Primary Industries (2013). Commercial fishing. Available from
www.fish.govt.nz.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2007). Environmental
performance reviews: New Zealand (2007). Available from www.oecd.org.
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Pawson, E (2012). Economy and the environment – An economy based on the
environment. Available from www.teara.govt.nz/en.
Statistics NZ (2013). Overseas Merchandise Trade: December 2012. Available from
www.stats.govt.nz.
United Nations (1992). Convention on biological diversity. Available from
http://treaties.un.org.
United Nations (nd). System of Environmental-Economic Accounting. Available from
https://unstats.un.org.
105
Appendix 1: Enduring questions
This chapter outlines the enduring questions and supplementary enduring questions by
topic.
Topic 1 – Atmosphere
Enduring questions
A. What are the levels1 and sources of air pollution2 throughout New Zealand and how
are they changing over time?
B. Who experiences poor air quality3 in New Zealand and what is the impact on their
health?
C. What and where is the impact of air pollution on Māori, and how does the impact
compare with that on the general population?
D. To what extent has the stratospheric ozone layer over New Zealand been depleted,
and what is the impact on ecosystems and human health?
E. What is being done to reduce, mitigate, and prevent4 air pollution and stratospheric
ozone layer depletion?
Notes
1. Levels cover, but are not limited to, average, peak, and exceeding air quality
standards.
2. Includes rural and urban, natural and anthropogenic, sources of particulate matter.
Odour and visual smoke are included, but indoor air quality and second-hand smoke are
outside the scope of this domain plan.
3. Poor air quality can be defined by when air quality standards are exceeded. The
definition of poor air quality also includes the impact of highest levels, and averages, for
the air pollution sources described in note 2.
4. Includes expenditure on these activities to inform analysis of the costs, benefits, and
value of environmental protection effort.
Topic 2 – Climate change
Enduring questions
106
Notes
A. Where and how are New Zealand's climate and atmospheric composition changing?
B. Where and how are New Zealand’s anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and
removals changing?
C. What and where is the impact of climate change on Māori and Māori-owned assets?
D. Where and how are ecosystems,4 people, and New Zealand institutions most affected
by changes to climate and atmospheric composition, and how are they adapting?
E. What greenhouse gas mitigation technologies and practices are we adopting?
Notes
4. Includes terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems.
Topic 3 – Coastal and marine environment
Enduring question
A. What are the spatial and temporal biophysical1 trends in the coastal and marine
environment2 and how are these predicted to change in the future?
B. What is the current use of natural resources3 in the coastal and marine environment,
what is the intensity of this use, how is this use changing spatially and temporally, and
how is it predicted to change in the future?
C. What ecosystem services4 are currently provided by New Zealand's coastal and
marine environment and how are these predicted to change in the future?5
D. What is the impact of human activity6 on the coastal and marine environment,
including the cumulative effect on its resilience7, and how is this changing over time?
E. What is the current relationship8 between Māori and the coastal and marine
environment, how is this changing, and what is the impact of human activity, resource
use, and climate change on this relationship?
F. What is the conservation and environmental protection effort9 for the coastal and
marine environment?
107
Notes
1. Biophysical environment includes the physical environment and the biological life forms
within the environment, including conditions and other variables that affect the
relationship between life forms and their physical environment.
2. Coastal and marine environment includes areas of the world usually covered by or
containing sea water, including seas and oceans, harbours, river estuaries, salt-water
marshes and mangroves, and coasts and beaches – including biological and physical
elements such as water temperature, salinity, and the composition and spread of marine
species.
3. Natural resources include renewable and non-renewable resources in the coastal and
marine environment, such as fish, mineral and gas reserves, and the resources
supporting aquaculture.
marine reserves).
5. We consider ecosystem services provided by terrestrial and freshwater environments
under the ecosystems and biodiversity topic.
6. Including resource use, climate change, pollution, invasive species, and waste
assimilation.
7. Resilience means the ability to recover readily from some shock or disturbance, adjust
to change, or recover from a catastrophic failure in a system.
8. The relationship between Māori and the coastal and marine environment includes the
impact on taonga (treasured) species.
Topic 4 – Ecosystems and biodiversity
Enduring question
sustained?
A. How and where is the diversity and condition of indigenous species changing?1
B. How and where is the diversity and condition of indigenous ecosystems changing?
C. What impact does change to the diversity and condition of indigenous species and
ecosystems have on natural capital2 and the provision of ecosystem services?3
D. What is driving the change4 to the diversity and condition of indigenous species and
ecosystems, where does it occur, and how is it changing over time?
108
E. What ecosystem services5 are currently provided by New Zealand’s terrestrial and
freshwater environments, and how are these predicted to change in the future?
F. What and where is the impact of change to culturally significant indigenous taonga
(treasured) species, mahinga kai (customary food gathering areas and practices), and
ecosystems, and what is being done to protect and sustain them?
G. What and where is environmental protection effort6 being undertaken to protect and
sustain the diversity and condition of indigenous species and ecosystems, including
people and agencies, time and capital and how effective are the different efforts?
Notes
1. Changes include how and where the threats to indigenous biodiversity are changing,
such as threats from exotic weeds and pests, human activity resulting in habitat loss, land
use intensification, climate change, and air pollution.
2. Natural capital includes renewable and non-renewable resources in ecosystems (eg
indigenous forests).
marine reserves).
4. Changes include how and where the threat to indigenous biodiversity is changing (eg
threats from exotic weeds and pests, human activities resulting in habitat loss, land use
intensification, climate change, and air pollution).
marine reserves). Coastal and marine environment ecosystem services are considered in
that Coastal and marine area.
Topic 5 – Energy
Enduring question
A. What and where are New Zealand’s current energy resources and what is the potential
for future exploitation and development?
B. What and where is the environmental impact of energy1 generation2, distribution, and
use in New Zealand?
C. What and where is the environmental impact through the life cycle3 of renewable
energy generation, and which types of renewable energy best support New Zealand's
sustainable development?
109
D. To what extent are energy conservation and energy efficiency options being taken,
and where and how are these affecting the demand for energy?
E. What and where are the environmental-cultural risks and impact of energy generation,
distribution, and use, for Māori, and how can they be minimised?
F. What and where is environmental protection effort4 being done to address the
environmental impact of energy generation, distribution, and use?
Notes
1. Both non-renewable (includes, but is not limited to, coal, gas, and oil) and renewable
(includes, but is not limited to, hydro, geothermal, wind, biogas, solar, tidal, and wave)
resources.
2. Generation refers to extracting and capturing resources for productive use.
3. The life cycle covers the cumulative environmental impact of building power generation
capacity, and maintaining, running, and decommissioning plant and equipment.
Topic 6 – Freshwater
Enduring question
A. What is New Zealand's freshwater1 quality2, what are the spatial and temporal trends,3
and how are these affected by climate change, human activity, and other pressures?
B. What is the quantity (stocks) of New Zealand's freshwater, what are the spatial and
pressures?
C. What is the use (flows) and allocation of our freshwater, what are the spatial and
pressures?
D. What impact does the change to quality, quantity, and use of freshwater have on
ecosystems and humans?
E. What is the health4 of freshwater and freshwater mahinga kai (customary food
gathering areas and practices) from a Māori perspective5, and how and why is this
changing?
F. What, where, and how is environmental protection effort6 being done to maintain and
improve freshwater?
110
Notes
1. Freshwater includes (but is not limited to) rivers, lakes, wetlands, rain, snow, ice, and
ground water.
2. Quality includes measures of nutrient, heat, organic, sediment, macro-invertebrates,
and bacteriological quality. Emerging contaminants, such as endocrine disruptors, may
also be considered.
3. Trends include the general directions of the past and present, and predictions of future
possibilities.
