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Glossary

  • Habitat
    the environment within which a particular species or group of species lives. It includes both the physical and living characteristics that are relevant to the species concerned.
  • Habitat ECan
    the former name of a bi-monthly update on Environment Canterbury people, activities and opportunities. The newsletter is now known as E-connect. Download E-connect.
  • Habitat health
    the assessed condition of the habitats, neighbouring and within, a waterway which affect the flora and fauna of the waterway. It includes elements such as land-use, sediment composition and vegetation cover.
  • HAIL
    an acronym for the Hazardous Activities and Industries List. A Ministry for the Environment list of land use activities and industries that use, store or dispose of hazardous substances which could cause site contamination should these substances escape from safe storage or areas of disposal. More about HAIL - from the Ministry for the Environment.
  • Hapu
    sub-tribe, clan, or section of a large tribe.
  • Hazardous Activities and Industries List (HAIL)
    a list of land use activities and industries that use, store or dispose of hazardous substances which could cause site contamination should these substances escape from safe storage or areas of disposal.  The HAIL can be downloaded from the Ministry for the Environment’s website.
  • Hazardous substances
    are substances: a. With one or more of the following intrinsic properties: i. explosiveness ii. flammability iii. a capacity to oxidise iv. corrosiveness v. toxicity (both acute and chronic) vi. ecotoxicity, with or without bioaccumulation; or b. Which on contact with air or water (other than air or water where the temperature or pressure has been artificially increased or decreased) generates a substance with any one or more of the properties specified in paragraph (a) of this definition. (Section 2, Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996). Read more about Hazardous Substances.
  • Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (1996)
    Act of Parliament that controls the import, manufacture, use, storage, transport, and disposal of hazardous substances that are imported into or manufactured in New Zealand. Read the HSNO Act.
  • Hazardous wastes
    are wastes that exhibit properties such as corrosiveness, explosiveness, flammability, capacity to oxidise, toxicity or ecotoxicity, and have the potential to adversely affect human or animal health, other species and natural resources. Includes materials / substances and their containers or packaging. Read more about hazardous waste.
  • Heavy metals
    metallic elements with high atomic weights, e.g. mercury, chromium, cadmium and lead. Heavy metals have the potential to remain in soils almost indefinitely, can damage living things at low concentrations and in some instances can accumulate in the food chain.
  • Heritage site
    any place of special cultural, architectural, historical, scientific, ecological or other interest.
  • High pollution
    occur when there is an exceedence of the National Environmental Standard of 50 micrograms of PM10 per cubic metre of air (averaged over 24 hours). Read more about air pollution.
  • Hub, The
    The Hub is an e-newsletter for Environment Canterbury's Consents Section - providing updates on developments and areas of interest within consents, and highlighting future developments anticipated over following months. Read The Hub.
  • Hudraulic connection
    when surface water and groundwater are directly linked. When you pump water from a well that is connected to a nearby stream, it reduces the flow in the stream. This may be because the groundwater supplies water to the stream, and abstraction lowers the supply; or because the stream supplies water to the groundwater, and the abstraction lowers the groundwater and increases the losses from the stream.
    Read more about Canterbury groundwater.
  • Harden off
    Term used for the nursery practice of introducing seedlings to harsh weather conditions. Read more about planting exposed areas.
  • Herd homes
    are barns used to house and feed cows. The roof of a herd home is made of plastic or clear polythene, which allows in light to kill bacteria. The floor is made of slatted concrete panels, to allow effluent to be collected in an underground bunker. Read more about protecting soil from stock damage.
  • Hapua
    A type of coastal lagoon.
  • Harakeke
    New Zealand flax.