| Title | WHAT MAKES GEOTHERMAL FEATURES SIGNIFICANT? CHALLENGES IN INTERPRETING AND APPLYING ASSESSMENT CRITERIA |
|---|---|
| Authors | B. Scott, C. Bromley, R. Reeves, F. Camburn |
| Year | 2018 |
| Conference | New Zealand Geothermal Workshop |
| Keywords | Surface Geothermal Features, Surface features, Hot springs, geysers, Resource Management Act, Regional Policy Statement, significance testing |
| Abstract | Geothermal surface features and the deeper resource support growing and renewable energy uses and tourism. The two ends of this usage spectrum create a unique role for geothermal surface features, being the focus of one and under threat from the other. They contribute culturally, economically and environmentally to the well-being of communities and support both tourism and energy industries. The management of surface geothermal features is not without its challenges. Resource managers need to consider carefully the values requiring protection in the face of competing use demands, to provide certainty for all users. The Bay of Plenty Regional Council (BoPRC) has under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) developed a policy approach that accommodates the demand for use of the geothermal resource and the need to protect surface geothermal features. The policy requires identification of “significant geothermal features” (SGFs) using consistent criteria, therefore ensuring their protection through policies and rules in Regional and District plans. While the criteria for the assessment of “significance” are established and set in the Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement (RPS) (BoPRC 2014), there is currently no agreed methodology to interpret and apply them consistently and transparently. As such no ‘complete’ schedule of SGFs has been developed in the Bay of Plenty Region, and this creates risks to vulnerable features as well as uncertainty for potential resource users. Although ‘significance’ assessments are common under the RMA for ecological (including geothermal vegetation) and landscape values, the detailed assessment of multiple significance criterion for different geothermal feature types, has not been established in the same manner. The application of significance testing or ranking of surface geothermal features, is relatively new and untested. At the request of BoPRC, GNS Science have interpreted the RPS criterion in the context of the Bay of Plenty Region, and also the wider Taupō Volcanic Zone and developed methodological options for criteria assessment (Scott and Bromley 2017). A preferred methodology has been selected by BoPRC and piloted by GNS Science. Results from this pilot are promising and show that the methodology developed is workable as a means of applying the RPS criteria. In this presentation we will share aspects of this process. |