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Environmental Indicators Quarterly
Issue 6, Spring 2009, INFO 467

Third National Environmental Reporting Forum

The Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand jointly hosted the third National Environmental Reporting Forum on 20 October this year. Nearly 160 participants attended from central and local government, health agencies, Crown research institutes, non-governmental organisations, and other agencies with an interest in environmental monitoring and reporting.

The aim of the forum is to build a ‘community of interest’ in environmental monitoring and reporting across the country, by bringing together a national network of people to share technical information and best practice.

There were 23 presentations on a wide variety of reporting initiatives including: measuring progress towards sustainable development (Statistics New Zealand); cultural perspectives on environmental monitoring (Gail Tipa); perceptions of New Zealand’s environment (Lincoln University); and the Land Use and Carbon Analysis System (Ministry for the Environment).

The afternoon session included two workshops that focused on how to:

• achieve greater consistency in freshwater monitoring and reporting
• achieve a more integrated approach to monitoring and reporting
• progress coastal and marine monitoring and reporting.

A number of actions came out of the workshops including:

• providing access to freshwater data via a web portal
• undertaking a stocktake of existing data and databases (note that two stocktake activities, which partly meet these objectives, are already under way)
• undertaking a stocktake and database of current iwi/cultural monitoring activities
• continuing with a coastal and marine monitoring and reporting discussion group at the next Forum to update the community of interest on progress towards achieving a Marine Environmental Monitoring Programme.

Progress on these actions will be reported back to the next National Environmental Reporting Forum, scheduled for April 2010. The forum notes and the presentations are available at: www.mfe.govt.nz/environmental-reporting/about/partnerships/forum-2009-10-20/

For more information contact Kathryn Botherway at (04) 439 7614 or kathryn.botherway@mfe.govt.nz.

Environmental Indicators Quarterly readers’ survey – have your say

Do you think Environmental Indicators Quarterly could be improved? We are interested in finding out what our readers think of Environmental Indicators Quarterly and would like to invite you to complete our readers’ survey. You can complete the survey online at: http://www.mfe.govt.nz/survey/x09eiqreaders.htm

Surveys need to be completed by 14 February. The results of the survey will be published in the next issue of Environmental Indicators Quarterly.

‘New look’ Ministry for the Environment website

The Ministry for the Environment’s website has a new look. Work is also complete on the revamp of the environmental reporting web pages. The new pages are more dynamic and interactive, and present information on a number of levels (eg, nationally and regionally). There are more graphs and the underlying data is accessible online. These improvements reflect feedback from the independent review of Environment New Zealand 2007.

If you haven’t already checked out the new pages go to: www.mfe.govt.nz/environmental-reporting.

Environmental indicator updates

Fish stocks under the quota management system

An environmental report card released in October has updated the fisheries activity indicator for fish stocks under the quota management system (QMS). Total commercial catch and stock status are measured.

The report found that 453,145 tonnes (t) of fish were caught commercially in the 2008 fishing year, with hoki making up the largest proportion. Overall, commercial fish catch has reduced in recent years through a combination of active management to reduce catches in some stocks and actual declines in abundance of others.

In 2008, of the 101 fish stocks of known status, 29 per cent were considered overfished compared to target levels. The percentage of overfished stocks compared to target levels has nearly doubled since 2006.

The report card describes the status of a fish stock compared to target level (usually the biomass needed to produce maximum sustainable yield). To read the full report card go to: www.mfe.govt.nz/environmental-reporting/report-cards/fish-stocks/2009/index.html. A forthcoming report card will update the fisheries activity indicator for seabed trawling.

In future reporting, we will apply the new Harvest Strategy Standard for New Zealand Fisheries stock status categories, which are available for 2009 data onwards.

National groundwater quality

As part of its National Environmental Reporting Programme, the Ministry for the Environment regularly reports on water quality in groundwater aquifers in New Zealand. The Ministry recently released a new report on groundwater quality state and trends. The report updates an earlier publication and provides an additional two years of data collected by regional councils. It summarises average groundwater quality at almost 1000 monitoring sites from 1995 to 2008, as well as trends within that period of time. 

The report found that 5 per cent of sites had median concentrations of nitrate that exceeded the health-related drinking water guideline of 11.3 mg/L (although many sites will not be used for drinking water supply). Faecal contamination was indicated by the presence of E. coli at 23 per cent of monitoring sites. This may be more indicative of poor well-head protection than overall groundwater quality. Nitrate and E. coli contamination was especially common in shallow groundwater. Shallow groundwater is most vulnerable to the effects of human activities on the land.

In relation to trends, the report found that groundwater quality is stable or changing slowly (probably due to natural processes) at around three-quarters of sites. About one-third of sites showed significant changes in nitrate levels between 1995 and 2008. Of these, more have increasing (deteriorating) trends than decreasing (improving) trends.

To read the full report go to: www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/ser/groundwater-quality-trends-2008/. A groundwater quality fact sheet is also available.

Water quality at coastal swimming spots

The Ministry for the Environment recently released a web update of water quality at coastal swimming spots in New Zealand. Bacterial water quality data is reported against the Microbiological Water Quality Guidelines for Marine and Freshwater Recreational Areas, a health-based guideline used to determine whether or not a site is safe for recreational use.

The coastal swimming spot web update covers bacterial water quality data for about 400 coastal beaches for the 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 summers. Of those coastal swimming spots that were monitored over these two summers, 79 per cent had bacterial water quality suitable for recreational use almost all of the time. Two per cent had water quality that was often unsuitable for swimming. Note that there are other contaminants which can make recreational sites unsafe to swim at (eg, toxins from algal blooms).