4. Health includes the look, sound, smell, and feel of freshwater, uses of the river, the
abundance and diversity of mahinga kai, water quality, riverbank condition, water flow
characteristics, and safety of the water to drink and other indicators.
5. At the catchment and site level.
Topic 7 – Land
Enduring question
A. What is New Zealand’s land use, and how is this changing1 spatially and temporally?
B. What is New Zealand’s land cover and how is this changing spatially and temporally?
C. What is driving the changes2 in New Zealand's land use and land cover?
D. What is the current and potential future impact3 of land use and land cover change in
New Zealand?
E. What is the quality4 and quantity of New Zealand’s soil and how is this changing
spatially and temporally?
F. What is the impact of land use and land cover profiles on Māori and Māori-owned land
and how is this changing?
G. What and where are New Zealand’s protected areas,5 how are they changing, and
what is the environmental protection effort6 done?
Notes
1. Changes in land use include land use intensification, change in soil quantity, and
potential changes to land use.
2. Changes include market and non-market factors.
111
3. Impact of land use and land cover in New Zealand can extend to soils, freshwater,
greenhouse gas emissions, natural hazards, biodiversity, coastal environments,
ecosystem services, and the loss of versatile soils (fertile, well-drained, slopes less than
12 degrees valuable for food production, and an important natural resource) to urban
development.
4. Soil physical quality could be judged against land use, with quality being regarded as
meaning 'fit for purpose'. For example, even small patches of soil contaminated from past
industrial or agricultural use may be of poor quality for urban residential land use, but of
acceptable quality for some industrial use.
5. Protected areas include all lands legally protected for conservation purposes, including
amenity areas, conservation parks, ecological areas, fixed marginal strips, government
purpose reserves, historic reserves, local purpose reserves, national parks, private
covenants (eg Queen Elizabeth II, Ngā Whenua Rāhui), recreation reserves, regional
parks, scenic reserves, stewardship areas, wildlife management areas, and wildlife
refuges.
Topic 8 – Māori environmental statistics
Enduring question
Notes
A. How well are Māori represented in the governance and management of natural
resources, and how effective is this representation for achieving desired outcomes for
Māori?
B. Where, why, and how are the abundance of taonga (treasured) species and mahinga
kai (customary food gathering areas and practices) changing?1
C. Where, why, and how is the condition of taonga species and mahinga kai changing?
D. What is the condition of sites of cultural, spiritual, and natural significance?2
E. To what extent are Māori able to access natural and customary resources, and what, if
any, are the impediments?
112
F. Where, why, and how are land cover and land use changing3 on Māori land through
time?
G. Where and how are Māori practising and implementing kaitiakitanga (caretaking)
across defined areas or regions?4
Notes
1. May include the presence/absence of such species or mahinga kai, the
distribution/location, or the abundance/scarcity.
2. Can include significant sites and areas such as wāhi taonga and wāhi tapu (eg puke
(hill), maunga (mountain), awa (river), manga (stream), roto (lake), repo (swamp), ara
(pathway), marae (meeting area), pā (village) sites) at the discretion of iwi / hapū /
whānau). Does not include highly confidential or sensitive areas.
3. Includes changes in areal extent of Māori land.
4. Includes land, air, freshwater, coastal, and marine areas.
Topic 9 – Materials and waste
Enduring question
and minimisation?
A. What and where are the effects1 of production and consumption on New Zealand’s
environment?
B. To what extent is New Zealand adopting technologies, production methods2, and best
practices that make more efficient use of natural resources, minimise waste, and reduce
the impact on the environment from production and consumption?
C. What and where is the total amount and composition of waste3 generated, recycled,
and disposed of in New Zealand?
D. What is the environmental impact of waste in New Zealand?
E. To what extent are Māori values affected by current waste management practices?
F. What environment protection effort4 is undertaken to reduce the impact of waste on the
environment?
Notes
1. The effects of production and consumption include the physical flow of materials into,
through, and out of the economy.
