ISSUE #91
SEPTEMBER 2016
waikatoregion.govt.nz 0800 800 401
R U O Y
O T A K I A W
COUNCIL L A N O I G E R WAIKATO M O R F E T A D NEWS UP L A N IO G E R R YOU
Healthy Rivers, your rivers, your plan Wai Ora, ō awa, tō mahere Have your say The public will have more than four months to have their say on a groundbreaking plan change aimed at restoring and protecting the Waikato and Waipā rivers for future generations. In September, Waikato Regional Council voted to publicly notify the Proposed Waikato Regional Plan Change 1 – Waikato and Waipā Catchments. It's designed to clean up our Waikato and Waipā rivers and give effect to the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River/Te Ture Whaimana O Te Awa o Waikato (part of Treaty settlement legislation) and the Government’s National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2014. Council chief executive Vaughan Payne says our rivers are central to the identity and wellbeing of Waikato people. "They are key to sustaining our communities and our
economy. We know water quality has been the number one concern for people in our region for the past two decades. “A substantial amount of time and money has already gone into cleaning up our rivers by organisations, local authorities and communities and we want to recognise that. This plan will protect that large investment that has already been made and ensure a return on that investment for future generations.” Supported by New Zealand’s leading technical experts, the plan has been thousands of hours in development using a collaborative process with iwi project partners, community representatives, industry, non-government organisations and council all around the table to develop a solution. “Managing water quality is an extremely complex issue and we are working in one of New Zealand’s most complex catchments. The process we have used has ensured those most affected by the changes have been able to directly influence the policy
development to make sure we balance the social, economic, cultural and environmental needs of our region,” says Mr Payne. Once the plan change is publicly notified it will trigger a process enabling the community to have their say on the proposal. We will be notifying the plan in mid-October. Anyone can make a submission on the plan, and can support, oppose or take a neutral stance on its various parts. The submission process will run until mid-March 2017 to ensure people have time to understand the plan change and can make informed submissions. Turn to page 3 to find out more. waikatoregion.govt.nz/healthyrivers facebook.com/healthyrivers
Scholarships for students Ngā karahipi mā ngā tauira
Grey-faced petrel get a helping hand Ka toro te ringa tautoko ki ngā tītī Grey-faced petrels nesting on the coastal cliffs around Mt Karioi stand a greater chance of breeding success following a massive funding boost from Waikato Regional Council. A ground-breaking seabird sanctuary project run by environmental organisation A Rocha Aotearoa NZ will be supported by up to $429,000 over four years from the council’s natural heritage fund. A Rocha co-director and Karioi project director Kristel van Houte says the council funding will help the project get on and achieve its objectives over a number of years. “It’s great to be working with the regional council and our local community and partners to advance this fantastic project. The collaborative nature of this project and the community support have made it possible for us to get this far.” The greatest threat to grey-faced petrels is mammalian predators on their breeding grounds, especially feral cats
and rats that take eggs and chicks. Funding will go towards ongoing predator control of 2000 hectares around Karioi mountain and expanding a trapping network into the backyards of Raglan residents. A Rocha has been working to re-establish Karioi as a seabird mountain since 2009 using a pest control programme which also supports forest birds. It has put its own funding into the project. Mt Karioi is a 2.4 million year old extinct volcano near Raglan.
A Rocha is an international environmental organisation with a Christian ethos. A Rocha, which means “the rock” in Portuguese, was founded in Portugal in 1983 by Anglican minister Peter Harris and his wife Miranda.
Join the kauri workout club Hono mai ki te rōpū whakapakari tinana, whakapakari kauri Fancy a good workout that gets you fitter and helps protect our forest giants? Consider volunteering for a new kauri protection project that’s kicked off at Pukemokemoke Reserve, 20 minutes north east of Hamilton. The project involves laying planks on tracks to help people avoid walking on soil near trees and keep them off kauri roots. This lessens the risk of the trees catching kauri dieback disease. Some 40 hectares at Pukemokemoke is a private bush reserve which boasts some spectacular remnant lowland forest, gifted to the country by David Johnstone. “This beautiful bush block is managed and worked on by a group of volunteers keen to protect kauri,” says council biosecurity officer, Kim Parker. “Some kauri in our region are being affected by the killer kauri dieback disease, and the best way to protect our special taonga tree is to make sure soil movement is limited. Using planks to keep people off the soil near the trees and their roots is a great tool to help protect kauri. “The group needs extra bodies to help transport planks up to the construction site. So this sweaty work is a good chance to help out and get fitter at the same time.” The council is supporting the upgrading of the track. Those wanting to help can email julane.sutton@gmail.com. Your Waikato
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Local students have the chance to secure one of two prestigious Waikato Regional Council tertiary studies scholarships this year, but must get their applications in by December.
