Latest news with #BayofPlenty
RNZ News
14 hours ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Utilising, protecting Bay of Plenty's geothermal taonga
Geothermal systems in Rotorua are used for a range of activities, including for tourism, health spas or powering large facilities like hospitals. Photo: The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is considering "tweaks" to allocation rules for commercial users of geothermal systems in Rotorua, but is holding fire on a region-wide plan to manage the natural resource. Late last year, the regulator went out for public consultation with updated draft management plans for the systems in Rotorua, Tauranga and the wider region, in efforts to greater streamline the consenting process. The geothermal resources are of cultural, social and economic significance to the region that has 12 geothermal systems. The systems are used for a range of activities, including for tourism, health spas or powering large facilities like hospitals . Furthermore, other uses for geothermal resources include drying timber at saw mills or using water for irrigation or frost protection in horticulture - in addition to generating electricity, heat or water. Bay of Plenty Regional Council's geothermal programme leader Penny Doorman said the resource was a taonga that was generally well managed, and there was even scale for greater use at some sites. But she said ongoing reform to the Resource Management Act - legislation which ordered "outdated" management plans be reviewed - resulted in the regional council pausing the wider regional management plan for the systems. "We've had to pivot a little bit because with the resource management reforms that are underway, council decided not to progress the regionwide plan change, they thought it would be better to wait until there's a bit more certainty about that. "But they have agreed to still go ahead with the changes to the Rotorua part of that regional plan change." Visitors at Te Puia explore Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley. Photo: Supplied / Te Puia Up to 29 percent of overall use of geothermal water in Tauranga system was for horticulture, and made up 96 percent of geothermal water allocated to non-geothermal activities. In a submission, fruit and vegetable growers raised concerns that changes to geothermal systems management might result in further costs and compliance for users. However, Doorman said access to water for horticultural irrigators in Tauranga was not changing and the plan was progressing, however it would consider changes to allocation limits in Rotorua. "We have made some recommendations for changes to the allocation [in Rotorua]. There's always been a limit to how much geothermal water can be taken from the system and not reinjected, and that limit has just been reviewed through some careful monitoring," she said. "We're basically saying if you're taking geothermal water out of the system to take heat, then you've got to re-inject it." She said it identified a system-wide cap to the amount of heat that could be taken off the system. [audip] "The reason for that is that because it's really important to keep your water levels and your geothermal aquifer high but also hot because that's what our geyser system relies on," she said. "If we can keep heat within this safe operating space, then we know that we can protect the mauri or the health of the geothermal system." Meanwhile, in its submission, industry group Horticulture New Zealand said consent conditions should be reasonable and proportional to the environmental risks at the key Tauranga site. "The council's science has shown that the water quantity will run out before heat in the Tauranga system, so volume is the limiting factor rather than the heat source," it said. "Given that this is the case, non-geothermal uses of war water such as irrigation should not be restricted on the basis of retaining the heat source." It said consent conditions should also be "mindful of cumulative compliance cost on users." It added that there was significant potential for low-temperature geothermal water to be used with ground source heat pumps for zero-carbon greenhouse vegetable growing in future. Growers were also exploring new heat sources for their greenhouses in areas like geothermal, due to the rising cost and limited availability of gas. GNS Science, now the Earth Sciences New Zealand with NIWA, developed a geothermal and groundwater interactive map to help greenhouse growers switch to geothermal heating. Doorman said investigations were ongoing, including into the potential of Tauranga's low temperature geothermal system. She said collaboration with mana whenua was key to managing the natural resources. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
15 hours ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Young golfer Sascha Apanui wins Ōmokoroa Cup against club president
Ten-year-old Bay of Plenty golfer Sascha Apanui has made a statement at his local club after beating the president. The youngest player in the Ōmokoroa Cup graciously took out the tournament, beating 77-year-old club president John Marsh - affectionately known as Swampy.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Slip blocks SH2 in Bay of Plenty
File photo. Photo: 123RF A large slip is covering both lanes of State Highway 2 near Waiotahe in the Bay of Plenty. The slip, to the west of the village between Waiotahi Valley Back Road and Paerata Ridge Road, has closed the highway. Motorists have been asked to avoid the area or expect delays. New Zealand Transport Agency says diversions will be in place until further notice. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Rural community in Western Bay of Plenty ‘in shock' as industrial park greenlit
Priority Te Puna spokesperson Alison Cowley (inset) is against the industrial park on Te Puna Station Rd. Photo: LDR / John Borren ./ Alisha Evans A rural Western Bay of Plenty community is "in shock" as a controversial local industrial park is greenlit. Photo: Te Puna residents have been rallying against the development since 2021, as they say the culturally significant, flood-prone wetland is inappropriate for the business. Resource consents were granted for the industrial park by an independent commission whose decision was released last week. Te Puna Industrial Limited bought 12ha of industrial-zoned land at 297 Te Puna Station Rd for $4.7 million in 2021 and applied for consents from the Western Bay of Plenty District and Bay of Plenty Regional councils in 2022. The company is half-owned by shipping container company ContainerCo. ContainerCo managing director Ken Harris said they planned to build "very low-intensity, specialised businesses" at Te Puna Business Park. ContainerCo managing director Ken Harris. Photo: LDR / Supplied Plans included refrigeration engineering, workshop activities including container washing, and the company's sales office. The business park website said ContainerCo would hold a "small supply" of up to 300 containers at the site. Priority Te Puna spokesperson Alison Cowley said the community was "in shock and very depressed" about the decision. "People took the assumption that it was so ridiculous that it was never going to happen." There were safety concerns because of the increase in trucks and heavy vehicles on Te Puna Rd from the park, Cowley said. "We feel that the impact on Te Puna Village and the Te Puna Rd corridor has not been in any way considered." Alison Cowley is worried about having a higher number of trucks and heavy vehicles in the area. Photo: LDR / Alisha Evans Cowley said the consent conditions were "extremely stringent" so it was up to the council to ensure they were complied with. Concerned locals formed the incorporated society, Priority Te Puna in 2022. They intend holding a public meeting about the consent approval on 23 July at 7pm at the Te Puna Memorial Hall. Harris said there had been a "huge amount of misinformation" spread about the development, which was "disappointing". There were signs dotted around the settlement saying, "Container Terminal, Te Puna Says No" and "Wrong Business, Wrong Place, No Container Terminal". Signs are dotted around Te Puna opposing the industrial park on Te Puna Station Road. Photo: LDR / John Borren There was no intention to build a container terminal or a container park of any scale, he said. "This is a facility that will fit into the community and be good for the region." The consent process was "very thorough and rigorous", Harris said. The traffic plans were "carefully considered" by experts and if people were concerned, they could call the company, he said. "If traffic causes a problem people should talk to us and we will listen carefully and adjust plans as required." Once fully developed, the site would generate 774 vehicle movements per day, with a peak of 125 vehicles an hour, according to the commission's decision report. It also said Western Bay of Plenty District Council had committed to upgrading the Te Puna Station Rd/Te Puna Rd intersection, with works set to start in October and finish late January. Harris said they would also be establishing community and mana whenua liaison groups. The land is culturally significant to Pirirakau hapū, who occupied the Pukewhanake Pā at the headland of the Te Hakao valley, and the wetland was once an important food source for them. The consents went through a lengthy process, including public submissions in 2023. Of the 273 submissions 271 were opposed, one was neutral, and one did not clearly state a position. At hearings in July 2024, 17 submitters addressed the independent commission of Fraser Campbell, James Whetu, and chair Rob van Voorthuysen. Harris said work would begin at the site in October with landscaping and supporting infrastructure as well as wetland restoration. A 5.24ha area will be developed first and 2.21ha in the future. -LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
RNZ News
14-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
How Whanganui achieved lowest rates in the country
Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe says the council is looking beyond the short-term and planning for the future. Photo: LDR / Moana Ellis Whanganui's average rates increase of 2.2 percent for the year ahead is the lowest in the country. Mayor Andrew Tripe says the low figure is the envy of the country and the payoff in a sustained drive to adjust how the council operates. "[It] didn't happen by accident - it's the result of a deliberate strategy to keep costs under control," Tripe said. "Many of the savings are structural and will flow through to future years. We expect there will be opportunities to reduce the 2026/27 rates increase as well." In a survey by Local Democracy Reporting on average rates for 2025/26 throughout the country, Waitomo District Council had the next lowest rates at 2.9 percent, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council was third lowest in the country at 3.0 percent. Five councils - Upper Hutt City, Waipa District, Hamilton City, Hastings District and Clutha District - were looking at jumps of 15-17 percent. The average rates hike is about 8.7 percent, compared with last year's 14 percent. In his first tilt at local government in 2022, Tripe's successful campaign for the mayoralty included driving efficiencies to reduce the rates burden. A six-point plan was developed early in the electoral term to reduce costs and ease reliance on rates. As well as improving efficiency, the plan looked at reducing services, finding alternative funding for projects, identifying non-rates sources of revenue, and growing the population so there were more households to pitch in on rates. "The plan has taken a while to get some traction, however the benefits of that approach are now starting to show," Tripe said. The savings drive led to works and services being deferred, scaled back or cut but Tripe said investment in infrastructure had been prioritised. Variations to the long-term plan included Tripe's push to ditch a planned food scrap collection, reducing rates by $1 million or about 1.5 percent, he said. Council restructuring saved $1.2m a year. Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe. Photo: Aka Creative Deferrals included pushing out by a year a $1m grant for Whanganui Surf Lifesaving Service's rescue centre. The project was not at the stage where funding was needed, Tripe said. An $8m of planned spending on an opera house upgrade was delayed to await a business case. The Waitahinga Quarry development project was deferred while the council focused on other projects, and all council vehicle replacements have been deferred for the year. A planned full review of the district plan has also been deferred, saving $700,000. Tripe said the council was no longer required to conduct a full review of the plan following central government's decision to make changes to the Resource Management Act. Non-rates income was expected to increase by almost 20 percent in the year ahead. "We are expecting higher fee revenue in some activities such as parking and aquatics. "We have moderated our property renewals budget down for affordability and to ensure we can deliver the planned programme. "Three waters capital programmes have been moderated to ensure that they are deliverable in the 2025/26 financial year." The council had also made minor reductions to venues improvement budgets and optimised corporate budgets for items like IT hardware replacements. It was committed to "investing solidly" in core infrastructure, with more than 80 percent of capital spending earmarked over the next 10 years for the likes of footpaths, roading, and stormwater. There was also an 11 percent increase in infrastructure spending from 2024/25. The council also tightened spending on insurance cover by taking a risk-based approach on property and removing some assets from its insurance schedule. The council has forecast an unbalanced budget of $5.5 million for 2025/26 due to increased depreciation costs from inflation and large new assets like the redeveloped Sarjeant Gallery and wastewater treatment plant. "While we are repaying debt on these long-life assets, we believe it's not fair for current ratepayers to also fund future replacements. Running an unbalanced budget is prudent in the short-term." Tripe said the council's balance sheet was strong, debt was under control and additional repayments were being made to loans. Asked how these decisions would affect long-term planning, Tripe said the council was looking beyond the short-term and planning for the future. "We're creating a strategy for Whanganui with five goals: to grow, build for, protect, celebrate and activate Whanganui." This included plans to establish a standalone entity to improve housing stock and allocating an extra $590,000 toward debt repayment, on top of existing repayments. Paying down debt more quickly would benefit future generations, Tripe said. "This equates to 0.7 percent of the 2.2 percent average rates increase." Asked if he was confident the council was investing adequately in the district's future, Tripe said Whanganui was faring well in a difficult national economy. "We should be excited about our future. Whanganui has a fantastic range of facilities for our community and the council is committed to maintaining these and ensuring that the infrastructure is in place for Whanganui to continue to be a great place to live, work and visit." - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