2. Production methods and practices to reduce waste and increase resource use
efficiency include waste management, waste minimisation systems, technologies for
achieving waste reduction, and improving natural resource use efficiency.
3. Waste includes hazardous waste; solid, liquid, and gaseous waste; and materials
disposed of in landfill and dry fill.
113
Topic 10 – Mineral resources
Enduring question
What are New Zealand's on-shore and off-shore mineral resources, and what is the
A. What and where are New Zealand’s onshore and offshore mineral resources1?
B. What are the quantity, quality, and composition of these resources?
C. What are the environmental constraints on exploration and development?
D. What and where is the environmental impact of attaining2 mineral resources?
E. What mineral resources exist on Māori land and in tribal customary areas across New
Zealand, both onshore and offshore?
F. What, how, and where is environmental protection effort3 being done to understand,
avoid, remedy, and mitigate the environmental impact of attaining mineral resources?
Notes
1. The difference between a resource and a reserve is that a resource has the potential
for economic extraction. A reserve is limited to materials that can be extracted at a profit.
2. Attaining includes prospecting, exploration, production, refining, processing, and
transporting.
114
Appendix 2: Additional data sources
After the Stocktake for the environment domain plan 2012 was published, several data
sources within that were identified as informing additional enduring questions. For example, a
data source listed in the stocktake as informing land was subsequently identified as also
informing freshwater. This identification was made by subject matter experts during the gap
analysis or in the topic workshops.
Table 24 lists these data sources. Note that the list is not exhaustive.
New data sources, identified after publication of the stocktake, are in table 25.
Table 24
Data sources in the stocktake
Data source
Data custodian
Topics informed
Data source
topic origin
Solar UV-B database
• Industrial
Research Ltd (IRL)
• National Institute
of Water and
Atmospheric
Research (NIWA)
Climate change
Atmosphere
Airshed reporting
Ministry for the
Environment (MfE)
• Climate change
• Energy
Atmosphere
Environmental health
indicators
Ministry of Health
• Climate change
• Energy
Atmosphere
National Air Quality
(nitrogen dioxide)
monitoring programme
New Zealand
Transport Agency
• Climate change
• Energy
Atmosphere
National climate database
NIWA
• Freshwater
• Ecosystems & biodiversity
Climate change
Environmental information
relevant to monitoring
climate change and its
impacts
NIWA
• Freshwater
Climate change
Protected areas network –
New Zealand
Landcare Research
Freshwater
Land
Agricultural production
surveys/censuses
Statistics NZ
• Freshwater
Land
New Zealand freshwater
fish database
NIWA
• Freshwater
• Māori environmental statistics
Ecosystems &
biodiversity
Wetlands of ecological
and representative
importance
Department of
Conservation
Coastal & marine environment
Freshwater
NIWA
Coastal & marine environment
In the stocktake
appendix
Ocean acidification time
series
115
Table 24 continued
Data source
Data custodian
Topics informed
Data source
topic origin
S-map
Landcare Research
• Land
• Māori environmental statistics
In the stocktake
appendix
New Zealand fossil record
electronic database
GNS Science
• Land
• Mineral resources
Climate change
LUCAS national forest
permanent sample plot
data
MfE
Land
Climate change
Freshwater ecosystems of
New Zealand geodatabase
DOC
Land
Freshwater
Snapshot of lake water
quality in New Zealand
MfE
Land
Freshwater
Binary database of
profiles – atmospheric
composition database
(particulates)
GNS
Energy
Atmosphere
Transport Monitoring
Indicator Framework
Ministry of
Transport
Energy
Atmosphere
Total column ozone
measurements
NIWA
Energy
Atmosphere
Vertical ozone profile
measurements
NIWA
Energy
Atmosphere
World Meteorological
Organisation (WMO) and
