This report reviews our achievements in 2023/24, and compares them with our aims set out in our Long-term Plan.
The Annual Report is a chance for us to reflect on the past year’s work, our budgets and the challenges for us and the region.
Since our last report, there has been a change of government with an increased focus on regionalism. In Southland, we have a strong track record of seeking solutions that work for Southland. A good example is the Southland Water and Land Plan, which became largely operative in May after many years of work with the community and progressing through the Environment Court.
The plan’s approach is that water and land should be managed in an holistic way, recognising the connectivity between surface and groundwater, and between freshwater, land and the coast. The plan introduced new rules for activities like intensive winter grazing, stock access to waterways and land use intensification.
Improving freshwater quality remains an important priority for Southland and we are looking to increase our focus on working with communities, industry and groups on the actions they wish to take to improve freshwater, both at a catchment and property scale. Of the 324 requests we received for land sustainability information, the most popular have been about riparian planting and wintering – both important for many farmers.
The Council has responsibilities for biodiversity and biosecurity, supporting Emergency Management Southland, and planning and delivering our response to climate change and community resilience.
We have been leading a project to align a regional climate change strategy with Te Ao Mārama Inc and all the other Southland councils. The strategy signals our combined commitment to a cohesive, regional response to support our communities’ environmental, economic, cultural and social wellbeing from the effects of a changing climate.
During the past year we have completed more flood protection upgrades for climate resilience projects co-funded with central government including those on the Waihopai River and on the Mataura River in Gore, Mataura and Wyndham. By the end of the financial year, we were only months away from also completing the new Stead Street pump station, which protects the airport and surrounding area from inundation.
Environment Southland has responsibilities for improving and monitoring air quality, which can be compromised in winter due mainly to smoke from domestic burners. In a project with NIWA, we placed extra monitors around Invercargill city, which also uncovered information about air pollution entering people’s homes in the winter. This, like outdoor pollution, is a contributing risk to respiratory illnesses. A similar study is underway in Gore.
Our Undaria programme has stamped out the marine pest in Chalky Inlet and work continues on progressively containing it in Tamatea Dusky Sound and Te Puaitaha Breaksea Sound. It looks likely Broad Bay, Rakiura Stewart Island might be declared Undaria-free next year.
Our relationship with mana whenua continues to be important to us. We partner with Te Ao Mārama Inc, Ngāi Tahu’s Murihiku planning arm, as well as local runaka on projects to ensure our aims and objectives are well-aligned.
The 2023-24 year finished with an operating result in line with budget. This was despite unbudgeted and unexpected costs such as the September 2023 flood event, an emergency opening of the Waituna Lagoon, an attempted opening of the Waiau River mouth and removal of a former landfill at Bluecliffs. Environment Southland secured additional Government funding to cover the landfill removal and reprioritised expenditure to cover these costs. Higher than expected interest income resulted in a surplus of operating funding (page 13) of $348,000.
Non-cash movements comprising unrealised gains of $1.6 million in the investment portfolio, combined with Government grants of $6.7 million for climate resilience projects, brought the total reported surplus to $8.85 million. The Government grants were funds received specifically for our Climate Resilience projects. The funds have been enormously beneficial for the community and have been spent on those projects during the year.
Looking ahead, as we follow through on the new Long-term Plan 2024-2034, we will be focusing on building climate resilience and supporting catchment and property scale actions to improve environmental outcomes. We all have a responsibility to be kaitiaki (guardians) of our environment.
Message from Environment Southland Chairman Nicol Horrell and Chief Executive Wilma Falconer
