regional meetings oct 2013

Regional Meetings Oct 2013

Environmental best practice in agricultural and associated

rural aviation

Environmental best practice in agricultural and rural aviation

Why• To be in business tomorrowWhat• Environmental performance standards in

regional and district plans that are consistent, accessible and achievable

How• Development of Guidance Note for councils

writing plans under the RMA• Information provision & dissemination

With the support of …

SFF Funds Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total

64 58 29 151

Co-funders

Aviation Industry Assn. 8.5 7.5 4 20

Dairy NZ 17 15 8 40

FertResearch 8.5 7.5 4 20

Hort NZ 2 2 2 6

Landcorp 2 2 1 5

Beef and Lamb 2 2 1 5

Ballance Agrinutrients 15 5 5 25

Total Cash Contributions 119 99 54 272

11/076 $‘000

Regional Meetings• Update on project

– What’s happened– What next

• Guidance Note – with a focus on council plans

• Technical Information – Best practice for pilots and operators

• QA requirements– Including AIRCARE

RMA 1991

Discharges to air, land, water and amenity values

Guidance Note defines best practice

Regional and District plans incorporate QA programmes

Regulator outcomes

no product off target,amenity values

maintained

Operatoroutcomes right product,

right place,right time, right rate

continued access

Proof of compliance

Project summary

QA Programmes

The issues to be addressed• Fertiliser placement and land contamination• Avoiding discharges to water, including definition

of “waterway”• Managing spray drift, including notification• Client facilities• The 1080 debate • Lifestyle blocks• Noise• Consistency between councils & complexity of

rules• Media (perception vs reality)

The response• Activate participation in planning processes• Work with planners and policy makers• Developing Guidance Note• Provide information and up-skill members• Advocacy to members, regulatory bodies and

government• Increase media profile

Guidance Notes• Web based: www.qualityplanning.org.nz

• GN’s provide information for planners and policy makers to address RMA issues

• Ag Aviation GN will be on QP website• Supported by Technical Information in a second

document, also web based: www.nzaaa.co.nz

• GN is for planners• In response to issues raised at 1st Regional

Meetings• No two operations are the same• How to manage multiple variables from planning

perspective• There is no such thing as ‘zero drift’• Need for certain, enforceable plan provisions• Risk based approach enables each situation to

be assessed according to circumstances

 .

Guidance Note Rationale

• The agricultural aviation industry• The environmental legislative context • The key resource management issues • A risk management approach • Managing discharges from the industry

operations• Managing land use and amenity issues  Appendix A - possible plan provisions for aerial application

Guidance Note sections

Terminology

Section 1• Introduction

– Purpose – Scope– Development

Section 2• Agricultural Aviation industry

– Overview– Regulations and best practice

Section 3• Legislative context

– RMA– HSNO - CAA is EPA designated enforcement agency– ACVM– Interactions between legislation

Section 4• Resource Management and Agricultural Aviation

– Nature of activities– Potential adverse effects– Developing methods and plan provisions

Section 5• Risk Management approach

– Rationale– Applying a risk management approach to ag aviation

discharges– Risk factors– Exposure pathways

Is there a risk? Contributing factors Reference in GN

Is the risk significant?Combination of likelihood and potential adverse effect

Table 5.2.3

What could be the adverse effect from the hazard?

Potential adverse effects

4.2

What are the possible reasons for the adverse effect?

Risk factor Table 5.2.5

How could it occur? Exposure pathway pathways

How can the potential effect be managed? Management options

Table 5.2.5Fert – Table 6.1Agchem – Table 7.1VTA’s – Table 8.1

Sections 6,7,8• Substance specific

– Fertilisers– Agrichemicals– VTA’s

• Follow same approach– Definition– Aerial application– Risk factors– Management options– Possible plan provisions

Potential adverse effects Risk factors Exposure

pathwayManagement options - Pilot

Options for plan provisions

Health effects caused or possible:

- Allergic reactions- Irritations- Toxic poisoning- Exposure to carcinogens and teratogens

Hazard class of chemical being used and exposure (Class 6 and 9)

Indirect:Off target drift Direct:Applicator

Indirect:Minimising potential for drift – technical options Notification (drift hazard) Direct:PPE

