Envirocare provides quarterly updates on environmental issues, events and news about Environment Waikato. This page has the latest edition, and some earlier issues available for download.
July 2009
GO FISH! High hopes for the future of fish farming
NEW TYPES OF MARINE FARMING IN THE WAIKATO, including fish
farming, could create 400-600 new jobs and inject millions of dollars
into the regional economy – but there are environmental considerations
to weigh up too.
That’s why Environment Waikato is taking a precautionary approach to allowing
new types of marine farming in current aquaculture management areas, and we
would love to hear your views on the idea.
This month, after more than two years of research, we will release for public
consultation a draft change to our Regional Coastal Plan that would allow
fish farming to be trialled in the Firth of Thames.
Shellfish farming is currently the only type of aquaculture permitted in the Waikato
region, but kingfish, for example, could provide returns of more than $400,000
per hectare – more than 10 times higher than shellfish.
Industry groups, central government, development agencies and local
authorities are keen to see aquaculture grow and develop in the Waikato, estimating some $200 million to $300 million would be invested in the region over the next 20 years.
The Firth of Thames, however, is an area of enormous ecological value, and contains an internationally significant inter-tidal wetland. While Environment Waikato is keen to promote regional economic growth, it is also our job to safeguard this important natural resource.
Allowing fish farming on a small scale to begin with will enable us to carefully monitor any impacts on the sensitive
marine environment and determine whether the activity is viable and sustainable.
The first farms will be sited so nutrient discharges are flushed out of the Firth by currents, and no fish farming will be allowed in the southern half of the Firth to protect the inter-tidal wetland.
If you would like to give us feedback on this issue or would like to find outmore about the economic benefits and environmental impacts of marine farming, please visit www.ew.govt.nz/finfish. Alternatively, you can contact GraemeSilver on 0800 800 401, or email graeme.silver@ew.govt.nz.
Healthy environment strong economy
Environment Waikato has adopted its 10-year plan and budget, which includes striking the rates for the financial year starting 1 July
The council has focused on delivering key services including river and catchment management, pest control, water quality initiatives, and transport planning and provision. It will also invest in policy work, such as an aquaculture plan change, that could assist the region to take advantage of economic opportunities when the international financial situation starts to improve.
To fund this work, rates across the region will increase an average 4.4 per cent. The council will also collect an additional $650,000 or one per cent on behalf of the Animal Health Board (AHB). The levy will be collected only from the owners of rural properties greater than two hectares and will be passed on to the AHB to help fund the programme to eradicate bovine Tb in the region.
Chairman Peter Buckley said the council had worked hard to keep rates in line with its infl ationary costs while also responding to specific requests to provide extra user pays services such as drainage and catchment works, mangrove management in Whangamata, the AHB share and Clean Streams.
The natural heritage rate will be held at $5.60 a household and will fund the Natural Heritage Partnership Programme (NHPP), the Environmental Initiatives Fund and the Maungatautari project.
The rates individual property owners pay depend on the value of their property, whether the property has been revalued recently and the services their community receives and pays for through targeted rates.
Ratepayers are encouraged to visit www.ew.govt.nz to see the impact on their property of targeted rates, such as the AHB or river catchment and drainage rates. The following table shows a snapshot of movement in the general rates that all property owners pay (excluding targeted rates, such as Hamilton buses and catchment rates).
|
Area |
Change for $350,000 property % |
Change in $ |
|
Franklin |
3% |
$5.40 |
|
Waikato District |
8% (increase largely due to revaluation) |
$12.51 |
|
Thames-Coromandel |
4% |
$6.65 |
|
Hauraki |
3% |
$6.17 |
|
Matamata-Piako |
3% |
$5.55 |
|
Hamilton |
1% |
$1.29 |
|
Waipa |
7% (increase largely due to revaluation) |
$10.99 |
|
Otorohanga |
-2% |
-$3.77 |
|
Waitomo |
2% |
$3.08 |
|
Taupo |
-1% |
-$1.11 |
|
South Waikato |
-3% |
-$5.10 |
|
Rotorua |
-6% |
-$11.21 |
Community influences council plan
The long term plan is produced every three years to inform our communities about the activities we intend to fund and provide over the next 10 years. These activities are driven by the work we are legally required to do and what communities consider important for their wellbeing.
