Auckland Council Stormwater Network Discharge Consent Framework - Building in Flexibility

The Auckland Council Stormwater Unit’s regional approach to obtain network discharge consents is based on 10 large coastal water bodies (Consolidated Receiving Environments), which include the Waitemat? and Manukau Harbours. Since amalgamation, the Stormwater Unit has evolved from the transition of operations from legacy councils to the transformation of stormwater management across Auckland. Central to this transformation is the Unit’s ability to review the implementation of the Stormwater Unit’s objectives and work programmes on a continuous basis, and in particular how this review will incorporate changes in community aspirations and priorities, as well as new technical information as it becomes available. This paper presents the processes that the Stormwater Unit is proposing to enable change under its network discharge consent (NDC), creating a NDC framework based on “continuous improvement.” and elements of “adaptive management”, in particular through targeted monitoring and structured review processes. The key elements are fostering ongoing and meaningful relationships with key stakeholders, as well as enabling mechanisms for incorporating new technical information and community feedback into its levels of service, best practicable option assessments, and work programmes.