United Nations
Environment Programme
(UNEP) scientific
assessments of ozone
depletion and UNEP
effects panel assessments
NIWA
Energy
Atmosphere
Binary database of
profiles – atmospheric
composition database
(gases)
NIWA
Energy
Atmosphere
Greenhouse gas
concentrations database
NIWA
Energy
Climate change
Scientific observer
database
• Ministry for
Primary Industries
(MPI)
• NIWA
Ecosystems & biodiversity
Coastal &
marine
environment
116
Table 24 continued
Data source
Data
custodian
Topics informed
Data source
topic origin
Land Use Map
Landcare
Research
Land
Land Cover Database
(LCB1,2, and 3)
MfE
Land
New Zealand plant
conservation network
New Zealand
plant
conservation
network
Appendix
National Aquatic Biodiversity
Information System
MPI
Coastal &
marine
environment
Biods (marine biodiversity and
biosecurity) database
MPI
Coastal &
marine
environment
Trawl survey database
MPI
Coastal &
marine
environment
Snapshot of groundwater
quality in New Zealand
MfE
Freshwater
Freshwater organisms
NIWA
Freshwater
Marine reserve monitoring
DOC
Coastal &
marine
environment
Areas of coastal and marine
environment
DOC
Coastal &
marine
environment
Marine pollution response
services database
Maritime NZ
Coastal &
marine
environment
Main catch/effort database
• MPI
• NIWA
Coastal &
marine
environment
Non-fish by-catch database
• MPI
• NIWA
Coastal &
marine
environment
Recreational fishing database
• MPI
• NIWA
Coastal &
marine
environment
DOC
Ecosystems &
biodiversity
Biodiversity Data Inventory
metadata
117
Table 24 continued
Data source
Data
custodian
Topics informed
Data source
topic origin
Biodiversity Data Inventory
spatial data
DOC
Ecosystems &
biodiversity
Marine species sighting
database
DOC
Ecosystems &
biodiversity
Island invasion incidents
database
DOC
Ecosystems &
biodiversity
Threatened environment
classification
Landcare
Research
Ecosystems &
biodiversity
Predicted potential natural
vegetation of New Zealand
Landcare
Research
Ecosystems &
biodiversity
118
Table 25 presents the new data sources identified after the stocktake was published.
Table 25
New data sources
New data sources
Data source
Data custodian
Topics informed
Comment
Climate and Māori society
webpages
www.niwa.co.nz
National Institute
of Water and
Atmospheric
Research (NIWA)
Climate change
May be out
of scope
Background composition
measurements excluding
ozone
www.niwa.co.nz
NIWA
Climate change
Climate and chemistry-climate
model simulations
www.niwa.co.nz
NIWA
Climate change
Continuous plankton recorder
time series
www.niwa.co.nz
Ministry for
Primary Industries
(MPI)
• Climate change
• Coastal & marine environment
Annual bottom trawl footprint
data
www.fish.govt.nz
MPI
• Climate change
ARGO (deepwater
environmental monitoring)
www.mpi.govt.nz
MPI
• Climate change
• Coastal and marine
environment
Aquaculture monitoring
www.fish.govt.nz
MPI
• Climate change
Estuary monitoring
www.mpi.govt.nz
MPI
• Climate change
Intertidal monitoring
www.mpi.govt.nz
MPI
• Climate change
Ocean climate change atlas
www.niwa.co.nz
NIWA
• Climate change
Rocky reef monitoring
www.mpi.govt.nz
MPI
• Climate change
Sandy beach monitoring
www.mpi.govt.nz
MPI
• Climate change
Sea grass/mangrove
monitoring
www.mpi.govt.nz
MPI
• Climate change
MPI
• Climate change
University monitoring
programmes
www.mpi.govt.nz
119
Table 25 continued
New data sources
Data source
Data custodian
Topics informed
Marine protection in the
Exclusive Economic Zone
(benthic protected areas)
www.fish.govt.nz
MPI
• Climate change
New Zealand Census of
Population and Dwellings
www.stats.govt.nz
Statistics NZ
Atmosphere
Time-series monitoring
http://apps.linz.govt.nz/positionz/
Geospatial Office
Freshwater
Māori database
www.gns.cri.nz
GNS Science
Land
Cadastral database
www.gns.cri.nz
GNS Science
Land
Meshblock database
www.gns.cri.nz
GNS Science
Land
Innovation in New Zealand
Survey
www.stats.govt.nz
Statistics NZ
Materials & waste
Hazardous substance and new
organisms application register
www.epa.govt.nz
Environmental
