24 June 2014

Rivers group starts community field trips

A multi-stakeholder group working on ways to protect the Waikato and Waipa rivers has begun a series of field trips to help them understand the wider community’s issues and perspectives.

The Collaborative Stakeholder Group (CSG) for the Healthy Rivers: Plan for Change/Wai Ora: He Rautaki Whakapaipai project is to develop recommendations for a regional plan change designed to manage land use affecting waterways.

The group visited the dairy farm of Tokoroa’s George Moss this month. Mr Moss is one of two dairy sector representatives on the CSG. He highlighted how operations on his farm related to water quality were managed.

Commenting on the visit, CSG chair Bill Wasley: “The key message for our group was that there is no one size fits all approach for dealing with farming’s impact on water quality.

“In developing solutions, the group needs to be highly aware of the geographic, as well as the social and cultural, diversity in the Waikato and Waipa river catchments. Strong evidence-based science will be required to develop solutions for reducing impacts on water quality.”

The next CSG visit will involve a trip to a King Country marae and getting an understanding of the characteristics of the Waipa catchment, while future field trips will include a sheep and beef farm, and tourism, recreation and energy facilities.

Meanwhile, the project’s Technical Leaders Group of expert advisers has met for the first time and begun providing the CSG with information, including on the state of rivers and lakes in the catchments.

Healthy Rivers: Plan for Change/ Wai Ora: He Rautaki Whakapaipai
The Healthy Rivers: Plan for Change/Wai Ora: He Rautaki Whakapaipai project will work with stakeholders to develop changes to the regional plan to help restore and protect the health of the Waikato and Waipa rivers, which are key to a vibrant regional economy.

The project plays a part in restoring and protecting the health and wellbeing of the rivers for current and future generations, as required by the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River/Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato. It will help achieve reduction, over time, of sediment, bacteria and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) entering water bodies (including groundwater) in the Waikato and Waipa River catchments

For more information, visit www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/healthyrivers

ENDS

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