Hamiltonians now have until Friday 28 August to share their wish for nature in Hamilton, with their comments helping Hamilton City Council develop the Nature in the City Strategy.

The new strategy will help the Council to make decisions about where the city’s investment in nature should be.

Cr Sarah Thomson, Deputy Chair of the Council’s Environment Committee, says our river, gullies and wetlands provide a unique opportunity for people to connect with nature and it is important we invest in restoring them.

“Our gullies are the city’s green lungs and they also support the health and wellbeing of the Waikato River. Clean water and a healthy environment are vital for Hamilton’s economy and appeal as a place to live, work, visit and play.”

Cr Thomson says Hamilton currently has only 2% native vegetation cover. For nature to thrive and be sustainable over time, at least 10% cover is needed. Vegetation cover creates habitat (food, water, cover and space) for insects, fish and birds to survive.

“We’ve got a big task ahead of us, but the opportunity to work with the community to achieve this target is really exciting.”

There’s great work already being done by mana whenua, landowners, community groups, businesses and schools, and Cr Thomson says she hopes more people will be inspired to grow more nature in the city.

People can add their wishes for nature in the city to the Council’s online ideas wall at hamilton.govt.nz/natureinthecity or by filling in a form from libraries or the Council’s central city offices.

The deadline, which was originally scheduled for Sunday 23 August, has been extended due to Alert Level 2 restrictions stopping some community engagement opportunities from taking place.

Share your voice at hamilton.govt.nz/natureinthecity

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