MANAGING NATURAL AND PHYSICAL ASSETS FOR …...4. decarbonisation: natural systems, engineered biomimicry 5. dematerialisation: eco-efficiency and lower consumption 6. immaterialisation:

MANAGING

NATURAL AND PHYSICAL ASSETS

FOR INTEGRATED OUTCOMES

2009

Christine Heremaia Christchurch City Council

Clare Feeney Environment and Business Group

Kathryn Scott Landcare Research

Public infrastructure associated with the surface water environment and public open space ………

• Consists of natural and physical assets/resources

• Renewed by the replacement of individual components whilst at the same time maintaining the function of the overall system

• Provides the framework and inner workings of a city

• Delivers a range of community outcomes

• Influences how individual community members perceive, experience, and utilise the world around them

Natural and physical resources; assets and infrastructure

Resource Management Act (RMA)• s2: natural and physical resources

• s5: social, economic, cultural and environmental wellbeing

• national, regional and district planning tools

Local Government Act (LGA)• s3: social, economic, cultural and environmental wellbeings

• asset (activity) management plans, e.g. for built stormwater infrastructure (a physical resource under RMA)

• long term council community plans (LTCCPs)

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT (1991)

(1) The purpose of this Act is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources.

(2) In this Act, sustainable management means managing the use, development, and protection of natural and physical resources in a way, or at a rate, which enables people and communi ties to provide for their social, economic, and cultural we llbeing and for their health and safety while —

(a) Sustaining the potential of natural and physical resources(excluding minerals) to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of future generations; and

(b) Sustaining the potential of natural and physical resources (b) Safeguarding the life-supporting capacity of air, water, soil, and ecosystems; and

(c) Avoiding, remedying, or mitigating any adverse effects of activities on the environment.

Resource Management Act (1991) Section 5 Purpose

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT (2002)

The purpose of this Act is to provide for democratic and effective local government that recognises the diversity of New Zealand communities; and, to that end, this Act —

(a) states the purpose of local government; and

(b) provides a framework and powers for local authorities to decide which activities they undertake and the manner in which they will undertake them; and

(c) promotes the accountability of local authorities to their communities; and

(d) provides for local authorities to play a broad role in promotingthe social, economic, environmental, and cultural w ell-being of their communities, taking a sustainable development approach.

Local Government Act (2002), Section 3, Purpose

Resource Management Act 1991

Natural and Physical Resources includes land, water, air, soil, minerals, energy, all forms of plants and animals (whether native to New Zealand or introduced), all structures

Local Government Act 2002

Assets are not defined in the Act

Assets can be described as ‘any item of economic value owned by an individual or corporation, especially that which could be converted to cash’

HOWEVER

https://uk.etrade.com/e/t/uk/dynamic_content

What is an asset? What is a resource?

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 2002

Section 124 Interpretation

Wastewater services sewage, treatment and disposal of sewage, and stormwater drainage

Section126 Information required in assessment of water services

Section 128 Process for making assessments

Includes • description of existing drainage services• health and environmental impacts arising from current and future

demands• options available in addressing impacts, along with their assessments• Territorial role in meeting current and future demands

Includes consideration of • On site collection and disposal• Grey water water and stormwater reuse or recycling• Demand reduction strategies

What does sustainability mean in terms of stormwate r infrastructure?

• What does sustainability mean in terms of stormwate r infrastructure?

• What tools can assist in choosing the optimal susta inable solution from a

range of options?

• Can stormwater and natural waterways be managed as an integrated whole

under the LGA and RMA?

Values abstract ideas about what a society believes to be good, right, and desirable

Spatially A place, site, area, or landscape, together with its associated structures indicating the interaction / relationship of different assets within the same space or locality

System reveals the inner workings of a landscape that are not necessarily visible (movement of water, energy, people)

Measures enables quantifying such as for costings

Services benefits to the community and the environment

Scores indicates the quality associated with a particular attribute or range of assets

DESCRIBING ASSETS / RESOURCES

Sustainability challenges: decision-making associated with managing public inf rastructure

Fleming, N and Nott, T (2005)

Sustainability challengesNatural resources

Sustainability challenges: physical resources (built infrastructure)

We manage the built asset for levels of service (social, cultural,economic) and environmental outcomes (flooding, water quality) - but

we can also manage the built asset itself for sustainability outcomes:

1. more focus on protecting natural and cultural capital

2. urban design: more liveable and walkable cities

3. decentralisation and scale reduction of infrastructure 4. decarbonisation: natural systems, engineered biomimicry

5. dematerialisation: eco-efficiency and lower consumption

6. immaterialisation: replace goods with services 7. integrated management of cross-sectoral interactions (e.g.

streams ↔ stormwater infrastructure or roads ↔ biodiversity

MED infrastructure stocktake: sustainability trends/criteria for built infrastructure

Asset management ….

The combination of management, financial, economic, engineering, and other practices applied to physical assets with the objective of providing the required level of service in the most cost-effective way.

International Infrastructure Management Manual

It means considering all management options and strategies as part of the asset lifecycle, that is from planning to disposal.

multi-criteria analysis (MCA)

– assessment criteria developed under the four wellbeings

– social, cultural, economic and environmental

full life cycle analysis (LCA)

– capex + opex

– embodied energy/reuse, recycling, disposal costs

– compared with natural or bio-mimicked systems

What tools can assist in choosing the optimal sustainable solution from a range of options?

LGA

“grey” infrastructure

asset management plans

LTCCPs

RMA

“green” infrastructure

natural and physical resources

national, regional, district policy and plans

catchment management plans

network discharge consents

4 wellbeings under both acts

management + maintenance + monitoring and review

Urban water systems: an integrated whole

Integrated natural and physical resource management

RMAnatural resources physical resources

natural assets/green infrastructure built assets/grey infrastructureLGA

totally natural totally builtgreen engineering/biomimicry/LIUDD

CASE STUDY

Christchurch

CHRISTCHURCH CONTEXT – land water interaction

Springs

Aquifer recharge line

salt marsh, fresh water wetlands, spring fed streams and rivers, hillside waterways

CHRISTCHURCH CONTEXT - environmental

HISTORY & DRIVERS OF CHANGE

Christchurch - a City built on a swampIssues - flooding, odours and disease In 1875 highest death rate from water borne diseases in all of New Zealand

DRIVER

RESULTING LEGISLATIONChristchurch Drainage Board Act 1875

Purpose

To improve the drainage of the City

MANAGEMENT APPROACH

HISTORY & DRIVERS OF CHANGE continued

Single focused utility approach

OUTCOME

Improved drainage and health

but loss of many other values

CHRISTCHURCH CONTEXT - social

DRIVER

During the 1970’s & 80’s growing concern about the los s of environmental values and the degradation of natural sys tems (eg pollution of rivers, loss of habitats and wildlif e species).

RESULTING LEGISLATIONResource Management Act (1991)

Purpose

“ To promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources …… ”

HISTORY & DRIVERS OF CHANGE continued

MANAGEMENT APPROACH

Waterways and

wetlands assessed

and managed for the

following values -

RECREATION

ECOLOGY

DRAINAGE

HERITAGE

LANDSCAPE

CULTURE

OUTCOME

More than double capacity, reduced

flood hazard and a more sensitive

environmental approach to managing

and integrating waterways and

wetlands within urban & rural

landscapes.

HISTORY & DRIVERS OF CHANGE continued …

Values realised for piping

Replacement needed about every 150 years

Asset values depreciate over time

Cost to replace$500 to $1300 per metre

Costs of piping

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Drainage Heritage Ecology Recreation Culture Landscape

PipingD

rain

age

Rec

reat

ion

Land

scap

e

Her

itage

Eco

logy

Cul

ture

Costs

Time

Long Term Costs and Benefits


0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Drainage Heritage Ecology Recreat ion Culture Landscape

Values realised for natural channels

Replacement may never be needed

Costs

Cost to develop $30 to $1000 per metre

Asset values appreciate over time

Costs of ‘natural treatment’

Values realised for natural channels

Naturalised Waterway

Time

Dra

inag

e

Her

itage

Eco

logy

Rec

reat

ion

Cul

ture

Land

scap

e

Costs

Long Term Costs and BenefitsCosts of ‘natural treatment’


The signing of Agenda 21 and the need to incorporate the

concept of ‘sustainable development’ into New Zealand legislation

DRIVER

RESULTING LEGISLATION

Local Government Act

Provides for local authorities to play a broad role in promoting the social,

economic, environmental and cultural well being of their communities, taking a sustainable development approach

Provides for financial planning by Councils for the management

of infrastructural assets


• city divided into project areas based

on soil/water interaction, landuse and

sense of community

• long term visions developed for each

area

• visions assisted in determining long

term costs associated with planning,

protection, restoration, maintenance

and monitoring

OUTCOME

a citywide sustainable management approach

to managing waterways, wetlands, parks,

green corridors, floodplains resulting in an

integrated whole.

WATERWAY & WETLANDS ASSET MANAGEMENT STRATEGY


Aims to improve water quality and quantity outcomes. Will replace

the permissive 1991 General Authorisation for Discharges and over

100 separate resource consents with over 800 conditions that relate

to construction, operation and maintenance …

DRIVER

RESULTING POLICY

Planning and Consents Protocol for Surface Water Management

Will fulfil the PNRRP requirement for Catchment Management Plans for

stormwater.

Proposed Natural Resources Regional Plan (2004) (PNRRP)

SECONDARY DRIVER

Resource Management Act (1991)


• Values based (ie ecology, landscape, drainage, recreation, heritage, culture)

• Multi-disciplinary integrated planning for long ter m sustainable outcomes

• Futures thinking – visions

• Working in Partnerships

• Understanding of long term costs and benefits

• Recognising the impact of past adverse affects and remedying them in a way that provides multiple ben efit

• Building on a sense of community

• Adaptive management

CURRENT MANAGEMENT PHILISOPHY

Edward Avenue Streetscape Project retrofit

EDWARD AVE RESTORATION PROJECT

ISSUE

Flooding problems due to undersized pipe and drain in poor condition.

PROCESS

Worked closely with the community and involved them in the design process.

SOLUTION DAYLIGHTING OF PIPE &RELOCATION OF DRAIN

Edward Avenue Streetscape Project retrofit continue d …



OUTCOMES


Ecology eels and small fish observed by locals

Landscape improved streetscape appearanceNew landmark within a built-up areaSlowed traffic down

Recreation more enjoyable walkway for the local community

Heritage artwork reflects the wildlife that lived in the area prior to 1850’s

Culture important valued local asset that the community have become closely associated with.

Drainage improved stormwater capacity due to increased cross sectional area

Daylighting cheaper than replacing original pipe Some maintenance difficulties as a result of some a spects of design detail

ISSUES• Need for expressway

• Need for improved hydrology of Travis Wetland in order to manage ecological outcomes

• Major box drain renewal

VISION

Opportunity for an integrated development combining a traffic and ecological corridor linking Avon River to Travis Wetland

Woolston / Burwood Green Corridor integrated develop ment


Before After

Landscape Integrated design

Buffer between expressway & residential development

Incorporating nature within an urban environment

Ecology Ecological link between Avon River & Travis Wetland

Seasonal water enhancement system for Travis Wetland

Improved habitat for white bait spawning and wetland bird species

Drainage Sustainable drainage system

Recreation Important link in a network of walkways

boating facilities on lake

OUTCOMES

Woolston / Burwood green corridor integrated developm ent continued …

Land ProtectionStyx River and Kaputone Creek

THOUGHTS ???

• What does sustainability mean in terms of stormwate rinfrastructure?

• What tools can assist in choosing the optimal susta inable solution from a range of options?

• Can stormwater and natural waterways be managed as a n integrated whole under the LGA and RMA?

What we think:

• define ‘catchment’ on the basis of and including th e whole ultimate receiving environment

• this is the natural synthesising unit for managing fresh and saline surface and subsurface waters + water in built infrastructure

• management objectives can be related to outcomes defined in terms of all four wellbeings (both Acts)

• use the management tools in both the LGA and RMA th at have traditionally been used separately for built a sset and natural resource management

• the sustainability challenges give us criteria to p ush the boundaries for both natural and physical resource management

Acknowledgements

Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and the University of Auckland

LIUDD research programme

• visit the LIUDD research programme website

• or google LIUDD and look under News

• see the urban safari and seminar schedule at

http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/built/liudd/2009Semi

narSeries.asp

Documents

MANAGING NATURAL AND PHYSICAL ASSETS FOR …...4. decarbonisation: natural systems, engineered biomimicry 5. dematerialisation: eco-efficiency and lower consumption 6. immaterialisation: