Managing the Surface and Groundwater Effects of Development and Infrastructure

This workshop provides planners, engineers and scientists with an overview of the management of water-related effects of development in the RMA context.

It is designed for district and regional council planning and/or engineering staff who are responsible for processing resource consents particularly in rural or greenfields areas. It is also designed for planning and other consultants preparing AEE reports.

Overview of workshop:

• Overview of potential effects of development on surface and groundwater. This will include a general description of the sources and mechanisms involved in discharges of contaminants to the land and water and other environmental effects on land and water from activities and development. Case studies on consenting problems associated with overland flow paths and flooding are presented and discussed.
• Good practice for managing water-related effects. This will give an overview of and examples of good engineering assessment and design practice relating to the planning, design and operation of developments and infrastructure. Case studies on contamination management and consenting are presented and discussed.
• Provisions of RMA plans. This will discuss how RMA plans address the control of effects on water and water bodies and how approaches differ within New Zealand.
• Using RMA plans. This will include a discussion of how council staff can satisfy themselves that appropriate avoidance, remediation or mitigation is incorporated in proposed developments. It will cover what planners/engineers/scientists need to know when preparing and/or reviewing AEEs accompanying resource consent applications. The workshop will discuss how to liaise with engineers and other specialists when the effects of activities may be more than minor and/or when applications need technical scrutiny.
  
  

Subject Specific Outcomes:

• Understand the range of potential effects on surface water and groundwater from developments and activities and the role of the RMA in addressing these.
• Identify issues associated with proposed development that may have adverse effects on surface and groundwater.
• Know what is good practice to avoid, remedy or mitigate water-related effects of development or other activities.
• Understand how RMA plans address the water-related effects of developments and how and why approaches differ over regions
• Assess technical information provided with a resource consent application and determine what further information or review what may be required for the consent authority to full consider the application.
• Assess whether an applicant’s AEE contains sufficient information for the consent authority to accept the application and to write the officer’s report (s 42A RMA)
• Have an awareness of technical matters when liaising with engineers and other specialists.

Presenter:

Nigel Mark-Brown

Nigel Mark-Brown is a consulting engineer specialising in the environmental effects of development and associated discharges of contaminants to ground and surface water. He is also experienced in stormwater and flood management and in surface and groundwater resource management. Nigel has prepared assessments of environmental effects for a range of proposed developments and urban infrastructure projects. He has completed the Making Good Decisions training for resource consent hearing commissioners and has been a commissioner for a large number of resource consent hearings including for stormwater disposal, flood management and wastewater treatment and disposal.

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Hope you can join us!