Sustainability

Replacement of Hamilton’s streetlights with new energy efficient LED lanterns is underway. The NZ Transport Agency is funding $4.7 million of the $5.7 million cost of the first two stages of the project i.e. Melville and Glenview. These two stages are anticipated to be completed by the end of 2018, resulting in 13,000 streetlights being replaced and a 50 percent reduction in the energy usage over standard streetlights.

Council’s contribution will pay for itself in the next few years through significant cost savings in lower maintenance and power consumption, estimated at around $250,000 annually. The remaining ten stages of the project (including replacement of decorative and verandah lighting with LEDs) is still subject to funding approval. Council gave careful consideration to the type and colour of the new LED lights due to increasing evidence that white light at night can have an environmental effect on insects and bats, while also having the potential to affect the day/night cycles of mammals i.e. the 'circadian rhythm'. The 'warm white' colour of the LED light selected, which looks slightly yellow in colour, has a lower environmental impact. LED lighting also provides a better quality of light and colour contrast, resulting in increased road user visibility and road safety.

Waste minimisation is also a priority and specialised recyclers will ensure disposal of the old lights has no impact on landfill. Aluminum components are recycled into ingots for foundry applications, while the glass is separated and recycled into glass wool for home insulation.​

Council is a partner/stakeholder in the national Smart Travel carpooling website https://www.smarttravel.org.nz , a platform which allows commuters to match their travel plans with other people who are travelling to save time, money and reduce congestion. Due to technical and usability issues with the current platform, the national group is looking at potential replacements and the app has not so far been strongly promoted.

Council promotes the following programmes:

• ​Love Your Bike Day, an annual cycling promotion event.
• Cycle Safety Campaigns i.e. various programmes run by the Road Safety Coordinator.
• Bike Hamilton - summer biking campaign.

Council contributes to the national cycle skills training framework development.

Council supports the Happy Feet Programme in preschools (targeting 3 to 5-year old children) that encourages caregivers to park and walk a short distance (the last 2 to 5 minutes of the journey) to the preschool, through the provision of resources, safe route maps and support for events.

The Happy Feet programme aims to:

• Promote 'active trips' to preschool as a safe, healthy and enjoyable transport option.
• Help shape a healthier active future generation.
• Raise an early awareness of the Walking School Bus programme.
• Ease congestion at preschool gates.
• Improve safety on the roads.
• Assist in reducing air pollution.

Council, through its Eco Design Advisor (EDA), provides a free service to any Hamilton resident by providing advice to help people improve the thermal performance of their building.

The EDA also consults on water, waste and toxicity issues in buildings. A secondary role is to provide education to the public and industry through workshops on the following topics:

• Energy reduction.
• Thermal performance of homes.
• Water, wastewater and stormwater.
• Waste reduction.
• Health and toxicity.
• Green technologies e.g. the EDA is on the organising group of the New Zealand Green Building Council. Three events were held in Hamilton in 2017, with a further three planned for 2018.

The EDA completed 485 customer interactions (in-home consultations) and held 49 Eco-workshops between January 2017 and June 2018.

Council does not charge consent fees for solar panel installations.

The increasing use of e-Resources at the Libraries reduces the carbon cost and environmental impact of physical book production, distribution and disposal. Libraries now has a target of purchasing 30 percent of its collection in electronic format by 2020 and are well on their way to achieving this. The Central Library’s temporary closure in November 2017 impacted the ability to monitor energy savings over the past year. Prior to the closure, Libraries was experiencing ongoing savings.​

Council partners with the NZ Transport Agency to align major roads (e.g. the Hamilton Ring Road and Waikato Expressway) to ensure they are designed to efficiently manage road traffic and minimise environmental impact.

Council uses GPS in its fleet cars to encourage/assist with fuel economy and emissions.

Monitoring of fuel use and gas emissions has improved significantly due to improved reporting by the new third-party fleet management contract with Fleetpartners/Fleetsmart.

Reports provide a number of comparisons of fuel consumption/gas emissions between the four participating local councils as part of the Waikato Local Authority Shared Services (WLASS) Joint Fleet initiative.

Also included is a comparison with Fleetpartners national fleet averages by vehicle types and is intended to enable identification of excessive fuel use.

The average fuel use by Council's car and utility fleet for the year ended June 2018 was 9.98 litres per 100km, against a target of 10 litres/100km. The average fuel use by Council's light truck fleet for the year ended June 2018 was 26.7 litres per 100km. Improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency and the ongoing turnover of older vehicles should see continued improvements in average fuel usage.​

Hamilton Gardens provides an environmental educational resource through the Sustainable Backyard Garden.

