September 2017World Rivers DayE kore te awa e tau atu ki te moana kia tau rā anō ana rawa katoa ki te whenua.The river does not arrive at the sea until she has given all she can to the land. This Sunday 24 September is World Rivers Day. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on the roles that rivers play in our daily lives. We know you care as deeply for the region’s ten major rivers and hundreds of other waterways as we do. Keep an eye out for our special edition Bay of Plenty rivers poster, and follow us on Facebook to see videos we’ll be posting about our work on three precious awa; the Rangitaiki, Kaituna and Wairoa Rivers. National Policy Statement changes confirmedA set of confirmed changes to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2014 (NPS) were announced by Ministry for the Environment on 7 August. The announcements included:
See more details on the MfE website>> $3 million for Rangitāiki wetlandsMinistry for the Environment has committed $1.5million over five years toward a new Rangitāiki River wetland restoration project near Galatea and Regional Council will match that funding. The project is a community-led initiative to restore 206 hectares of wetlands between Murupara and Lake Aniwaniwa. The wetlands will provide tuna habitat and restore native vegetation, river health and improve biodiversity values in six High Value Ecological Sites. It’s also a great step towards delivering on Te Ara Whanui o Rangitāiki, the Rangitāiki River Strategy. See more>>
Freshwater Futures groups meet againThe Kaituna Maketū, Pongakawa Waitahanui and Rangitāiki Freshwater Futures community groups are meeting again this month to continue providing early advice and feedback to Council as it develops freshwater objectives, limits and methods for managing water quality and quantity in the three Water Management Areas. The groups are looking at how a computerised model will be used to predict the impacts of different land and water use scenarios on water quality and flows in rivers. This includes giving feedback on current practice assumptions, such as what the average stocking rates, fertiliser inputs, and water use rates are for their catchments. The groups are also exploring what changes to current land and water use are likely to occur in their catchments in future; based on local knowledge, current industry, and population, social and other trends. See briefing notes and meeting reports from previous workshops at www.boprc.govt.nz/freshwaterfuturesreports Council staff have also been meeting with iwi and hapū representatives in the three Water Management Areas to discuss their values and interests in freshwater. Teamwork for Tauranga waterwaysRegional Council’s work with landowners to improve waterways in the Tauranga Moana catchments will be augmented in the coming years through a new collaboration with Uretara Estuary Managers, Ministry for the Environment and Western Bay of Plenty District Council. Regional Council is co-funding the five-year, $500,000 Katikati Hills to Ocean Project being led by the Uretara Estuary Managers community group. The group will be adding to Council’s usual suite of riparian and wetland restoration work, by also helping to restore whitebait spawning habitat and fish passage in the waterways that drain into Uretara Estuary near Kaitkati. The project also includes a citizen science component that will get community volunteers involved in collecting environmental monitoring data to add to the data set already captured by our scientists. See more>> Want more frequent updates?The Freshwater Flash will continue, but you can now check and register for more frequent updates about our work through a new Current Projects section on the Regional Council website. We’re regularly popping updates on our Keeping water clean and Improving water allocation projects, so they’re a great place to start. Hands on water expoApproximately 200 students from across the region will learn all about waterways at the upcoming Hands-on Water Expo at Paengaroa on 8 November. Regional, city and district councils work together to deliver the annual event. The 8-12 year olds will participate in a range of fun, interactive water quality and water conservation activities. They’ll go home with new skills they can use in their communities. To find out more, contact Natalie.Ridler@boprc.govt.nz Land-use maps onlineDraft land use maps for the Rangitaki, Kaituna, Maketū & Pongakawa, Tauranga and Tarawera Water Management Areas are near complete and can be viewed here>> The maps show what parts of each catchment are being used for growing, farming, urban or other uses. They’re well-researched but there’s nothing like local knowledge, so please take a look and let us know if you see any data errors by using the online feedback tool or contacting Sharon.pimlott@boprc.govt.nz Waiora for teachersTeachers from seven schools across the region joined our Community Engagement team in Rotorua earlier this month for a Waiora Workshop, to learn how to deliver freshwater science and monitoring with their students. Teachers were shown how to measure water pH, flow and clarity; examine macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects), and do habitat analysis. Each school has taken home their own water monitoring kit so their school can monitor their local streams long term. See the teaching resource here>> Earthworks season opensThe earthworks season re-opened on 16 September, so Regional Council’s Regulatory Compliance officers will be out checking that erosion and sediment controls are in place at consented earthworks sites throughout the region, from this month. Earthmovers must ensure they have good storm water and dust suppression controls are in place before starting bulk earthworks, and maintain the controls throughout the season. They’re also encouraged to minimise the amount of bare land being opened up at any one time, and progressively stabilise exposed earthworks throughout their operations, to reduce the risk of excess sediment run-off into waterways. Kaituna River Document deliberationsTe Maru o Kaituna River Authority received presentations from 26 submitters to the Proposed Kaituna River Document, during August hearings. A total of sixty-two submissions were lodged, from a wide range of sectors including iwi, conservation, recreational user and special interest groups, as well as individuals with a general interest in the river. Te Maru o Kaituna River Authority is now considering what changes should be made to the document as a result of submissions, before releasing a final version in 2018. See www.kaituna.org.nz for more information. Water NZ Survey releasedWater New Zealand has released the results of an independent survey on the attitudes of more than 4500 water consumers across New Zealand. The survey report includes a consumer outlook and analysis of issues across:
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