Upcoming Events - Workshops
Cost
$299 per person - $249 council discounted rate
Where to register
Email Rachael Armstrong - Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz
This level 1 module focuses on building a foundational understanding of good communications practices as they relate to engagement in your everyday role, including stakeholder engagement and communicating complex subject matter to lay people.
Good public communication and stakeholder engagement skills are important to have in a river teams’ tool kit. These can assist you when communicating with the public, as well as to the media, and can apply to all sorts of situations such as public consultation or engagement and crisis/issues management.
This will be delivered online in one 4-hour morning session using a combination of presented materials and interactive learning. Preparation prior to the module is not required, though some optional preparation guidance will be provided to participants to maximise their learning experience.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
- What is a stakeholder?
- How do we assess the interests of a stakeholder?
- How do we differentiate stakeholders?
- What does successful engagement look like?
- What are the benefits of effective engagement?
- What are the various channels of engagement?
SKILLS ACHIEVED
- Understanding engagement
- Best practice public consultation and communication
- Stakeholder engagement tools and practices
- Making technical information accessible
- Why connecting with a lay audience is important
- Making technical information meaningful to lay audiences
- Creating a deeper understanding
- Through imagery and examples
- Creating quick facts and statistics
Cost
$299 per person - $249 council discounted rate
Where to register
Email Rachael Armstrong - Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz
This level 1 module focuses on building a foundational understanding of good communications practices as they relate to engagement in your everyday role, including stakeholder engagement and communicating complex subject matter to lay people.
Good public communication and stakeholder engagement skills are important to have in a river teams’ tool kit. These can assist you when communicating with the public, as well as to the media, and can apply to all sorts of situations such as public consultation or engagement and crisis/issues management.
This will be delivered online in one 4-hour morning session using a combination of presented materials and interactive learning. Preparation prior to the module is not required, though some optional preparation guidance will be provided to participants to maximise their learning experience.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
- What is a stakeholder?
- How do we assess the interests of a stakeholder?
- How do we differentiate stakeholders?
- What does successful engagement look like?
- What are the benefits of effective engagement?
- What are the various channels of engagement?
SKILLS ACHIEVED
- Understanding engagement
- Best practice public consultation and communication
- Stakeholder engagement tools and practices
- Making technical information accessible
- Why connecting with a lay audience is important
- Making technical information meaningful to lay audiences
- Creating a deeper understanding
- Through imagery and examples
- Creating quick facts and statistics
A one-day workshop with content suited for staff who commission, use or make decisions from flood or flow models (hydrodynamic models). Learn from an expert about what to ask for and how to maximise the results of this complex work.
When
Tuesday 29 August
Where
Greater Wellington City Council
Time
10.00am-4.00pm
Cost
$700.00 plus gst - Council Rate $500.00 plus gst
Where to register
Email Rachael Armstrong - Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz
Module 1: Hydrodynamic modelling explained.
In this module you will learn what hydrodynamic models are, their purpose, the differences in approaches that can be adopted and some of the modelling terminology that you will find in general use. This is intended for technical staff but will be aimed at an introductory level in the modelling realm. Attendees will be expected to have a base understanding of river/stream hydraulics, pipe flow and of the rainfall-runoff process.
The content will cover numeric solution of fundamental hydraulic equations as undertaken by computational hydraulic models. We will explain information requirements and the underlying purposes of building, calibrating and running a hydrodynamic model.
Attendees will learn what model outputs are available and how these outputs can be used.
Several examples of different model types will be discussed, noting that different models suit different situations. Furthermore, attendees will learn some situations where models may not be needed and may not be the immediate answer to many questions. A case study will be initiated that will be followed through the series of modules.
Module 2: Making use of hydrodynamic models
This module is all about the use of a model. It starts with some content on when and why a model may be required and outlines situations within which a model can be useful.
Also included is making use of a model that has already been built. This will cover pitfalls and things to watch with models that were previously built and are to be re-purposed.
We will explain how we conduct confidence tests to be sure that a model is providing reliable results. Also included is a series of situations where a model may give unreliable results, and how to notice these.
There have been many model “benchmarking” tests undertaken to quantify model accuracy, and some of these will be discussed and explained.
Module 3: Scoping a modelling investigation
Having decided that a hydrodynamic model is needed for a given purpose, there is often difficulty in scoping the model build, calibration, validation, and model use process. This module is aimed at navigating this, especially if the modelling work is going to be outsourced. This is a fundamentally important step in any modelling project, as the initial model set-up dictates the end use of the results. Topics included are data inputs, modelling tolerances, calibration and validation and design event specification. Important in any modelling process is repeatability, so the initial scoping needs to be set out in such a way to ensure this.