Protection
Authority (EPA)
Materials & waste
Controls database
www.epa.govt.nz
EPA
Materials & waste
Seal database
www.gns.cri.nz
GNS
Mineral resources
Petroleum spatial data
extension
www.gns.cri.nz
GNS
Mineral resources
Well database
www.gns.cri.nz
GNS
Mineral resources
Taranaki 4D mapping database
www.gns.cri.nz
GNS
Mineral resources
Active source seismic datasets
www.gns.cri.nz
GNS
Mineral resources
Wireline log reference datasets
www.gns.cri.nz
GNS
Mineral resources
120
Comment
Question
on type of
heating
used in
homes
Table 25 continued
New data sources
Data source
Data custodian
Topics informed
Stand-alone geospatial
databases and data series
products
www.gns.cri.nz
GNS
Mineral resources
Taranaki reservoir quality
www.gns.cri.nz
GNS
Mineral resources
New Zealand inventory of
biodiversity
www.niwa.co.nz
NIWA
Our environment
www.mfe.govt.nz
Ministry for the
Environment
Historic Places Register
www.historic.org.nz
Historic Places
Trust
121
Comment
Iwi/cultural
environmental
monitoring
Appendix 3: Gap analysis process
This chapter presents the process adopted to complete the gap analysis. It shows an
example of how the gap analysis was undertaken and finishes with lessons learned from
that process.
The process
To help identify the information needs around our enduring questions and how well
existing data informed the questions, we analysed the strengths, gaps, overlaps, and
deficiencies of our data.
For this work, we asked subject matter and end-user experts to assess, for each of the
questions and for each of the datasets:
•
How well does this dataset inform us about that question?
•
Given all the datasets, how well informed was that question overall?
Experts were given a spread sheet with the questions along the top, and the datasets
listed down the side. They were asked to put a grade for each dataset with either zero,
low, medium, or high to indicate how well they though that dataset informed that question.
Where a ranking couldn’t be assigned (for example, where the expert didn’t know enough
about a particular dataset), they left the square blank.
Spreadsheets from all the experts were then combined using a text string to indicate the
cumulative grading. The text string was B:0:L:M:H. The numbers in that string match a
number assigned to the organisation that graded that data or question. The overall scores
were listed at the bottom of the spreadsheet in a similar way.
Using the experts’ scores, the following factors were used to assess how well the
questions were informed:
•
the number of organisations assigning each of the five grades in the ‘overall’
scoring row for this question
•
the average scores across all datasets, for all organisations and each grading
category
•
the maximum grade given for each question by each organisation
•
the weighted sum of the number of organisations scoring low (weight =1),
medium (weight = 3), and high (weight = 5) across all the questions and datasets.
These indexes were used to suggest an overall classification of the level at which each
question was informed (low, medium, or high).
The gap analysis spreadsheets were also used to assess how useful each dataset was in
informing all the questions. The process here was to count the various grades across a
row, and then look for the highest number of ‘highs’ or ‘mediums’. A search for the
datasets that generally produced zeros or lows was also used to highlight datasets that
were not useful in informing these questions. However, this is not an evaluation of the
value of the datasets which may still successfully provide data for their intended purpose.
In the example below (see figure 1) on the climate change topic, 10 organisations
responded to the requests to undertake the gap analysis.
The indexes showed that the first two paleoclimate datasets, New Zealand
Paleontological Database and New Zealand Fossil Record File, had 23 zeros each for
informing the climate change questions, indicating they may not be that useful in
informing these questions.
