26 January 2016

Focus on Waimangarara River restoration at Kaikōura Water Management Zone Committee meeting

The Kaikōura Water Management Zone Committee will consider providing Immediate Steps funding to help restoration work at Waimangarara River at its first meeting of the year this Wednesday (27 January).

Each of Canterbury’s ten zone committees receives $500,000 over five years to support on-the-ground work to protect and restore freshwater biodiversity values.

Since 2011, the committee has committed $383,420 to help fund 16 projects in the Clarence/Waiau Toa River, the Lyell/Waikōau Creek and Lake Rotorua areas. The remaining $116,580 is to be allocated by June 2016.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the committee will discuss possible restoration options in the Waimangarara River draft restoration plan, and whether Immediate Steps support may be possible.

The committee will also be briefed on how proposed changes to region-wide nutrient management policies and rules to the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) will affect the Kaikōura zone. The proposed new rules include: requiring farming activities which need a resource consent to comply with good management practice loss rates and implement Farm Environment Plans (FEPs); target management of phosphorous; and requiring farming activities to register with the Farm Portal.

The committee will also have a short planning session to set its priories for the next three months and it will welcome new member Nicky McArthur who was appointed late last year, as part of the process to ensure new perspectives are reflected.

Nicky McArthur is the owner of Puhi Peaks Station in the Seaward Kaikōura Range and Managing Director of tourism company Kaikōura Wilderness Experience Ltd which incorporates farm, tourism, hunting ventures and Shearwater Lodge.

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