Nationwide, recreational water quality at monitored coastal sites has been relatively stable over the past six years. See www.mfe.govt.nz/environmental-reporting/freshwater/recreational/snapshot/index.html for more information.

Land Use and Carbon Analysis System (LUCAS) update

The Land Use and Carbon Analysis System (LUCAS) is a programme of work set up to measure and monitor the carbon stocks of New Zealand’s forests and soils. This information is required for New Zealand’s reporting requirements under the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The LUCAS programme involves mapping land use at 1990, and then mapping land-use change between 1990 and 2008 and between 2008 and 2012 (the first commitment period). All mapping has involved the extensive use of satellite imagery, some aerial photography and other spatial data. Land use maps for 1990 and 2008 are now available.

In addition to measuring carbon stocks for Kyoto and UNFCCC reporting, LUCAS will provide non-carbon benefits including land cover mapping, information on forest condition and biodiversity, and input to policy development.

For example, LUCAS is now delivering satellite imagery free of charge (subject to conditions) to central and local government organisations and some Crown entities in an all-of-government purchase agreement. Other information available from the LUCAS programme includes data on natural and planted forest field plots and raw LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging) data. To check your eligibility for satellite imagery or other available information email lucas@mfe.govt.nz.

For more about the LUCAS programme go to www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/climate/lucas/index.html or view the LUCAS presentation from the National Environmental Reporting Forum on 20 October: www.mfe.govt.nz/environmental-reporting/about/partnerships/forum-2009-10-20/lucas.pdf.

How does New Zealand stack up against the OECD?

OECD’s Key Environmental Indicators:
New Zealand compared with the OECD

This wheel graph shows New Zealand’s performance relative to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for a number of the OECD’s key environmental indicators (KEIs). The KEIs shown belong to a headline set of 10 indicators drawn from the OECD’s core set of environmental indicators [see page 22 of link], of which there are around 50.

The graph is a recent addition to the Ministry’s website, and is based on methodology from the Ministry of Social Development’s Social Report 2009.

To view the graph in full go to: www.mfe.govt.nz/environmental-reporting/international/oecd.html

Algae trends in New Zealand rivers

The Ministry for the Environment has published a technical report updating information on the state of New Zealand’s rivers. This follows the June publication of reports on river water quality trends and freshwater fish communities.

The new report assesses trends in nuisance algae (periphyton) at New Zealand National River Water Quality Network sites between 1990 and 2006. This is the first time this data has been analysed and reported at a national level.

Algal growth in rivers can be a nuisance for recreational users and affects fish and insect life. The report found that algal cover was typically higher at sites impacted by human activities in their catchment, and about a third of sites had algal cover above the Ministry for the Environment’s recommended guidelines. However, nuisance algal growth improved at some sites between 1990 and 2006 – average annual algal cover decreased at 16 sites while it increased at seven sites (see below).

These results highlight that algal cover is influenced by factors other than nutrient levels (eg, water temperature, river shading and high-flow events). The results also show that both human-induced and natural factors have an impact on river water quality.

All three recent technical reports confirm findings reported in Environment New Zealand 2007: that water quality is poorer in rivers surrounded by farming and urban land than rivers surrounded by native vegetation.

To view the report on algae trends in rivers go to www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/water/periphyton-nz-national-river-quality-network-1990-2006/index.html. For more information contact Tanya Gray at (04) 439 7489 or tanya.gray@mfe.govt.nz.

In brief

New environmental health indicators report

In August, the Ministry of Health released Environmental Health Indicators for New Zealand 2008. The report’s indicators follow the World Health Organization’s DPSEEA framework (Driving forces – Pressures – State – Exposure – Effects – Actions).

The report starts by examining driving forces and pressures on the environment. It then focuses on three key environmental health issues – air quality, water quality and biosecurity – and reports state, exposure and effects indicators for each. Actions underway on each issue are also outlined.

To view the report go to: www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/environmental-health-indicators-for-nz-2008?Open.

New major social survey from Statistics NZ

Statistics New Zealand recently released a new major social survey. The New Zealand General Social Survey is biennial and is one of three regular household surveys run by the Statistics New Zealand. The survey has a nationally representative sample of 8721 households and covers 13 areas including ‘Physical Environment’.

The survey includes 15 questions about people’s perceptions of the physical environment including public transport, recycling, energy use, water use and the natural environment. The results of the survey are presented by general population, sex, age, ethnicity, family type, education, labour force status, income, tenure and region.

To view the results of the survey go to: www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/people_and_communities/Households/nzgss_HOTP2008.aspx.

National guideline for blue-green algae

The Ministry for the Environment will publish a New Zealand guideline for blue-green algae later this month. For more about this forthcoming report see Issue 5 of Environmental Indicators Quarterly.

Next environmental indicator updates

The Ministry for the Environment has several environmental report cards due for release soon. These will update a number of the core national indicators reported in Environment New Zealand 2007, and include legally protected land in New Zealand, seabed trawling, land use, soil health, and air quality.

Freshwater fact sheets

The Ministry’s National Environmental Reporting Programme regularly reports on the quality of New Zealand's fresh water. A recently published series of fact sheets presents the key findings of recent reports published by the Ministry on water quality trends, periphyton (algae) cover and fish communities in rivers, and recreational water quality in rivers and beaches. To view these fact sheets go to: www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/ser/our-rivers-information-sheets/index.html. A fact sheet has also been produced on groundwater quality.

ISSN 1171-4549

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