Get to know your local lagoon

The Orari-Opihi-Pareora Zone Committee is hosting a community day will be held at Waitarakao (Washdyke Lagoon) on 4 October to give people a chance to get up-close and personal with their local lagoon.

People will have a chance to explore the lagoon, try their luck at whitebaiting, and there will be activities to help the kids learn about why this local treasure is so important.

The community will also have the opportunity to hear from local experts on the environmental and cultural issues surrounding the lagoon and find out how they can help.

These issues include erosion and loss of lagoon area, water quality and quantity, and how to enhance both the lagoon habitats as well as recreational and cultural use.

Members of the community can also check out the information panel that was unveiled in July to provide the public with information about the lagoon that links the creek with the coast.

The idea for the information panel came after the Orari-Opihi-Pareora Zone Committee led a field trip to the area to better understand its multiple values and issues. A group representing the Timaru District Council, Environment Canterbury, the Department of Conservation, Fish and Game New Zealand and the Arowhenua Runanga helped produce it.

The panel provides images and information on the environmental and cultural issues surrounding the lagoon and identifies future challenges.

ENDS

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