The Roger Harris Scholarship for 2017 is available to those intending to study or already studying civil engineering or resource management, with a particular focus on river and catchment management. The scholarship worth up to $6000 is dedicated to helping students whose families live in the council’s Waihou-Piako rating zone, generally within Thames, Ngātea, Paeroa, Waihi, Te Aroha, Morrinsville, Matamata, Tirau or part of Putaruru. The most recent winner was Eleanor van Bysterveldt, who completed her secondary education at Hauraki Plains College and went on to Auckland University studying towards a Bachelor of Civil Engineering. The scholarship honours Roger Harris, chief engineer of the then Hauraki Catchment Board from 1959-1983, for his contribution to the development and implementation of the Waihou Valley flood protection scheme. The scheme means 50,000 hectares of land can be farmed safely. Applications close on 9 December 2016.
The Dr Stella Frances Scholarship is jointly sponsored by the Department of Conservation and Waikato Regional Council. It’s for students in the final year of a master’s degree at the University of Waikato. Worth $5000 per year the scholarship is available to students studying environmental issues in the Waikato region and is intended to help cover research expenses. This year's winner was Taupō-based Thea De Petris who studied a school environmental education programme pioneered in the South Island and now undertaken in Taupō. The scholarship was created as a tribute to Dr Stella Frances who was one of the country’s leading conservationists as well as a mother, scientist and politician. Dr Frances became the first woman conservator in the Department of Conservation and was a former Waikato regional councillor. Dr Frances died in 2003 aged 55. Applications close on 16 December 2016. waikatoregion.govt.nz/funding
Protecting our water Tiakina ō tātou wai CLEANING UP THE WAIKATO AND WAIPĀ RIVERS
IS A PRIORITY
The Waikato community has consistently identified water quality as the top issue for the Waikato region for the past two decades. Healthy Rivers Plan Change 1 is a courageous response to addressing the complex problem of water quality facing our Waikato and Waipā rivers. Key areas the plan change is focused on •
Getting more stock out of waterways.
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Restrictions for land use intensification for the first decade.
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Nitrogen discharge benchmarking requiring the highest emitters to reduce their discharges to the 75th percentile.
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Requirements for greater planning of land use activities through Farm Environment Plans.
•
Targeting catchments for special attention based on the current level of contaminants and the level we need to achieve over the next 10 years.
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Additional requirements for forestry harvesting.
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Management of direct discharges to the rivers.
Where to from here Healthy Rivers Plan Change 1 has been developed using an innovative collaborative process. Those who are most affected by the changes have been at the table developing the policy. Right from the start, community and stakeholder feedback has helped the Collaborative Stakeholder Group (CSG) develop their recommendations.
The submission process is another opportunity for you to have your say.
CSG delivers its recommendation to Healthy Rivers Wai Ora Committee
Healthy Rivers Wai Ora Committee considers the recommendations
One of the proposed rules relates to a need for farm plans on specified properties. That means farmers would need to identify hot spots for contaminant discharge from their farms and to look at ways to mitigate these losses. In some cases this could involve creation of wetlands, riparian retirement, land use change or retiring land from grazing.
You won’t be on your own
AGREE
SEP 2016
Healthy Rivers Wai Ora Committee delivers recommendations to Waikato Regional Council
Waikato Regional Council considers recommendation
AGREE
We’re already working with farmers and landowners to manage the impacts of their activities on water quality through the Waipā Catchment Plan, as well as ongoing programmes of erosion protection, fencing and planting, and lake and wetland protection. This work will continue. Help to understand the rules and what they mean on your farm will be available from our Land Management Advisory Services team and land management officers. And it’s not just our council you’ll be able to call on. Support will also be available from industry sectors.