122
Conversely, the Agricultural Production Survey had 11 ‘high’ scores, showing it is very
useful in answering the climate change questions.
Question A ‘How is New Zealand’s climate changing?’ was highly informed, with six
organisations agreeing that it was highly informed overall, and four organisations not
providing a grade (ie the overall score was blank).
Figure 1
Gap analysis process spreadsheet for climate change
Gap analysis process spreadsheet for climate change
Lessons learned
We learned several lessons from the gap analysis.
We found that some experts graded each dataset by its ‘value’ rather than how well the
dataset informed the questions. That is, they said ‘this dataset is highly valuable’ rather
than ‘this dataset tells us a lot about the question’. For example, knowing where the
petroleum reserves are is highly valuable, but only tells a little about the question ‘Where
and what are New Zealand’s mineral resources?’ This meant there were more ‘highs’ in
the columns than were represented in the overall score.
The enduring questions are complex. Often, an enduring question would be made up of
multiple questions. This made it very hard to earn overall high scores. There may have
been instances where part of an enduring question was well informed, but not all of it.
123
The different scoring indexes we used in the gap analysis process showed different
results. This made it hard for us to assign an overall score. This issue is generally a
reflection of the ‘value’ problem listed above. We found that the most useful indicator was
from the ‘overall’ score, that is, whether a question had a low, medium, or high overall
score.
Despite these limitations, the gap analysis process showed how current information
informed the supplementary enduring questions. This was reflected in the comments that
were forthcoming in the workshops, where the foibles in the analysis were acknowledged
and the conversation moved on. As the analysis was primarily there as a conversation
starter, it served a ‘fit for purpose’ function as initiating thinking and discussions in the
workshops on the prioritised initiatives.
124
Appendix 4: Workshop process
After the gap analysis process, we held nine topic workshops and a hui for the Māori
environmental statistics topic. The aim of the workshops was to seek initiatives to
address the issues identified by the gap analysis. These workshops were co-facilitated by
a Statistics NZ staff member and a skilled independent facilitator.
The first step was to make clear to everyone the purpose and processes involved in the
environment domain plan. This included highlighting the wide consultations held to create
the enduring questions, the stocktake, and the gap analysis.
After this, the topics’ enduring questions and the gap analysis results were presented
(see appendix 3, Gap analysis process).
The independent facilitator then sought everyone’s initial reactions to the gap analysis
results. These reactions were written on a whiteboard, which began the process of
identifying the issues from the gap analysis. It also helped explain the various ‘positions’
held by the workshop participants.
The next part of the workshop was a facilitated discussion, in which the issues were
further teased out and logged on the whiteboard.
To begin the process of finding the initiatives needed to address the identified issues,
individuals were instructed to write ideas onto ‘stickies’. These were then shared in small
groups and then reported back to the main session, with the stickies placed in clusters of
related themes on the wall.
Sentences summarising the various clusters were then crafted by the group (using the
facilitators to wrangle the ideas) onto a whiteboard. These sentences became the
initiatives.
Prioritising these initiatives was achieved by giving each organisation five votes (coloured
sticky dots) that could be placed on the board against any initiatives they thought should
be a priority.
The resulting high-priority initiatives were highlighted, followed by a presentation on the
future steps for the domain plan.
Workshop participants were informed of the next steps for the domain plan and their
potential involvement in the initiatives.
125
Appendix 5: Participants
This chapter presents the list of participants involved in developing the environment
domain plan.
Statistics NZ led the process in partnership with the Ministry for the Environment and the
Department of Conservation. Other agencies and organisations have an interest in New
Zealand’s environmental statistics, whether as users, producers, or data custodians.
Their level of involvement throughout the domain plan process has varied.