In recent times, models have been used for very many uses, and management of the resulting data has become a major consideration. This module covers how to scope the modelling work in such a way that data management becomes simpler.
Module 4: Hardware and software
This module may not require a full hour but will focus on some of the limitations associated with hardware and software for running models. Coupled with this is the data storage needs for storing model result files and how efficiencies can be engineered. It is usual for model results to be transmitted between agencies and emailing (for example) of very large files is often not practical. We will discuss some of the limitations to ways by which models can be built and run, and how model results can be stored and accessed.
The session will conclude with a summary of the previous modules, together with open discussion and questions.
Presenter: Mark Pennington | Senior Water Resources Engineer
Mark is a Chartered Professional Engineer with more than 25 years of post-graduate experience in hydrological and hydraulic investigations and analyses. He combines a high degree of technical excellence with the ability to see the big picture of flooding issues. This has meant he is frequently engaged for technical review purposes, and also for establishment of design principles to be adopted. In this role Mark has been able to successfully balance the competing needs of flood protection and ecological and environmental protection. Mark is a well-respected leader in river and flood modelling, having taken a leadership role as Chairman of the Rivers Group, a technical interest group of IPENZ. He is also a past chair and past treasurer of the Bay of Plenty branch of Engineering New Zealand. He has published extensively in academic journals on hydraulic modelling, increasing the overall body of knowledge in this area. He was awarded the 1999 IPENZ Furkert award for his contribution to understanding of bored water tunnel hydraulics, and in 2019 he was presented with the Water NZ Stormwater Professional of the year award. Due to the high public profile of the projects to which Mark has contributed, his work has frequently undergone significant and extensive peer review. Proven technical knowledge, and the ability to successfully communicate this knowledge, are the keys to Mark’s success in flood risk assessments. Mark is proficient in the use of a wide range of hydraulic analysis techniques, and has a robust background in hydrological and hydraulic modelling.
Upcoming Events - Webinars
Communications Series
Te Ao Māori (the Māori worldview) is about interconnectedness. We should ask ourselves as local government: are we being genuine about Partnership, Protection, and Participation?
Presenter: Chantez Connor-Kingi, Northland Regional Council
Join Chantez Connor-Kingi – (Northland Regional Council) as she leads us in her reflections and perspectives on Māori Engagement and how we can do better by not repeating past grievances and building partnerships.
Hiwa - to be watchful, focus on, to be vigorous (of growth), active, robust, light-hearted, entertaining, and engaging).
Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BBDhebueQL24aSWdg7jL9w
Through a case study, hear of the Hawke's Bay experiences (pre-Cyclone Gabrielle) in getting people involved and interested in making decisions about their rivers. Mary will share some lessons learnt through a freshwater plan process undertaken recently.
Presenter - Mary-Anne Baker, Hawke's Bay Regional Council
To register, click: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uJZ7K8rESl2Br_7FL12QJA
Climate Change “Room for the River” Webinar Series Part 1
Reconstructing Flood Histories
Assessing flood risk is presently constrained by short (generally ~50 year) gauged river flow records that poorly represent the distribution of hydrological extremes because these records typically do not include the largest floods generated in a catchment. There is a need to extend flood series to improve our understanding of flood hazard and risk, particularly in light of a rapidly changing climate. Floodplain sedimentary archives offer the prospect of generating flood histories over centuries and even millennia because they directly record the sediment signature of discrete flood events. These palaeo flood reconstructions provide a window into historic and prehistoric floods occurring within a catchment during a range of climate conditions, which allow us to better prepare for future floods. This session will introduce floodplain sediment archives and their potential for flood series extension in New Zealand. A broad, nationwide overview of centennial-scale river activity in the last 10,000 years will be followed by focusing on specific flood histories in discrete catchments.
Presenter: Ian Fuller, Massey University, New Zealand
Ian holds the position of Professor in Physical Geography at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand, where he co-directs the Innovative River Solutions group and has been based since 2003. His research in fluvial geomorphology provides an integrated understanding of river systems at multiple spatial and temporal scales. He has completed numerous projects for stakeholders in river management and worked in catchments throughout New Zealand, as well as the UK and Europe. Prior to arriving in New Zealand, Ian completed his PhD at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1996, which was followed by a lectureship in Physical Geography at Northumbria University. He is passionate about educating students in NZ’s rivers and linking geomorphology with river management.
Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ja-KG9AcS8yanYSpWuqIEA
Societal vulnerability to cascading events
Research aim 3: This part of the programme aims to develop useful, useable, scalable, and transferable sets of knowledge, processes and practices for understanding flood risks in a way that accounts for cascading impacts and complexity.
Objectives of research aim 3:
Understand the social dimensions of flooding.
- Use case studies and a systems-mapping approach to study how flooding affects hapū and communities, directly and indirectly.
- Explore how cascading events (multiple large flooding events or combinations of flooding with other exacerbating factors) can affect tolerance to flooding, especially under climate change.
Presenter: Dr Paula Blackett, NIWA
Paula is an environmental social scientist with the National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA). She has extensive research experience (20 years+) in the social impacts and implications of climate change, climate change adaptation strategies and engagement practices, and system approaches to framing complexity and decision-making. She has worked across several environmental domains including coasts freshwater and rural systems and is an adept integrator of ideas and practice. She currently leads NIWA’s climate change impacts and implications research programme.
Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WKjV1iQQRBC5pAjZAx2J-Q
Climate change ‘room for the river’
Climate change will continue to super-charge the atmosphere with water vapour and energy, ensuring stronger storms and heavier rainfall as things continue to warm. But, when it isn’t raining, the weather looks drier, with faster evaporation and greater chance of drought. One signal that comes through clearly in future projections of river flows is an increase in variability. Even if the overall flows are not expected to change, variability in the flows is likely to increase. I’ll discuss the overall picture of how the climate is changing, and I’ll relate it to New Zealand river flows, water availability and extreme events.
Presenter - James Renwick
James is a climate researcher who studies Southern Hemisphere climate variability, and the impacts of climate change on the Pacific, New Zealand and the Antarctic. He has been a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the last 20 years, contributing to three Assessment Reports. James was awarded the Prime Minister’s 2018 prize for Science Communication and was part of the team that won the Prime Minister’s Science Prize in 2019. He was appointed to the New Zealand Climate Change Commission in 2019.
Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ey9qxhtBRz2B4_euv0nESQ
Economics of Climate Management
Duct-Tape Belinda Storey is leading the Duct-Tape project in the Extreme Events and the Emergence of Climate Change, a five year, $10M research programme funded by MBIE. This project couples rainfall and river flow models with investment criteria to determine how extreme rainfall events affect the financial viability of river-based infrastructure.
Presenter Belinda Storey
Belinda is a Senior Research Fellow at the New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute, where she conducts research on the impact of escalating climate hazards on infrastructure, real estate, banking and insurance. As Managing Director of Climate Sigma, Belinda has developed a new model for valuing property under climate change called “climate leases” and in 2017 she coined the term “insurance retreat”.
Belinda Storey is Managing Director of Climate Sigma and Whakahura: Extreme Events and the Emergence of Climate Change, a five-year, $10M research programme funded by MBIE. Her research in this programme couples rainfall and river flow models with investment criteria to determine how extreme rainfall events affect the financial viability of river-based infrastructure.
In May 2022 Belinda was named Wellingtonian of the Year for Science and Technology in recognition of her work in pricing climate risk.
Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LcxCplRLRZiY3yOa0C2eVg
Webinar Recordings
Cultural and Environmental Values |
||
Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi): meanings, principles, and importance for contemporary river management in Aotearoa New Zealand | Sept '22 | |
The NPS-FM and Te Mana o te Wai (Te Ao Māori & River Ecosystem Management) | Sept '22 | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDING |
Navigating towards Te mana o te Wai | Sept '22 | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDING |
Mana Whenua Statements (cultural impact assessment) | Sept '22 | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDING |
Legal Obligations River Legislation Series Values |
||
River Legislation Series | 1 | Nov 1 '22 | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDING |
River Legislation Series | 2 | Nov 8 '22 | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDING |
River Legislation Series | 3 | Nov 15 '22 | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDING |
River Legislation Series | 4 | Dec 2 '22 | |
River Ecology Series |
||
Introduction to River Ecology | May 2 '23 | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDING |
Impact of river management on river bird habitat | May 4 '23 | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDING |
Tools that Regional Councils use to measure ecological health | May 9 '23 | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDING |
Impacts of River Engineering on Ecological Health | May 11 '23 | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDING |
Mitigation of River Engineering on River Ecology | May 16 '23 | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDING |
Estuarine Ecology | May 18 '23 | CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECORDING |
Digital Badges Online Courses
If you wish to complete any of these courses, contact Rachael.Armstrong@hbrc.govt.nz for free registration details for Regional Council employees.
Previous Courses
AM 101 –Introduction to Asset Management
WM 104 –Introduction to Flood Risk Asset Management
CC 101 –Introduction to Climate Adaptation in Asset Management