The council thanks residents and ratepayers who contributed positively throughout the development of the long term plan. We received 1889
submissions and heard from 150 people in person. In response to submissions, the council made a number of changes to the initial proposals and agreed to specific requests to provide extra user-pays services, such as Clean Streams, catchment and drainage work, and the AHB levy.
Investment fund
In line with Environment Waikato's regular cycle of policy development and planning, the council has reviewed its treasury and investment policy
It has decided to remove the cap on the fixed interest portion of the fund, provide for a maximum 30 per cent allocation to the equity portion of the fund, and provide for fl exibility of in-house management of the fixed interest portion of the fund. The council is currently undertaking a review of the investment advisor role,
and once completed it will review the strategic asset allocation of the fund. The policy has been amended to allow the council to borrow from its investment fund for projects, such as natural heritage purchases and river and catchment scheme capital works.
IRIS CCO
The council will set up a new council controlled organisation (CCO) with other regional councils to develop and maintain a software application suite for use by regional councils in the delivery of their activities. Environment Waikato will fund $3.09 million worth of capital expenditure over the next three years to facilitate this project.
Pay your rates by direct debit and you could be in to win $500
Direct debit is a convenient way to pay your rates.
And thanks to the National Bank, Environment Waikato ratepayers have the chance to enjoy the convenience of direct debit and go in the draw to win a $500 cash prize.
All you have to do is sign up to pay your rates by direct debit by 1 September 2009.
You can set the frequency of payment to suit your budget –weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly or annually.
There’s the added bonus of a 2.5 per cent discount if you pay your rates in full for the year by 20 September 2009.
It’s easy to sign up, just go to www.ew.govt.nz/payrates and download and print out the direct debit form. Once you have completed and signed the form, you can either:
POST TO:
The Rates Team
Environment Waikato
PO Box 4010
Hamilton East, 3247
OR DELIVER TO:
Environment Waikato
401 Grey Street
Hamilton East
If you are already paying your rates by direct debit you will automatically go in the draw.
You can also contact us at rates@ew.govt.nz or call the rates team on 0800 800 401 for a direct debit form or more information.
Clean streams
Water quality is consistently the number one environmental concern for people in the waikato region. to protect water quality, we must reduce the impacts of farming and other human activities on our rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater.
Environment Waikato’s Clean Streams project, previously funded through the council’s investment fund, helps farmers protect water quality by fencing and planting waterways.
But, with the investment fund expected to deliver reduced returns in 2009/10, the council proposed discontinuing the Clean Streams project.
With the majority of submitters opposing the proposal, the council agreed to retain the Clean Streams project, but at a reduced level and funded in a different way.
The part of the project that provides a grant to farmers for riparian planting and fencing projects will be funded through a mix of general and targeted rates, rather than investment income.
Environment Waikato’s catchment new works activity will also be brought under the umbrella of Clean Streams to provi de better integration of water quality and land protection projects. The new total Clean Streams budget, incorporating catchment new works, for 2009/10 will be $1.4 million (total expenditure), of which 35 per cent ($496,000) will be funded by rates.
Catchment management activity changes
The catchment management activity area provides flood protection, and river and catchment management
services for communities across the region.
There have been a number of changes to catchment management activities, including:
• The way in which river and catchment works and services are funded in the Waihou and Piako catchments.
For more information visit www.ew.govt.nz/ltccpwp.
• In Coromandel, an estimated $185,000 will be spent on stop banks along the Karaka Stream to help protect the town’s central business district from significant flood events.
For more information visit www.ew.govt.nz/ltccpcoromandel.
• A rating change for Waiomu has been adopted which removes properties below Waiomu Valley Rd from the stop bank rating layer. Rating for the completed Pohue Stream channel protection works will commence from 1 July 2009.
For moreinformation visit www.ew.govt.nz/ltccpcoromandel.
• The council agreed to establish a targeted rate to fund mangrove removal in Whangamata at an estimated cost of $309,000. This will be funded through a new targeted rate of up to $15 per property.