Central government
Ministry for the Environment
Department of Conservation
Ministry for Primary Industries
Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment
Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment – Science, Skills and Innovation:
Science Investments
New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Transport
New Zealand Transport Agency
Maritime New Zealand
Land Information New Zealand
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority
Environmental Protection Authority
Te Puni Kokiri
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Electricity Authority
Local government
Local Government New Zealand
Auckland Council
Environment Canterbury
Environment Waikato
Dunedin City Council
Taranaki Regional Council
126
Wellington City Council
Greater Wellington Regional Council
Crown research institutes
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
GNS Science
Landcare Research
Scion Research
Ag Research
Cawthron Institute
Plant and Food Research
Māori representatives
Kevin Prime
Gail Tipa
Percy Tipene
Gina Rangi
Garth Harmsworth
Rick Witana
Julian Jackson
Riki Ellison
Karen Coutts
Bob Hill
Tamati Olsen
Chris Insley
Other
New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute (Victoria University)
Allan Wilson Centre (Victoria University)
Federated Farmers of New Zealand
Emission Impossible
Genesis Energy
Fish and Game Council
127
World Wildlife Fund New Zealand
Seafood New Zealand
Environment Defence Society
Wastebusters
WasteMINZ
Climate Change Iwi Leadership Group
Freshwater Iwi Leadership Group
128
Appendix 6: Environment domain plan history
This chapter presents the background to domain plans and the environment domain plan
in particular. The topics are discussed here, including how the Māori environmental
statistics topic developed. Finally, a success story highlights how the domain plans can
be used.
Domain plans
The Official Statistics System (OSS) includes all government agencies led by Statistics
NZ. In 2003, a review of the OSS recommended that Statistics NZ take a greater role in
leading the system.
This greater leadership role drove Statistics NZ to create new and review existing domain
plans. This increased attention resulted in the environment domain plan.
The environment domain plan
Frameworks were discussed for domains plans across the social, economic, and
environmental domains. Three steps were outlined for them.
The steps for the environment domain plan are:
•
•
•
demand for information – a description of the information needed (enduring
questions)
supply of data – documentation of existing data sources (stocktake)
statistical development activity – a prioritised list of statistical development
activities (prioritised initiatives).
The environment domain plan process followed these three steps (for more information
see the ‘Process for developing this domain plan’ section under ‘Snapshot of the
environment domain plan’ chapter).
Topic areas
Statistics NZ, the Ministry for the Environment, and the Department of Conservation
agreed on and developed 10 topic areas for the environment domain plan (see chapter 1,
Introduction).
One of the first topics was environmental protection effort. This topic was intended to
cover matters such as risk mitigation, resource management, and protection expenditure.
While the boundaries between topic areas are somewhat arbitrary (for example,
ecosystems and biodiversity occur on land and in freshwater), it was reasoned that
environmental protection effort was strongly interwoven into all of the other nine topics.
So it was decided that environmental protection effort would not be a topic on its own but
instead be absorbed into the other nine topics. Environmental protection effort is reflected
in the supplementary enduring questions, with each set of topic questions including a
designated question on environmental protection effort.
As well as having a question on environmental protection effort, each topic includes a
Māori-themed question. However, after consultation with the Māori Statistics Advisory
team, it was decided that these questions only have a ‘Crown view’ flavour to them, and
for completeness, the environment domain plan should capture the more holistic Māori
views. The Māori environmental statistics topic was created to capture wider Māori views.
129
The scope of this topic was purposely broader than the other nine topics to include the
cultural aspects of the environment from a Māori perspective.
Success story
Now that the environment domain plan is complete, the key challenge is to see the
initiatives realised. The Domain plan for energy sector 2006–2016 is a good example of
what a domain plan can achieve. It proposed many development initiatives, one of which
was on measuring energy end-use. This initiative led to the formation of the Energy Use
Survey, which is currently produced by Statistics NZ.
The next phase of the environment domain plan will be to work with the right parties to
act on the initiatives, and to create stories such as the example provided by the energy
domain plan.
130

Environment domain plan 2013

Transcription

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