Waikato Regional Council makes decision to notify proposed plan change
SEP 2016
Proposed plan change notified for public submissions
OCT 2016
Submissions close
MARCH 2017
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We want to keep you informed about the Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora plan change process, how you can find out more and have your say. Sign up to receive the Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora newsletter at www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/healthyrivers and go in the draw to WIN AN IPAD.
FOR NEWS
READ MORE ONLINE: WAIKATOREGION.GOVT.NZ/HEALTHYRIVERS
EMAIL US: HEALTHYRIVERS@WAIKATOREGION.GOVT.NZ
TALK TO ONE OF THE TEAM: 0800 800 401 Your Waikato
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You betcha we’re kiwi! Āe mārika, he kiwi mātou! The Ōtorohanga Kiwi House & Native Bird Park is due to receive a $75,000 boost from our natural heritage fund. The money will go towards construction and labour costs for a predator-proof fence around the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House site. The Ōtorohanga park comprises a conservation project, an education centre and a tourist destination. The facility is planning an urban ecological island at the site involving constructing a 513 metre predator proof fence to enclose the park and keep out rodents, mustelids (ferrets, stoats and weasels), possums, rabbits, cats and dogs. The fence will replace an existing 40-year-old barrier at the site and allow the park to display more free-ranging native animal species and better protect some threatened plant species.
The park is owned and operated by the Ōtorohanga Zoological Society Inc – a non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation of New Zealand’s native wildlife through education, display and breeding programmes. The park has hatched more than 150 chicks since 1971 and attracts 40,000 visitors a year. We feel this project is worthy of council support given its contribution to positive environmental outcomes, tourism and employment in the region. This funding will help it continue to flourish. The council’s natural heritage fund was established to protect and manage our region’s special places of ecological significance. The Ōtorohanga park contribution is subject to development of a funding deed to be approved by the council.
Spread the word, not the weed Horahia te kupu, kaua te taru Machine hygiene is your best defence against velvetleaf and other damaging weeds and is especially important during the spring planting season. Velvetleaf is an aggressive cropping weed – one of the world’s worst – and it’s one you don’t want on your farm. It damages crops by competing with them for nutrients and water. And its seeds can persist on farms for decades, surviving digestion and silage processes. Unfortunately, velvetleaf has this year been confirmed on 29 Waikato farms, which our council’s biosecurity officers will be revisiting over the three months up to Christmas. A further 70 at risk farms across the region will be surveyed early next year for signs of this pest. However, it’s possible more farms might be infested with velvetleaf and pest plant team leader Darion Embling is urging landowners and farm managers to be extra vigilant during the planting season. “We’ve been able to link infestations to imported fodder beet seeds, infested maize crops and maize silage, and unclean machinery,” says Mr Embling. “With planting getting underway, it’s especially important machinery is cleaned – it stops the spread of velvetleaf and other nasties too,” he says. “We’re continuing to work with landowners, industry, stakeholders and the Ministry for Primary Industries, but it’s going to take a long term commitment to contain and eradicate velvetleaf from our region.” waikatoregion.govt.nz/velvetleaf
How to protect your farm
• Insist all contractors practise good weed hygiene, cleaning their equipment before entering the farm. If you have velvetleaf on your farm, our pest plant officers will work with you on a plan to contain its spread. • Ensure supplementary feed brought onto the farm is weed free. • Ensure manures, aggregates, soil and sand brought onto the farm are weed free. • Check feed crops before purchase to ensure they’re weed free. • Stand stock off prior to moving them off your property.
Your Waikato
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Yellow flowers.
0800 BIOSEC (0800 246 732)
Velvetleaf is in the Waikato. Here’s how to spot it.
Up to 2.5 metres tall.
Report sightings to
Distinctive seedpods.
Large, heart-shaped leaves.
Protecting the sea you love Te tiaki i te moana e arohatia nei e koe An unsightly and invasive marine pest is making its way down the North Island and we’re calling on the sea-loving public to help stop its spread. Eudistoma elongatum forms large colonies and is a significant nuisance to marine farming. While it can spread naturally through the release of larvae that are carried in water currents, in New Zealand it is more commonly and easily spread by boats and marine equipment. Eudistoma is an Australian species of sea squirt and has been found along the east coast of Northland, and investigations are underway into possible sightings of it in Auckland too.