Require operator risk assessment to ensure use of appropriate technical options Classify dwellings, educational facilities and public places as sensitive areas Require notification where application adjacent to sensitive areas

Agrichemicals

Management Options• Tables in the GN set out a risk management

approach for use of each substance

• For each potential adverse effect, the table identifies the:– relevant risk factor– exposure pathway – management options to manage potential

adverse effects for both the pilot and councils

GN table formatPotential adverse effects

Risk factors Exposure pathway

Pilot Management options

Options for plan provisions and consent conditions

Independently audited QA programmes are a means for pilots to demonstrate that best practice (which includes risk management) is being used

Section 9• Land based issues

– Aircraft noise– Storage, loading and mixing sites– Reverse sensitivity

Glossary and Appendix• Glossary• Appendix A

- Possible plan provisions- Operational risk assessment

RMA 1991

Discharges to air, land, water and amenity values

Guidance Note defines best practice

Regional and District plans incorporate QA programmes

Regulator outcomes

no product off target,amenity values

maintained

Operatoroutcomes right product,

right place,right time, right rate

continued access

Proof of compliance

Project summary

QA Programmes

Risk Management and Assessment

We all do it anyway eg Wearing ear muffs.

Risk = hearing lossHazard = noise (level etc)Exposure - ear muffs 

Orange road cones - on a side road.

Someone has decided that a risk to 3rd parties ie you exists and the cones are placed (everywhere!!!) to reduce the exposure to the risk.

We cant say what the risk is because we don’t know what the hazard is

This project is about agricultural aviation

What about?

Requirements for a risk management approach to work

- know the risk factors so they can be managed

- know the potential adverse effects

- rules that reflect these requirements (REGULATORS)

- recognised best practice standards for ag ops (applicator/regulator)

- a system for task verification according to the risk (APPLICATOR)

Technical information

“Technical overview of the agricultural aviationindustry”:

• Informs council planners – removes mystery• A useful tool for pilots• Deals with Management Options

• Agrichemical Application

• Fertiliser Application

• VTA Application

• Noise Abatement.

• Risk Management

• References AIRCARE™ codes of practice

Guidance Note• The Guidance Note promotes a risk based

approach to legislation

• Adverse effects are controlled by using management tools appropriate to the situation

• Agricultural pilots are trained to use these tools

NOTHING NEW!!

Spray drift• There is no such thing as zero drift

• There are tools a pilot will use to be able to PREDICT the drift

• Droplet size• Release height• Wind speed• Wind direction

On site considerations (Risks to manage)

• Application site defined

• Sensitive areas identified

• Wind direction identified

• Wind speed identified

• Particle size identified

• Product hazard identified

• Buffer zone

• Shelter Belts

• Air Temperature

• Humidity

• Atmospheric stability

• Guidance is found in Technical Information

But …A risk based approach requires evidence of:

• What risks have been considered

• What management tools have been used

• Where did the aircraft fly

• So that task verification can be providedNOTHING NEW!!

When regulators specify a risk based approach then they need an assurance that these processesare always followed. One such programme is:

AIRCARE™• AIRCARE™ is an enabling process

• Enables regulators to have confidence their requirements are being met consistently

• Enables operators to go to work tomorrow

• www.aircare.co.nz

AIRCARE™1. Pilot competency2. Companies require a management system3. Independently audited

Integrates legislation requirements including Environmental, HSE, CAA

AIRCARE™Where is the programme today?

• 54 companies accredited or in process

• Over half the Ag industry is accredited

Jo Grigg Photographer

DEMONSTRATION DAYS

Demonstration days• Demo days are the industry demonstrating management

tools to regulators

• 3 Demo days planned

• Lucky with weather twice

• Last Demo day(s) will not involve flying

• Will be run in conjunction with other conferences e.g. NZPI

• Regional meetings to present Guidance Note to planners, operators and stakeholders

• Finalisation of Guidance Note for QP website

• Demonstration days

• Information for pilots

Next steps

Comments and feedback• Have we addressed the right issues?

• Is the split between GN and Technical info about right?

• Are there terms that should be defined?

• Could the layout and order be improved?

With the support of …

Contact us

John Maber - jmaber@gmail.com

Lynette Wharfe - lynette@agribusinessgroup.com

John Sinclair - sinclairjg@gmail.com