Regulatory approaches for pest management Lakes Water Quality Workshop 27 September 2018

Council’s Biosecurity objectives and aspirations Council has a leadership role in pest management for the region Prevent pests entering and establishing in the region Manage pests when it is practical and cost effective. Support landowners and communities to manage pests and prevent spread. Work in partnership with other parties that have pest management responsibilities Prevent pests entering and establishing in the Bay of Plenty. Manage pests when it is practical and cost effective to do so, using Council’s regulatory and/or operational roles. Support the efforts of landowners/occupiers and communities to manage established pests and prevent pest spread. Work in partnership with other parties that have pest management responsibilities and interests

Plans are just one of the ‘tools’ available. Information Statutory Plans Awareness Engagement Incentives Regulations There are a lot of things we can do work towards achieving these objectives Non-Statutory plans

Non-Statutory vs Statutory plans ‘Strategy for the Lakes of the Rotorua district’ Draft ‘Aquatic plant management plans’ Bay of Plenty Regional Pest Management Plan Bay of Plenty Natural Resources Plan Long Term Plan Vision for Lakes strategy: ‘The lakes of the Rotorua district and their catchments are preserved and protected for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations, while recognising and providing for the traditional relationship of Te Arawa with their ancestral lakes.’ Non-Stat plans generally provide a framework for agencies, organisations and the community to work together, but don’t formally commit people to do stuff. Stat plans set out formal obligations, roles, responsibilities and can require people to do things. From here I’m going to focus on the Biosecurity Act and our RPMP as these are the regulatory tools that are directly relevant for managing aquatic pests.

Regulatory framework Biosecurity Act – ‘Unwanted Organisms’, Pest Management Plans, Pathway Management Plans, Small-scale Management Programmes Resource Management Act – Biodiversity, regional policy statements and plans, consents Local Government Act – Community outcomes, consultation requirements, funding (via LTP)

Regional Pest Management Plan Developed under the Biosecurity Act Must comply with the National Policy Direction Pest programmes & objectives Cost benefit assessments Outcome must be achievable Funding to deliver must be available Set out roles, responsibilities, principal measures & rules We are currently reviewing our RPMP While the review is progressing our old RPMP remains operative From here we’ll discuss our proposed RPMP, highlighting the changes that are relevant to aquatic pests

RPMP Pest programmes Exclusion - “Keep it out” Eradication - “We get rid of it” Progressive Containment - “We stop the spread and push it back over time” Sustained control - “manage impacts” Site-led - “We protect values of a specific site” As mentioned previously the NPD spells out what programmes can be included in a RPMP and the objectives for those programmes The proposed RPMP does not contain any ‘site-led’ programmes

RPMP Pests - How will we manage different pests? When we are considering what programme a pest might sit in we firstly look at where it sits on the pest invasion curve. We need undertake CBA to confirm whether it is it can be considered for inclusion in RPMP (the benefits of invention exceed the costs) and what is the best programme for it to sit in – some pests have a positive CBA for several programmes, but the benefits will higher for a particular programme or the costs of implementing a particular programme might be unaffordable (remember funding to deliver the programme must be available)

Current RPMP vs Proposed RPMP Pest animals Current RPMP Programme Proposed RPMP Programme Catfish Exclusion Exclusion, progressive containment Koi carp Eradication Perch Tench & Rudd Containment Progressive containment

Current RPMP vs Proposed RPMP Pest Plants Current RPMP Programme Proposed RPMP Programme Egeria Containment Exclusion, progressive containment Elodea Restricted Exclusion, sustained control Hornwort Exclusion, eradication, progressive containment Hydrilla Agency National Interest Pest Response - MPI Lagarosiphon Sagaittaria New incursion Eradication Salvina Water hyacinth Water poppy Exclusion

Proposed RPMP rules Rule 6 For all pests listed in the exclusion, eradication, progressive containment or sustained control programmes: 2) No person shall move, or allow to be moved, any live pest listed in this RPMP, or any machinery, vessel, organism or goods that are contaminated with any pest listed in this RPMP, and 3) No person shall keep, plant, propagate, distribute or release any pest listed in this RPMP or assist in their maintenance including tending, feeding or sheltering them.

Proposed RPMP rules Rule 7 To avoid the spread of aquatic pests, the following provisions apply: 1) No person shall leave boat trailers in any water body other than for the purposes of launching and/or retrieving boats. 2) No person shall transport ballast water from any water body to any other location. 3) All owners of vessels or craft entering any water body within the Bay of Plenty shall ensure their vessels or craft (including trailers) are free from freshwater pest fish and lake weed including fragments.

Please make a submission! Go to: https://www.boprc.govt.nz/our-region-and-environment/pest- management/proposed-regional-pest-management-plan/ Please contact Greg or Lisa if you wish to meet with staff to discuss the Proposed RPMP: Greg.corbett@boprc.govt.nz Lisa.power@boprc.govt.nz