For more information visit www.ew.govt.nz/ltccpcoromandel.
Pest management
Environment Waikato’s regional pest management strategy is a core part of the council’s work to protect the environment from pest animals and plants, and to support the region’s economic productivity.
Because of the tough economic climate, in the 10-year plan the council proposed reducing the amount of spending on pest control and biodiversity enhancement programmes by approximately $1 million, compared to 2008/09. This would save households about $1.25 per $100,000 of capital value. The majority of submitters opposed the cut.
The council, on balance, considered the combined work of Environment Waikato, the Department of Conservation and the Animal Health Board was providing a reasonable level of pest control across the region.
The council has kept its spending at the reduced rate for the first three years of the plan but is signalling through this 10-year plan that it will look at increasing the area of the region under pest control in future years.
Air quality
Environment Waikato has a legal responsibility to safeguard regional air quality.
The main cause of poor air quality in our region is PM10 – fine particles that get into people’s lungs and cause serious health problems. A Government target requires communities to achieve a National Environmental Standard (NES) for PM10by 2013.
To achieve this, however, Waikato ratepayers would need to spend an estimated $6 million-$8 million to remove the main cause of PM10 in our region – smoke from home fires.
The council didn’t believe people could afford this, so in the 10-year plan, it proposed reducing the air quality budget and allowing the region more time to achieve the NES, meaning we would expect to be compliant from 2030. Meanwhile, the council would continue with ongoing work to protect air quality and community health.
The majority of people agreed with the proposal, feeling financial constraints would justify a short-term reduction in spending; however, the council also received submissions asking it to invest more in air quality initiatives.
The council took a balanced approach and added $100,000 to the proposed LTCCP budget to help with projects aimed at improving air quality to protect community health.
Natural heritage
Environment Waikato places a high priority on supporting individual and community initiatives that protect our natural heritage – our native plants and animals, special landscapes and ecosystems.
The council supports these initiatives through three separate programmes of work – the Natural Heritage Partnership Programme, the Environmental Initiatives Fund and the Maungatautari Ecological Island Project. The council initially proposedto bundle all these activities together and increase the natural heritage rate to $7.40.
Following consultation, the council has decided to hold the natural heritage rate at $5.60 a year, paid by every household in the
region.
In reducing the proposed rate of $7.40 to $5.60, the council has been able to change the way it funds purchases of natural heritage sites in the future. It will borrow from the investment fund and repay that borrowing through the natural heritage rate, rather than collecting a higher rate to build up a fund to hold in reserve for that purpose.
There will be no funding to help individual landowners protect biodiversity on their land; however, assistance is available to community groups undertaking plant and animal pest control projects on public or private land. The funding has been achieved through savings made elsewhere in pest management activities.
Animal Health Board
Bovine tuberculosis (tb), a disease that is transmitted to farmed cattle and deer by wild animals, is a major threat to our agricultural industry.
The Animal Health Board (AHB) is responsible for developing national programmes to control the possums and ferrets that spread the disease, which are known as Tb vectors.
Environment Waikato used to collect a 10 per cent share of the vector control work the AHB did in the Waikato region, but stopped doing this in 2008/09 to concentrate on regional biodiversity projects.
However, both the AHB and farming representatives asked Environment Waikato to reinstate the regional share. So, in its 10-year plan, the council proposed setting up a new targeted rate to collect the regional share on behalf of the AHB. Following consultation this was increased
from $600,000 to $650,000.
Feedback also indicated the preference for a targeted rate charged on capital value applying to rural properties 2ha and above.
Waste minimisation
The council has decided to scale back its waste minimisation activities from previous years and focus on working with territorial authorities to coordinate regional initiatives.
A key reason for this is the passing of the Waste Minimisation Act last year, which gave a much greater role and potential for funding from the new waste levy to city and district councils.
The new legislation also places a greater onus on product stewardship, meaning industries must take more responsibility for their own waste products, such as agrichemicals or waste oil.
