Taranaki Regional Council media release
14 April 2009
For immediate release

Taranaki On Steady Path To Sustainability – Report

Taranaki is on a sure and steady path to a more sustainable future, according to a major new report assessing the state of the region’s environment.

Taranaki: Where We Stand, the Taranaki Regional Council’s third five-yearly State of the Environment Report, was launched today (14 April 2009) by the Environment Minister, Nick Smith. As well as the full 280-page version, a 20-page summary booklet has also been published.

The Council Chairman, David MacLeod, says the report contains much good news for the people of the region. While it highlights some areas where more work is needed, it also reveals solid progress on many fronts.

“This progress can be a source of pride for the whole community,” says Mr MacLeod. “For it reflects not just the Council’s efforts, but those of a wide range of organisations, businesses, agencies, community groups and individuals making their contributions to ensure a more sustainable future.”

The report’s findings include:

• Water quality in Taranaki is generally good. The health of rivers and streams does decrease down catchments, as would be expected in an intensively farmed region. But significantly, over time, it is either not changing or has measurably improved. This is despite agricultural expansion and intensification.

• Positive movements towards sustainability continue in erosion-prone inland hill country.

• Improvements in air emissions from major industries have continued over the past five years and Taranaki enjoys excellent air quality.

• Similarly, coastal water quality is excellent.

• Much good work is being undertaken by many people throughout the region to combat pressures on indigenous biodiversity from land development and invasive pest plants and animals.

• Challenges for the future include reducing the impact of land use on water quality. The Council and the community already have in place programmes with this aim, notably one focused on riparian management on the ring plain.

The Council’s previous five-yearly reports were published in 1996 and 2003. Mr MacLeod says the picture is more complete this time because much of the 2009 report’s information is based on comprehensive monitoring programmes established by the Council in the mid-1990s. “They’ve now been running long enough to enable statistical testing of trends,” he says.

Collating and analysing data for the report has been a major task and Mr MacLeod says it demonstrates the considerable scientific depth and expertise behind the Council’s environmental management work in Taranaki.

Mr MacLeod says that as well as fulfilling the Council’s formal reporting duties under the Resource Management Act, the publication is a valuable marker post for the entire region.

“The environment is of increasing concern to every sector of the community, and efforts to protect and enhance it must be based on solid scientific facts and measurements. This report provides those and will help all of us to make better decisions about where to focus our efforts in the future.”

The Council’s Chief Executive, Basil Chamberlain, says the progress noted in the report has not been mere good fortune or by accident.

He says “serious money” has gone into environmental management, with spending over the past five years conservatively estimated at $216.7 million – almost two and a half times the total in the previous five years.

“Local actions by the community, both proactive and reactive, are perhaps the single most important change towards sustainable development in Taranaki,” says Mr Chamberlain.

“These are illustrated in this report through dozens of stories highlighting individuals doing their bit for the environment. We know they’re just the tip of the iceberg.”

The report is available from the Taranaki Regional Council by phoning 0800 735 222 or emailing info@trc.govt.nz. It can also be inspected at public libraries in the region, and online at www.trc.govt.nz.

ENDS

© Scoop Media