“The job of protecting our marine environment is up to everyone – and it’s for everyone,” says biosecurity officer, Thomas Malcolm. “Recreational and commercial boaties can do their part by cleaning their hull, and seaside visitors can help too by reporting sightings of this marine organism.” This type of sea squirt is generally found in muddy bottomed tidal areas and on man-made structures such as wharf piles and aquaculture equipment. It is generally submerged just below the waterline, but can often be seen at low tide (as pictured). Mr Malcolm recommends antifouling boats permanently in the water at least once every six months, and cleaning them within the last month prior to heading to a new location.
What does it look like? Eudistoma elongatum looks like clusters of white or cream coloured tubes or sausages. They can sometimes appear orange-flecked due to the colour of the larvae within. The long cylindrical heads grow to 30cm, but may get up to 1.5m long in some instances. They are 5-20mm in diameter.
If you see i
t
Note its loca tion. Grab a sam ple if you ca n. Phone 0800 80 99 66.
Sometimes the cylinders form small, wart-like side branches.
Coastal water quality monitoring extended Kua whakawhānuitia ngā mahi aroturuki i te kounga o te waitai Water samples will be collected from the region’s open coast beaches this summer as part of a refreshed water quality monitoring programme. Such monitoring by Waikato Regional Council was discontinued in 2009, but with additional funding provided through the 2015-2025 Long Term Plan we decided to reinvest in a coastal recreational water quality monitoring programme. “The new work programme is being designed so it can be sustained over a number of years to help us build a clearer picture of recreational water quality at popular coastal swimming sites,” says coastal scientist Pete Wilson.
“While we’re still firming up the exact locations for the sampling programme, we are looking at beaches on the region’s east and west coasts which are used for recreation and patrolled by surf life savers,” he says. Samples will be collected weekly from November through to March to assess faecal bacteria. “It takes around a week for the samples to be analysed and we intend to publish these online. “If any potential issues are identified, we will work with local councils and the district health board to provide the public with good information,” he says.
2015 water testing results
Ngā kitenga o ngā whakamātautau wai i te tau 2015 Results have just been released from a snapshot of coastal river and stream mouth water quality at 18 sites on the Coromandel Peninsula during January and February last year. These locations were chosen based on their popularity for recreation and whether community members had previously raised any concerns. Last year’s survey was aimed at assessing the ecological health and suitability of the sites for contact recreation over a two month period to obtain a snapshot of conditions during this time. The snapshot looked at measures such as nutrient loads, dissolved oxygen and turbidity as indicators of ecological
health, as well as the presence of enterococci bacteria, that are indicators of pathogens which potentially affect human health if present in sufficient quantities. Results were compared to relevant guidelines for ecological health and contact recreation. The results were very mixed. Some sites were within guidelines for various measures in all samples, while others exceeded some guidelines all of the time. “The results for January-February last year are not necessarily indicative of what they would be if the survey was repeated now, but they do point to where further investigation may be necessary,” says coastal science team leader Dr Hilke Giles.
REPORT AVAILABLE NOW
“We are in the process of discussing the results and their implications with the Waikato DHB and Thames-Coromandel District Council. While we don’t have any major concerns as a council at this stage, we are working with the DHB and TCDC to ensure communities are receiving relevant information and advice,” said Dr Giles. She said the regional council will be going back to some of the previously surveyed coastal sites this coming summer to do more targeted follow-up surveys. waikatoregion.govt.nz/tr201607
Your Waikato
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The 2015/16 year in review KO TE TIROHANGA WHAKAMURI I NGĀ TAU 2015/16 Waikato Regional Council’s 2015/16 Annual Report was due to be adopted as this edition of Your Waikato went to press. You can read the report and summary online. At Waikato Regional Council we care for our region and its people. It’s where we live, work, study and play, and it’s also important to New Zealand. Over this past financial year our work has had a continued focus on making the mighty Waikato the best it can be: a healthy and sustainable environment, an economy that punches above its weight and communities that are as resilient as they are vibrant. You’ll see reflected through our many achievements over 2015/16 that there’s been a real focus on working with our communities, key stakeholders and iwi Māori. This way of working is at the heart of how we do things, and we have been widely recognised as leaders in collaborative processes. But we don’t do it for the accolades. We do it because we know it’s only through the partnerships we have with others that we can forge an exciting future for the Waikato. It’s also through working with partner agencies that we’ve been able to plan for the future needs of our region, to ensure the potential of our prime location and the quality of the Waikato’s business, people and natural assets are realised. Our council looks forward to working with you over the next year and beyond as we build a future for the Waikato that can be enjoyed for generations to come.
