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The benefits from the type of work included in the Waipa Management Zone (river management, flood protection and soil conservation and catchment oversight) are discussed above in sections 4 to 9.

Benefits from river management and flood protection are likely to include the reclaiming of land outside the stabilised channel to pasture over time, reducing current grazing losses to erosion and reduced siltation of pasture. River shingle is likely to be available for extraction at some sites. Indirect benefits include better water quality long term, better certainty of access and increased fish life in the river.

A range of benefits result from soil conservation work. These include reduced erosion losses of productive land, farm management benefits (stock shelter and shade, paddock subdivision), reduction in stock losses, production forestry returns and protection of farm infrastructure (farm access and stock water supply). Landowners primarily benefit. Other benefits include water quality protection, aesthetic enhancement and resource protection. These benefit a number of people, including the local and wider communities.

Certain activities have contributed to the need for the work. The effects of those activities include accelerated sediment and nutrient inputs into streams and rivers. These have resulted from the development and use of land for pastoral farming purposes.

By law, those effects that have contributed to the need for the scheme must also be considered in apportioning costs. These include the effects of land development, land use and road and other asset construction.

Flood protection works provide protection for Otorohanga.

When developing its Funding Policy for work of this nature, Council engages independent technical experts to advise on the identification of beneficiaries and contributors for each activity, along with the extent of benefit and contribution. These experts base their analysis on the principles outlined in sections 4 and 5. Where Council has previously developed and consulted on existing funding policies, that previous work is taken into account when considering future funding policies. The beneficiaries and contributors, and extent of benefit and contribution are as set out in section 16.