Environment Waikato will continue to work with other councils to develop waste minimisation initiatives that benefit the entire region, help community groups and industries apply for waste levy funding for waste reduction initiatives, coordinate a business advisory service, and work with product stewardship groups like Agrecovery to develop and promote industry led waste minimisation programmes.
As a result of public submissions, the council will also provide $10,000 funding to Raglan community waste reduction initiative Xtreme Waste for one more year to help it through the transition to waste levy funding.
Waikato farmers have two great options for recycling plastic silage wrap, through schemes operated by agpac and the agrecovery foundation.
In addition, the Agrecovery Foundation is operating a recycling programme for triple-rinsed agrichemical containers, and has justlaunched a new agrichemical collection service, which will replace a similar service previously run in this region by Environment Waikato. For more information about these services, please contact:
Agpac – phone (03) 338 2400 or email recycle@agpac.co.nz
Agrecovery – freephone 0800 247 326, email wrap@agrecovery.co.nz, or visit www.agrecovery.co.nz
Did you know?
An estimated 320,000 kilometres of plasitic silage wrap is used every year in New Zealand – that’s enough to circle the earth eight times. Most of this is either burnt or buried.
Hamilton bus services
Hamilton’s bus services continue to be a major success story, with passenger numbers growingby about 24 per cent over the
2008/09 year.
The 10-year plan was an opportunity for the council to confirm Hamilton residents were happy to go ahead with a range of new routes and services that had been planned and consulted on in 2007/08. The council also wanted to signal the implementation of regular fare increases to ensure a fairer contribution from passengers using the services.
Following feedback, the council decided to proceed with the planned new routes and services, with the exception of the Rototuna
dial-a-ride service.
While opinion was divided over the proposal to increase fares, the council decided to proceed with annual increases, feeling thecost of services should be shared more fairly between ratepayers, taxpayers and bus users. The 10-year plan incorporates annual fare increases and increases to the Hamilton Passenger Transport rate.
Regional Land Transport Programme 2009-2012
A summary of the draft regional land transport programme (rltp) 2009-2012 was sent to all Waikato ratepayers and residents for their feedback in March.
The document prioritises the region’s transport projects to ensure they are carried out in a logical and agreed order, and seeks national
land transport funding from the Government. It was prepared by the Regional Transport Committee, which includes representatives from Environment Waikato, 10 territorial authorities, the New Zealand Transport Agency, members representing the five objectives of the New Zealand Transport Strategy, and a cultural representative.
Public submissions centred on four key themes: the prioritisation or addition of State Highway projects, support for or changes to Waikato
Expressway projects, the availability of public transport services, and the advancement of a Waikato to Auckland passenger rail service.
The Waikato’s strategic importance
Our region lies at the heart of an economic and population growth triangle encompassing Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. Our region’s transport infrastructure provides a vital corridor for the flow of goods and services between these areas, meaning the economic prosperity of our region – and our nation – relies on efficient, well-designed transport networks in the Waikato. In addition, an investment in Waikato transport infrastructure is an investment in reducing the serious crash rate in our region, which has recently had the country’s highest number of traffic-related fatalities.
For more information about the RLTP, please visit www.ew.govt.nz/rltp
Waikato Expressway top priority
The Waikato expressway is the number one priority in the final regional land transport programme 2009-2012, which is now operative.
The Regional Transport Committee is committed to getting the expressway finished as quickly as possible and is heartened by the Government’s firm support for the project. It will be working closely with officials to get things moving. The RLTP is also closely aligned with Government transport policy, which emphasises the importance of transport infrastructure that supports economic growth and productivity. Additionally, it has a strong commitment to improving road safety in the region and maintaining strong passenger
transport services.
The idea of a Hamilton to Auckland commuter rail service is included in the RLTP to help Hamilton City Council in pursuit of such a service.
Environment Waikato has not allocated funding to support a rail service in its 2009-19 Long Term Council Community Plan due to the amout of
subsidy required to support such an initiative. Environment Waikato’s full council endorsed and adopted the Regional Land Transport Programme on June 29.
