SERVICES

ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS

Freshwater Solutions has specialist expertise and experience at developing and implementing plans to obtain resource consents for a wide range of industries and activities in receiving environments that range from highly modified to highly sensitive.

We offer environmental effects assessment services for the following activities:

• Water abstraction and use
• Discharge of treated wastewater
• Discharge of stormwater
• Damming and diverting water courses
• Land development

• Stream and wetland restoration

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING

Environmental monitoring is often a condition of consent. However, too often environmental monitoring is undertaken in an ad hoc manner that is not well integrated into the consent holders' business. We specialise in implementing environmental monitoring programmes that not only meet the requirements of regulatory authorities but maximise the benefits to resource consent holders.

We offer the following environmental monitoring services:

• Water and sediment quality surveys
• Aquatic plant surveys
• Instream habitat surveys
• Benthic invertebrate surveys
• Terrestrial plant, habitat and fauna surveys
• Freshwater native, exotic and sports fish surveys

• Recreational use surveys

STREAM, RIPARIAN AND WETLAND RESTORATION

Restoration of freshwater habitat is becoming increasingly common across New Zealand. Freshwater Solutions has been involved in many stream and wetland restoration projects and has a very good understanding of the principles and practises of freshwater and terrestrial habitat restoration.

Our stream and wetland restoration services include:

• Freshwater and terretsrial restoration plans
• Consent acquisition and monitoring
• Stream ecological valuations
• Fish barrier remediation
• Pest and native fish management
• Native fish relocations
• Terrestrial fauna relocations

• Planting plan preparation and post planting audits

INTEGRATED CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT

The principles of integrated management are central to the effective management of urban and rural stream catchments. Freshwater Solutions draws on its river catchment management experience from projects undertaken in Europe and in urban and rural waterways throughout New Zealand to provide tailored advice and services to better manage catchments.

Our catchment management services include:

• Developing management plans for urban catchments
• Nutrient assessment and management in waterways
• Land use and land management effects assessments
• Providing expert assessment of ecological values and ecological management
• Defining and managing nutrient sensitive zones

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTISE

Freshwater Solutions uses our technical expertise and regulatory and resource acquisition experience, together with our understanding of a wide range of sectors and businesses, to provide strategic environmental advice tailored to our clients' needs.

Our strategic and environmental expertise includes:

• Developing and implementing effective resource consent acquisition strategies that minimise risks to project timelines and budgets
• Matching our services to meet the varying needs of our clients
• Forming and managing project teams
• Developing and implementing effective project communication strategies
• Public and stakeholder consultation

• Securing consent conditions that are practical and manageable

SPILL RESPONSE AND REMEDIATION

Accidental spills can have significant adverse effects on freshwater environments and have major ramifications for the party responsible and for people using the affected water body. Freshwater Solutions have been involved in many spill response assessments including assessing acute and chronic toxicity and direct effects on biological communities such as fish kills and recovery of ecosystems. We have also assisted clients with identifying remediation options to reduce the impact on the environment and assist with determining financial liability.

Our spill response and remediation services include:

• Rapid assessment of effects and interventions
• Quantification and assessment of contaminant sources, pathways and receptors
• Remediation plans

• Monitoring plans

EXPERT REPRESENTATION

Presenting and conveying complex technical information to a wide range of audiences is a critical element in the effective delivery of specialist environmental services. Richard Montgomerie has prepared and presented evidence at many hearings and is adept at presenting expert evidence in a manner that is readily understood by a non technical audience.