All maintenance yard food scraps at Hamilton Gardens are composted in the Sustainable Backyard Garden worm bin. Kitchen waste from local restaurants is used in the Sustainable Backyard Garden and shredded paper is used in the chicken coop and then used as garden mulch.​

The District Plan promotes efficient use of water through rules which require the incorporation of water efficiency measures such as low flow fittings for new developments and the use of non-potable water.

Regular reviews are undertaken of the water balance and benchmarking against other municipal suppliers. Council maintains population growth projections to assist with predicting associated water demand.

Council undertakes analysis of sector specific water use and appropriate demand management interventions.

A Smart Water Assessment Criteria and Certification Programme is undertaken to encourage water efficiency at commercial and residential developments.

Water restrictions Level 1 - 4 are applied to manage water consumption and educate the public on water use.

Council undertakes a Mains Renewal Programme to maintain the infrastructure in good condition and mitigate potential water losses in the network.

The Cemeteries bore water system has now been upgraded to provide a more sustainable irrigation option for the cemetery.

Quality data is made available by Council to assist third parties to reduce risk of damage to the water, wastewater and stormwater network.

Council uses sector-specific consumption targets and key performance indicators to manage water use.

A Water Loss Programme is implemented across the water network to understand and manage network losses.

Ongoing measurements are undertaken to provide an understanding of current average and peak water usage.

Water conservation measures are in place for Turf Services at H3 sites - irrigation reduction and warm season grass type usage.

Over the next three years Hamilton Zoo will be working on developing a plan for the ongoing management of stormwater and ponds. A monitoring programme of nutrient and microbial contamination of the Zoo’s ponds will be a key component of this plan.

Council has progressed investigations into SMART water metering for existing commercial metered properties. This technology would provide the ability to better understand and manage water use as well as an opportunity to work collaboratively with high water users to minimise overall demand.

Council​ has a Water Master Plan which sets the direction for supply of water into the future. Part of the Water Master Plan involves zoning the water network to allow better ability to track leakage.​

A major initiative that supports renewable energy uptake is the use of biogas generated from the digestion process at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The biogas is used in a gas boiler and displaces natural gas that would otherwise be required. It can provide up to 95 percent of the site’s heating requirements when biogas is in good supply. In addition, heat is recovered from the site’s gas engine jacket water to further support heating requirements at site. Council  has also progressed an Optimisation and Efficiency Strategy at the Pukete Wastewater Treatment Plant to explore options in maximising renewable energy production onsite as well as exploring options to minimise energy consumption onsite.

The $10.7m refurbishment of the Waterworld Aquatic Centre that commenced in February 2018 will utilise electric heat pumps to control air temperature. This will displace the existing practice of hot water heating in the air heating circuits and in turn reduce natural gas usage by the boilers. Customers will see new heating, ventilation and air conditioning above the 25m, 50m and diving pools, new LED lighting above the 50m pool and new ceiling tiles.

Lights in the Hamilton Gardens Information Centre, foyer and offices have been replaced with lower energy LED lights.

Council trialed two electric vehicles (EVs) during March 2018. While this was primarily intended to assess the compatibility of electric and hybrid vehicles with Council driver expectations, it also enable Fleet Management to understand service-user reaction to the changed driving modes required with EVs.

Fleet Management has participated in a number of discussions with WLASS councils and fleet advisors and the general view (supported by vehicle suppliers) is that the opportune time to invest in pure EVs (rather than hybrid types) will occur around 2019-2020 when battery technology reaches a point where the vehicle cost equates to a conventional fuel vehicle.

A business case on EVs is to be carried out in 2018 to determine the best use of such vehicles in Council’s fleet.​

The District Plan addresses anticipated climate change impacts in Hamilton through flood hazard mapping. This mapping was based on detailed modelling that factored in climate change effects resulting from increased rainfall volumes and duration. Consideration of these matters during the resource consent process in relation to climate change adaption takes the form of identifying flood levels and overland flow paths and guiding development away from building areas that would be subject to frequent flooding.

Structure plans determine the pattern of growth and are designed to improve sustainability outcomes through the inclusion of items such as transport corridor general location and hierarchy, public reserves and links, areas for preservation, protection or restoration/enhancement, and development intensities for residential or other activities.

