% 830 words

\section{Proposed activities and their potential effects}

All three major stations in the lifecycle of the proposed dairy
factory have to be considered for an assessment of the potential
effects of the project: preparation of the site and construction,
operation, and eventual close-down of the facility. For the purposes
of this assignment only the potential impacts of the first two stages
shall be addressed as they dominate the life cycle impacts. This
includes the following activities:

\begin{enumerate}
\item clearing of the site (displacement of existing uses)
\item construction work
\item water allocation
\item waste water discharge
\item packaging
\item transport of raw materials and goods
\end{enumerate}

As the different activities at different stages may result in similar
effects on a given component of the socio-economic or physical
environment, it is more convenient to investigate the effects
separately for each component of the environment than to list the
effects by planned activities. The following components of the
physical environment \parencite[adapted from][]{glasson reading 1.1} are to be considered:

\begin{enumerate}
\item Air and atmosphere
\item Water and soil
\item Vegetation and habitat
\item Human health
\item Landscape and cultural heritage
\item Energy
\end{enumerate}


\subsection{Water and soil}

- water resources, quality, effects of soil changes on water etc


\subsection{Preparation and construction}

- removal of riparian vegetation

\subsection{Expected impacts during operation}


\subsubsection{Water allocation}

  - Changes in water quality parameters - for example, turbidity and
    temperature levels can increase with reduced flows in rivers.


\subsubsection{Discharge of waste water}

The major waste material from processing milk in a dairy factory is
contaminated water that has been removed from the milk or that has
been used to sanitise equipment and clean the factory. The
pasteurisation process that is used to kill off harmful bacteria in
the milk results in heated waste water. As most aquatic ecosystems are
very sensitive to temperature, discharges of warm waste water could
significantly affect the composition and dynamics of aquatic
communities around the discharge location \parencite{}.

from NIWA:
http://www.niwa.co.nz/our-science/freshwater/tools/kaitiaki_tools/land-use/meat-processing/impacts/water-resources-and-MDP

  - Changes in flow - changes in water levels and flow variability
    alters available mahinga kai habitat and the invertebrates they
    feed on.

  - Reduction in habitat - a decrease in water levels reduces habitat
    for fish and can impact feeding and spawning success.

  - Reduction in specialist habitats - a decrease in water levels
    reduces flow to riparian wetlands, backwaters, and intermittent
    streams.

  - Decreases in species abundance and diversity - aquatic species
    have developed life history strategies in direct response to
    natural flows; for example, diadromous fish species migrate up and
    down the river at various times of the year and rely on preferred
    velocities and depths.

  - Changes in sediment accumulation - flow reduction affects movement
    and deposition of sediments in streams and rivers.

  - Increases in algae accumulation - algae respond to changes in
    temperature and nutrients, which are likely to increase with
    reduction of flow, especially during summer months.


- contamination
- nutrient overloading
  - 

\subsection{Transportation of raw materials and produce}



\subsection{Cumulative impacts}

- must consider cumulative impact of increased dairy *farming*
- consider effects of existing factory with permits for another decade
- farm runoffs pollute the river according to locals

NZ water problems \parencite{cullen}:

- agricultural irrigation increased by 55\% per decade
- water quality:
  - non-point sources (e.g. nutrient run-off)
  - access to waterways by cattle
  - urban develpment
  - forestry

- water management through regional councils:
  - regional policy statements + regional plans
  - unless authorised by plan discharges require resource consents
  
impact of agriculture on water:

- primary source of non-point discharges
  - application of fertiliser and pesticides
  - discharges from the soil and animals
  - materials move into surface and groundwater at higher rates than usual
- discharge from animals increases E. coli concentrations
- 


monitoring / significance implications:
- lack of reliable data against which to draw conclusions for key parameters in all regions
- lack of approved plans relating to water in some regions
  - require councils to set realistic goals and objectives; difficult
    because has to reconcile urban recreational and environmental
    requirements with rural economic demands
  - too little policy direction from central government
- even without these plans, councils must process resource consent applications
- lack of monitoring and enforcement
  - low compliance
  - impossible to determine the efficacy of management practices
- limited knowledge on how to best deal with non-point source discharges
- little knowledge about what the community wants and expects wrt water management


% Dairy farming has recently expanded in the Waiwhetu region, providing
% a boost to the local economy. To cope with the increased milk
% production, a dairy company is proposing to set up a new factory. The
% factory will be located close to the Waiwhetu River, the region’s main
% waterway. To operate the new factory, the proponents want to take
% water from the river and discharge wastewater from the plant back into
% the waterway.

- water allocation
  - 10,000 cubic metres
- wastewater discharge
  - 10,000 cubic metres
  - 2 degrees warmer
    - effect on invertebrates
- cumulative effects

- social impacts
  - more jobs 

% 
% There is already a dairy factory in the area producing milk products.
% The factory has existing discharge permits which are not up for review
% for another 10 years. At present, it uses 10,000 cubic metres of water
% from the river and discharges the same amount into the waterway. The
% wastewater is two degrees celsius warmer than the temperature of the
% river.
% 
% Many prominent people are welcoming the growth of dairying in the
% region and believe the new factory will bring more jobs to the area.
% However, others are concerned about the potential environmental
% impacts of the development. Environment groups and iwi argue water
% quality is already being affected by waste generated from local farms
% and want to see the river cleaned up.
% 
% Note: Waiwhetu is a fictitious region