West Coast Zone catchment management plans

Catchment management plans reflect a collective vision for our natural environment, and identify actions needed to get there, building on on our growing programme of catchment management works in these areas.

For Waikato Regional Council, it’s about a mountains to the sea approach – identifying issues that relate to our land, water and communities, and developing a grassroots approach to remedy them. We recognise the need to consider social, cultural, environmental and economic outcomes. Importantly, we like the work to be owned and driven by the community, for the community.

We have already developed plans for several harbour catchments in the Coromandel Peninsula. In those catchments, willow clearance along stream banks, riparian and forest fragment protection, wetland restoration, stream and flood management and coastal vegetation control are some of the works well underway. It’s now time to look at what we can collectively do to improve the health and wellbeing of our unique and special west coast catchments.

Together, we will take a close look at how things are done on the land and look for practical ways to:

• combine local and scientific/technical knowledge and mātauranga Māori
• improve freshwater quality and support farm planning
• enhance diversity of plants and animals
• target work programmes to areas of greatest need to reduce soil erosion and sedimentation
• sustain and enhance the mauri of the catchment. We want these plans to:
• be living – not left on a shelf
• coordinate works and efforts internally and externally and make the best use of limited resources
• look for collective opportunities throughout the catchments to ensure the actions are providing the best outcome for the catchment health.

We will be talking to partners, agencies, iwi representatives, rural landowners and local communities to understand their concerns, aspirations and ideas for the harbours and their catchments. You and your community can help to determine the focus of this work, and it may include areas such as water quality, sedimentation, biodiversity, riparian vegetation, pest plants and animals, flood-prone areas and preserving local values.

If you have any questions, please telephone Catchment Planning Advisor Amy Taylor on 07 859 0792 or email amy.taylor@waikatoregion.govt.nz.