Council’s wastewater service is planning for climate change by exploring ways to manage the effects climate change will produce i.e. it is expected there will be an increase in the frequency of rainfall events, meaning we need to cater for the additional amount of stormwater that can enter into the wastewater network during such rain events.

Integrated Catchment Management Plans are required to deal with predicted climate change of warmer temperatures and greater rainfall.

Street tree species guidelines have been approved and include as a requirement that species selection of park and street trees now takes into account effects of climate change, particularly warmer summers.

Continue to protect riparian areas through the requirement to have esplanade reserves and strips along the Waikato River and lakes as part of subdivision and development.

Programme of integrated catchment management plan development which includes assessment of stormwater contaminant loading and best practicable options for contaminant control.

Council regularly measures water quality in the Waikato River at 10 key points as it passes through the city. The water quality of Lake Rotoroa, Rotokaeo and Horseshoe Lake is also measured.

Water quality in city streams is also measured after an event where it is deemed that it may cause adverse effects on the environment.

On new development sites, Council promotes stormwater soakage to ground to minimise runoff into the river.

All treated water that enters the river from the wastewater network is managed to comply with resource consent conditions.

Leachate is pumped from the city’s closed landfills and is then treated at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Council continues to maintain, renew and retrofit operational storage to the wastewater network to ensure dry weather overflows do not occur.

Programmes of work to minimise wet weather overflows are also undertaken.

The wastewater network has operational storage to reduce the likelihood of overflows.

New stormwater ponds are designed to capture silt (and entrained heavy metals) to divert these materials away from waterways. In addition, the use of planted wetlands assists in reducing concentrations of nitrogen (nitrates) and phosphates, further enhancing water quality.

Council provides a wastewater system that is managed in a way that does not unduly impact on the environment by continuously improving asset condition assessment as well as predictive and preventative maintenance to ensure assets remain operational.

Emergency and response plans are in place to manage any overflow, restore the service, and clean up the environment.

Monitoring of the wastewater network and overflows are recorded and appropriate actions taken as required.

Actions that encourage restoration of gully systems support this filtering ability of Hamilton’s gullies and ultimately improves water quality in the streams that flow into the Waikato River. Council undertakes restoration of gully systems to minimise erosion and impacts of sediment on water quality.

A Contestable Waste Minimisation Fund has been implemented and is now in its fifth year of operation. The Fund supports the vision and goals of the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan by promoting or achieving waste minimisation in Hamilton.

‘Fight the Landfill’ is Council’s waste minimisation brand and householder and community education programme. The programme aims to inform the city about the impact of what residents put out on the kerbside each week and how it’s affecting the environment. It promotes waste minimisation through kerbside recycling collection and resource recovery at the Transfer Station and the Hamilton Organic Centre.

Hamilton Park Cemetery entered into an agreement in 2015 with Speciality Metals Ltd in Christchurch to recycle remaining metals, with the consent of families. The payment for the recycling is donated to Canteen (which supports young people living with cancer).

Council is working with the site contractor to investigate how to increase the demand for the Hamilton Organic Centre products.

Sludge produced from the wastewater treatment process (approximately 12,000 tonnes per annum) is transported to a vermicomposting facility where it is mixed with paper pulp, which is then laid in rows where it is left to break down and compost using worms.

Regular servicing of aerated wastewater systems is used in areas at Hamilton Zoo not serviced by a sewer main to reduce contamination.

The Hamilton Zoo works with an external provider that composts their hoof stock animal waste. The Zoo also provides visitors with reused maps and encourages these to be returned at the end of their visit.

Libraries is extending their recycling practices to the public as well as staff areas, which commenced in 2018. This includes changing all bins to recycling bins (waste, paper, glass etc).

At the Museum, the sorting of plastic, glass and paper for recycling is active practice. The printing of brochures is kept at minimal levels, with visitors encouraged to return unwanted brochures at the end of their visit. Biodegradable stickers are now produced for paid-entry exhibitions, meaning that if customers drop their sticker on the footpath after leaving the Museum, the sticker dissolves once it rains.

There has been a shift to the use of eco-friendly products such as water-based paints in exhibition areas at the Museum.

The Hamilton Gardens Café is phasing out single use plastics such as straws, cutlery and moving to more sustainable options.

FMG Stadium Waikato sorts waste and recycles products at its events.