waikatoregion.govt.nz/annual-report
FLOOD PROTECTION AND CONTROL WORKS
A
snapshot
OF WHAT WE DID
ENVIROSCHOOLS In November 2015, over 200 children from 13 schools from Taupō to the Coromandel presented interactive workshops on a diverse range of topics – from aquaponics feeding growing populations with minimal environmental pollution to the importance of bees for food security.
RUBEN THE ROAD SAFETY BEAR A new Ruben the Road Safety Bear activity book for children has been published and the new website – www.ruben.govt.nz – has been made live. Two of Ruben's storybooks have been produced as smartphone applications, in both English and te reo Māori.
CIVIL DEFENCE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT A social media campaign undertaken to increase engagement with 18-35 year olds around community resilience was a finalist in the social media category of the Local Government New Zealand Awards.
WAIKATO REGIONAL COUNCIL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT A coastal inundation tool, displaying the impact of various future sea level rise projections on low lying areas, has been launched and is attracting national interest. The marine oil spill response team successfully dealt with a number of incidents on the Coromandel Peninsula – the most serious in May 2016 when a large fishing vessel ran aground on Red Mercury Island with 9000 litres of fuel on board. The vessel was successfully re-floated on high tide.
Your Waikato
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The physical works programmes and design reviews in this last year have resulted in the upgrade of 6.2km of stopbanks, with 91.8 per cent now above flood design levels.
BIODIVERSITY The Natural Heritage Partnership Programme provided $1 million from three funds to 61 community environmental projects in 2015/16.
BIOSECURITY The number of properties infested with velvetleaf tripled to almost 30 this year. Over 100 farms were inspected. Biosecurity plans were developed by the council with landowners with velvetleaf infestations.
ENVIRONMENTAL FARMING SYSTEMS A series of effluent management workshops were held, providing farmers with expert advice on how to develop effluent improvement plans to meet their obligations under the Waikato Regional Plan.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT More than 16,000 passengers were carried on BUSIT’s free park and ride service to the Balloons over Waikato Night Glow, a 27 per cent increase on 2015. High numbers of people were also carried on our buses to Fieldays and rugby matches at Waikato Stadium, with patronage increasing for these events this year.
CONSENT PROCESSING AND COMPLIANCE A total of 1961 resource consents were processed to completion this year.
INVESTIGATIONS AND INCIDENT RESPONSE We responded to 1375 public calls about potential breaches of environmental regulation, with 228 formal enforcement actions taken for breaches of the Resource Management Act.
MARITIME SERVICES A total of 31 infringements, 1 formal warning and 2 formal warnings were issued for breaches of section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act dangerous use of a vessel. There were formal investigations into a vessel going onto the rocks at Whale Bay and a vessel capsizing on both the Raglan Bar and the Tairua Harbour. One formal warning was given.
YOU HAVE THE POWER. KEI A KOE TE MANA. USE IT. VOTE IN THE 2016 LOCAL ELECTIONS. Time is running out to vote for the best people to lead our region’s communities over the next three years.
But because the number of candidates did not exceed the number of vacancies in the Waihou and Waipa-King Country general constituencies, existing councillors in those areas have been elected unopposed. Voting is still taking place in the Hamilton, Taupō, ThamesCoromandel and Waikato general constituencies, and in the Ngā Tai ki Uta and Ngā Hau e Whā Māori constituencies. Our councillors have real influence over the key issues affecting Waikato communities. Before ticking the box, learn more about the candidates standing in your constituency.
