How to Change the World. Clare Feeney
href="#ue797c98a-3f40-5839-8931-3197d9c118fd"> Risk and research
Rapid population growth in the late 1970s highlighted the environmental risks posed by development, including:
To the consternation of the public and agencies alike, these risks contributed to big, unsightly plumes of sediment in streams and harbors, clogged streams and stormwater systems, localized flooding and deposition of sticky yellow clay on popular beaches.
A number of erosion and sediment control guidelines had been produced in the USA in the early 1970s, and a national New Zealand equivalent was published in 197525. The Auckland Regional Water Board, a department of the ARC’s predecessor, the Auckland Regional Authority, then produced a guideline specifically for the Auckland Region in early 197926.
Widespread concern about sedimentation and other development-related issues led to the setting up of the three-year Upper Waitemata Harbour Catchment [watershed] Study, also in 1979. The Study was a collaborative research project between the University of Auckland and the Water Board. Concerned about the area’s vulnerability to uncoordinated development, the research team hoped that understanding of environmental processes would inform land and water management practices to reduce environmental harm.
By 1983, the Study had produced many guidelines, reviews and technical reports to guide the conservation and wise use of land and water resources during development of that catchment and other similarly vulnerable catchments in the country. Scientific reviews were prepared on stream and harbor ecology, ecosystem energy patterns, freshwater and land resources, land and water use, stormwater control, harbor sediments, tidal flushing and legal aspects of land and water management.
To help with land and water use planning and development, the study also produced eight practical guidelines on:
Despite having only 13 pages of technical content, the 1983 Earthworks erosion management guideline27 was remarkably prescient, highlighting as it did the need for good land use planning and urban design, comprehensive catchment planning, low-impact development and minimum earthworks, prevention of stream bank erosion, financial benefits to developers of good controls; and how developers, local councils and the then Auckland Regional Authority, could work together. However, it had very little detail on the design, construction, operation and maintenance of erosion and sediment controls. Moreover, it was not backed by legislation, so had very little in the way of ‘teeth’.
By March 1992, following the passage in 1991 of the Resource Management Act (New Zealand’s main piece of environmental legislation), more detailed Auckland-specific environmental research had been carried out. This research, together with an investigation of overseas best practice, especially from North America, led to the publication of ‘TP2’, the region’s second Technical Publication on erosion and sediment control28. The guideline set out the principles and processes of erosion and sediment control, advised on general sediment control design considerations, and spelled out detailed designs for runoff (erosion) control, sediment control and revegetation. It also defined when legal authorisation to carry out land-disturbing activities would be required. This was the all-important mechanism by which the Auckland Regional Authority (which had by then become part of a new Auckland Regional Council, or ARC) could require the use of the controls in the TP2 guideline.
A steep learning curve ensued for regulators and regulated alike, and it was soon evident that not all of these elements were strong enough to ensure adequate control.
By June 1995, accelerating development, poor standards of preparation of applications for environmental authorization (including erosion and sediment control plans and assessments of environmental effects), and poor site management, indicated the need for technical training.
In September 1995, the ARC notified its Proposed Regional Plan: Sediment Control29. Regional plans in New Zealand have the force of law, and this plan prescribed when developers would need environmental authorizations for land-disturbing activities, and set out stringent performance requirements based on criteria such as slope and area of works and proximity to water.
The need for training to support compliance
Anticipating the need for training to promote compliance with the new plan, the ARC set up a formal industry registration and training program in June 1995.
Again, this was based on extensive research in which staff closely examined the already very successful erosion and sediment control and associated training programs in Delaware and Maryland in the USA. (Links to these programs are in ‘How to find out more’.) On two occasions the ARC also brought Earl Shaver to New Zealand. Earl is an expert who had worked with both programs, to talk over the issues with staff and industry representatives. They were very successful visits – the program took off and Earl now lives and works in Auckland.
In keeping with the ARC’s philosophy that good environmental management is a responsibility shared between the Council and the community, the new training program aimed to: