Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour is recognised for it’s environmental, recreational and cultural significance. LPC understands the importance of environmental protection and we work co-operatively with other users of the harbour area to ensure this valued local environment is well cared for. As well as complying with relevant environmental legislation, LPC works to proactively minimise and mitigate any negative environmental impacts of our business.
Our environmental management system (EMS) is being developed in accordance with AS/NZ ISO 14001:2015, indicating the ongoing commitment of LPC to continuous environmental improvement.
Water Quality
Maintaining good water quality is one of the key ways LPC can contribute to improving the health of the harbour. We are constantly upgrading our stormwater systems by installing different types of treatment devices such as rain gardens, Hynds First Defenders and Vortex 360s to reduce contaminant input from stormwater runoff. Our Lamella Plant treats coal-laden stormwater from our coal yard before discharging into the harbour at Te Awapahari Bay.
Air Quality
LPC have air discharge consents in place for port operations that have the potential to create dust including from our coal yard, quarry activities, reclamation works and dry bulk cargo handling. We maintain a network of fourteen dust deposition gauges both within and beyond the Port boundary to monitor dust discharges. Dust management plans and procedures are in place which set out the management controls for controlling dust, including the use of sprinkler systems and water trucks in our coal and log yards.
Bulk cargo air quality monitoring
In 2023, LPC commissioned an independent year-long study by Mote Limited to understand whether bulk cargo unloading impacted local air quality. The study involved deploying three particulate (PM10) dust monitors around the Inner Harbour, covering operations on Jetties 2, 3 and 7.
At Lyttelton Port, dusty products such as palm kernel extract (PKE), wheat and phosphate rock release particulate matter during unloading and transfer operations. PM10 is the appropriate size range to capture emissions from these operations, distinguishing it from finer particles like PM2.5, which are more associated with combustion.
The results showed that minor increases in particulate matter were only observed during some unloading events. Importantly, all recorded PM10 levels remained below the World Health Organization’s 24-hour and annual guideline thresholds.
The monitoring results have helped validate LPC’s dust mitigation processes, which include additional measures for handling products with a high dust risk. For example:
- wheat showed the highest average PM10 concentrations during unloading, followed by superphosphate
- PKE, despite its reputation for dustiness, showed lower PM10 levels than expected, possibly due to mitigation measures such as misting systems.
This granularity supports targeted operational controls such as:
- greater awareness and operational oversight
- wind-triggered shutdowns for high-risk products
- enhanced sweeping and misting protocols
- product-specific environmental procedures.
The data showed that the average 24-hour PM10 concentration is higher during winter. These concentrations usually reach a maximum in the evening around 8 pm and are almost certainly associated with domestic home heating in Lyttelton.
Similar patterns of variation are observed throughout New Zealand. They are mainly due to emissions from domestic home heating (wood and coal fires) accumulating during cooler winter weather when thermal air inversions reduce the usual dispersion of emissions.
We continue to learn more about managing dust through understanding the products that pass through the Port and as new technology is developed. While the wider dust monitoring project has finished, we will continue to monitor dust in one location in the Inner Harbour and refer to experts for advice.
White-flippered Penguins
Seawalls and rock revetments at LPC provide habitat for white flippered penguins (WFP) who use these areas for nesting and moulting. WFP are protected under the Wildlife Act 1953 and are listed as an At Risk, Declining species. To ensure that port operations and construction activities do not impact on their habitat, LPC engages the Kaikoura Ocean Research Institute (KORI) to undertake bi-annual surveys to locate and identify penguin hotspots. Click here to read more about KORI’s Conservation Dog Mena and how she sniffs out and safely locates penguins.
Marine Ecology
The Cawthron Institute regularly undertakes dive surveys and sediment sampling of the intertidal, subtidal and benthic zones. This work helps us better understand our local marine environment and to ensure our resource consent requirements are complied with, and that port operations are managed so we have a healthy harbour.
Archaeology
There are 60 pre-1900 archaeological sites within the boundaries of the Port. These sites are evidence of both Māori and European activity in the area. LPC operates under a Global Archaeology Authority issued by Heritage New Zealand which allows for the modification of archaeological sites.
Dredging and Other Monitoring
For information about our environmental management and monitoring associated with our dredging and development programmes, click here.