There is ongoing promotion of the reducing waste to landfill initiative for the municipal building through use of worm bins and recycling options. Currently the municipal building has 15 worm bins. There is also a worm bin at the Wastewater Treatment Plant and two at the Duke Street depot. Concentrated liquid fertiliser from the worm bins is available to staff to purchase for use in home gardens.

Council requires contractors to dispose of any building materials/refuse in the most environmentally-friendly manner feasible.

A Harvest Market Table for excess home garden produce of Council staff is provided on the third floor of the municipal building. This encourages use of local food, low food miles and fresh food.

A trial of recycling household batteries commenced in the municipal building in January 2018, with more than 16 kilograms diverted from landfill by June 2018. This service is paid for by donations from the Harvest Market Table (current costs are between $5-$7 per kilogram, based on the type of battery).

Batteries are then taken to the ‘Go Eco Waikato Environment Centre’ in Frankton. From there they are collected by the South Waikato Achievement Trust who sort the batteries. Lithium batteries and silver button batteries are recycled, while alkaline batteries are encased in concrete to stop leaching into the environment.

Since February 2017, tea bags for staff in the municipal building cafeteria are now purchased without a paper packet (and also without string/tag) to reduce waste at no additional cost. 

All used toner printer cartridges, drums and fusers are recycled as part of the Fuji Xerox New Zealand Ministry for Environment-accredited Product Stewardship Scheme (which achieves a re-use and recycling rate of over 99.5 percent for the equipment they receive).​

A Local Indigenous Biodiversity Pilot Project process was developed in accordance with the Waikato Regional Policy Statement to provide the most appropriate combination of regulatory and non-regulatory tools to help restore and enhance Hamilton’s biodiversity. The objective is to test a range of concepts, processes and tools for subsequent use to increase the level of biodiversity in Hamilton from 1.5-2.0 percent to 10 percent over time.

This is a partnership between Council and the Waikato Regional Council and involves Tangata whenua, landowners, and other key stakeholders. The Pilot Project commenced in September 2016 and was completed in July 2018, with funding split between both councils. It was decided at the 30 October 2018 Community Services Committee meeting to continue and complete the Pilot Project.

Hamilton is one of the few cities in New Zealand that still supports a resident population of long-tailed bats. Project Echo aims to gather information on bat distribution throughout Hamilton. This project is supported by Council, the Waikato Regional Council, the University of Waikato and the Riverlea Environment Society Inc.

Council has procedures in place when removing trees to avoid damage to habitats e.g. Hamilton Gardens monitors bat activity prior to any large trees being felled or pruned.

Landcare Research is undertaking extensive surveys of wildlife and advising Hamilton Gardens on appropriate pest control measures.

Council is a partner in Project Halo, which aims to bring native birds, such as tui and bellbirds, back into Hamilton. The 'Halo' is a ring drawn around Hamilton, which takes in key sites where tui breed. It has a radius of approximately 20km, as this is how far tui will fly to feed. Bellbirds have been sighted in Hamilton Gardens.

The Open Space Provision Policy provides input into the subdivision process, with developers required to plant street trees as part of their subdivisions, which Council then monitors. Council planted approximately 375 street trees between January 2017 and June 2018. The Open Space Provision Policy was reviewed and approved at the 7 June 2018 Community and Services Committee meeting.

Fish barriers are being removed throughout Hamilton as part of the Comprehensive Stormwater Discharge Consent held with the Waikato Regional Council. Eighteen fish barriers have been identified for further action. Removal will be a long-term project, with 2-3 being removed per year. Some of the work required to remove the barriers is quite extensive and costly. It is not just a matter of removing obstructions, but design and construction of structures or in some cases lowering of culverts.

Noxious weeds (e.g. wooly nightshade) are also regularly removed from Council’s waterways.

Council, with support from WRC Project Watershed, has been undertaking extensive gully restoration in Mangaiti Gully and Mangaonua Gully with 50,000 plants being planted this season.

Regeneration of native vegetation within Hamilton Park Cemetery Gully Areas occurs through an ongoing programme.

Council continues to restore the 65.5-hectare Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park and implement the Management Plan. Working with its partners, 33.5 hectares of the park have been planted in eco-sourced native plants to date. Council has approved extending Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park by a further 5.1 hectares in the north-eastern corner, protecting more land for ecological restoration in perpetuity.

A habitat assessment of the Mangakotukutu Gully is being undertaken. This includes ecological assessment for the wider gully network and will identify concept restoration projects.

Hamilton Zoo has an active breeding programme that contributes to New Zealand’s fauna conservation.​