By now, everyone correctly enrolled in August will have received their voting papers in the mail. Our council’s candidate names will be randomly ordered for each voting document. Voting closes at 12 noon on Saturday 8 October. Nominations have been received from 28 people for Waikato Regional Council seats in six general and two Māori constituencies in this year’s local body elections.
waikatoregion.govt.nz/elections
General constituencies
Māori constituencies
Coromandel
Coromandel
ThamesCoromandel Pop: 32,200 Seats: 1
Waikato Pop: 56,800 Seats: 2
Thames
Ngā Hau e Whā Pop: 36,100 Seats: 1
Thames Whangamata
Whangamata Port Waikato
Paeroa
Port Waikato
Paeroa
Huntly Huntly
Morrinsville Morrinsville
Raglan
Hamilton Pop: 133,400 Seats: 4
Hamilton Matamata
Waihou Pop: 57,800 Seats: 2
Hamilton Matamata
Raglan
Cambridge Te Awamutu
Cambridge
Ngā Tai ki Uta Pop: 31,300 Seats: 1
Te Awamutu Otorohanga
Otorohanga
Tokoroa
Tokoroa
Te Kuiti Te Kuiti
Taupō Taupō
Mokau
Mokau
Waipa - King Country Pop: 59,900 Seats: 2 Taupō - Rotorua Pop: 31,500 Seats: 1
• 6 general constituencies • 2 Māori constituencies • 28 candidate nominations received • 4 people elected unopposed in 2 constituencies
Election Day • 8 October 2016 • Closes at 12 noon Your Waikato
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Feathered friends fly in for open day
He hoa whai parirau i rere mai mō te rā tuwhera Residents, Waikato Regional Council staff and visitors were delighted when dotterel and pied stilt flew in to be part of the official open day of the Graham’s Creek flood mitigation works near Tairua. “Both bird species are vulnerable in this country so it was a delight to see them in the area,” says Emily O’Donnell, who project managed the flood protection work carried out at Graham’s Creek. Around 50 people attended the open day last month and took the opportunity to take a closer look at the construction areas. There was the chance to chat to the council staff and community representatives involved, and take part in a memorial planting of large pōhutukawa. “The windy conditions didn’t seem to deter birds or humans,” says Ms O’Donnell. Installation of an innovative automated floodgate in early August capped off the flood mitigation works reducing the flood risk for Graham’s Creek residents. From now on if water levels during a flood event build in the stream a float mechanism closes the floodgate automatically in order to divert maximum water flow across the designated spillway. Other flood mitigation work completed these past two years include saltmarsh translocation, construction of a new stopbank with a culvert, and the re-contouring of adjacent farmland to form a floodway. The stopbank on Manaia Road was also raised.
A few of the open day attendees checking out the new floodgate. The scheme already proved its worth when heavy rain struck in late April. That event would’ve normally seen many properties along Ocean Beach Road affected by flood water but there was no damage, despite the scheme still being under construction at the time.
Prep, Check, Know
Me whakarite, Me titiro, Me mōhio Safer Boating Week, 14-21 October Look out for our Maritime Services team on the water this October as we focus boaties’ attention on key safety messages ahead of the traditional start of the recreational boating season at Labour Day weekend. We’ll be reminding everyone using recreational boats to Prep, Check, and Know during Safer Boating Week, 14-21 October 2016.
six metres long. Statistically it’s you guys who are most at risk of boating accidents, and particularly at risk of fatal boating accidents.
• Prep your boat. • Check your gear. • Know the rules before you go boating.
Another focus will be sharing the messages with younger people aged 15 to 30 using kayaks, paddle craft, waka ama and stand up paddle boards. There are big increases in use of these craft, and it’s starting to show in accident statistics.
This theme is an umbrella covering all the week’s activity across New Zealand. Our primary audience will be men aged 30 to 60, who use recreational boats up to
We are also looking at how we reach boaties’ families and friends. We know they can have a big influence on encouraging and supporting the men in our target audience to do the right thing. Every bloke in that 30-60 year group is also a son, father, husband, brother, friend or a workmate.
saferboating.org.nz
This document is printed on an environmentally responsible paper produced using third party certified elemental chlorine free pulp sourced from wellmanaged and legally harvested forests and is manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental System.
Your Waikato
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Finishing touches in the form of extensive restoration planting were carried out with the help of the public and Tairua School students. More than 13,000 eco-sourced native plants were dug in to help improve water quality and provide habitat for wetland birds.
The success of the flood mitigation project is a tribute to the excellent co-operation between the local community, the Graham’s Creek Working Party which included six community representatives, the regional council, and Thames-Coromandel District Council.