The Waikato River Authority has completed its 2021 funding round awarding $5.3 million to 37 projects.

Featuring in the list of successful projects are three major wetland restoration initiatives and an allocation of funding towards koi carp investigation and management.

While the Waikato River Authority is not the body responsible for managing koi carp in the waterways, it is supporting a project that has the backing of iwi through Te Riu o Waikato, the Department of Conservation, and the Waikato Regional Council in making more progress against koi carp. The three year project is focused on the Lower Waikato River and riverine lakes in the Huntly and Rangiriri area. As well as the removal of koi, the project aims to identify potential sites where barriers could be constructed to reduce their movements. The project is receiving $488,000 in Authority funding.

Wetland restoration is again a feature of Waikato River Authority funding with three separate projects seeing a total of 200 hectares of wetland habitat restored. Combined these projects received nearly half a million dollars.

Waikato River Authority Funding Manager, Michelle Hodges, says wetland restoration remains a strategic priority for the Authority and so projects of this scale coming through for funding represents a significant achievement.

“This year’s funding round once again saw a selection of very high-quality projects attract support from the Authority. We are clearly building on the momentum created by successful projects in recent years. A good example of this is our continuing relationship with the Puniu River Care organisation which has secured three years of funding to enable a longer-term approach to planning and delivery of projects.”

While the Waikato River Authority is contributing $5.3 million towards restoration effort this year, collectively the projects represent $13.3 million of work.

A full list of funded projects is available on the Waikato River Authority website www.waikatoriver.org.nz .

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