Fertile thinking
The focus was on sustainable farming at Fieldays this year as Environment Waikato teamed up with AgResearch and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to sponsor the “My Land, Our Environment” premier feature. Pictured above are our chief executive Bob Laing (left) with MAF Director General Murray Sherwin (centre) and AgResearch chief executive Dr Andrew West at the agencies’ joint Fertile Ground stand, which showcased tools for helping farmers manage the environmental impacts of their operations.
Lake Taupo Foreshore Strategy
All Waikato ratepayers have a stake in a new funding policy Environment Waikato is drafting to determine who should pay for work to protect Lake Taupo’s foreshore from erosion damage.
Currently, activities associated with Lake Taupo foreshore erosion are funded 45 per cent by Environment Waikato and 55 per cent by Taupo District Council. About a quarter of the money Environment Waikato contributes comes from the regional (general) rate, which is collected from all households in the region.
This interim funding split was put in place until a thorough investigation into the causes and contributions to erosion problems around Lake Taupo had been carried out. With the investigation now complete, Environment Waikato is developing a new funding policy in light of the findings, which were released earlier this year in the draft Lake Taupo Erosion and Flood Strategy.
For more information about the draft Lake Taupo Erosionand Flood Strategy and the funding policy review, please visit
www.ew.govt.nz/ltccptaupo.
How your business can $ave money
Through its new Carbon $ave programme, Environment Waikato is offering medium sized Waikato businesses individually tailored programmes to help them reduce their carbon footprints at a fraction of the normal cost.
Environment Waikato sustainable business facilitator Barnaby Smith says the programme is a chance for Waikato medium sized
enterprises to save money by using resources more efficiently – a major plus in tough economic times.
“In addition, it’s an opportunity to tap into the growing market of Kiwi consumers who consciously choose environmentally friendly products and services. Research by Wellington communications firm Moxie showed this consumer segment expanded by six percent between 2005-2007 and now accounts for 32 per cent of the New Zealand population.”
The offer is only available to Waikato businesses with 10-50 employees and has been made possible thanks to a $35,000 grant from the Ministry for the Environment (MfE).
Businesses seeking selection for the programme are being invited to register for a free introductory workshop in August or September. The workshops will be held in a number of towns around the region and will focus on success stories from businesses that have already reduced their resource use. In addition, expert consultants will provide advice and information about the Carbon $ave programme.
From the workshops, Environment Waikato will select 35-40 businesses to work one-on-one with business sustainability consultants. This programme will be subsidised by MfE, and will cost businesses only $150-$400 to take part. The consultants will visit each business, analysing factors such as energy use, waste production and fl eet fuel usage, and then produce a report identifying opportunities for improvements and potential dollar savings.
The consultants will follow up with businesses later in the year to track progress and off er support and advice.
“It’s an opportunity to tap into the growing market of Kiwi consumers who consciously choose environmentally friendly products
and services.”
For more information about the programme, or to register for a workshop in your local area, please call Barnaby Smith on 0800 800 401 or visit www.sustainabiz.co.nz.
ORBITER improvements set to launch
Environment Waikato’s popular Hamilton Orbiter bus service is about to get even better, thanks to a route change that will improve access for
residents in the north-eastern suburbs including Rototuna.
From July 18, instead of turning down Glen Lynne Ave, the Orbiter bus will travel straight up Hukanui Rd to Thomas Rd and travel along Discovery Dr and River Rd. Pavlovich Coachlines will be providing Orbiter services from mid July, introducing a brand new fleet of Euro 4 buses with more environmentally friendly engines. This will include four buses with more seats to improve peak-time capacity.
Environment Waikato is also introducing new audio visual displays on Orbiter buses this month to help passengers identify where the buses will be stopping next. Along with the Orbiter changes, we are trialling large red ‘transfer’ labels on Orbiter bus stop poles to help passengers
identify places where they can easily connect with other bus services.
SUPERGOLD!
If you are 65 or over you can use your SuperGold Card to get free off -peak travel on all Environment Waikato bus services (excluding the
Te Awamutu bus). For more information phone 0800 4 BUSLINE (0800 4 287 5463).
Recycling and loving it
We’d like to give Raglan, Taupo, Otorohanga and Coromandel residents a big pat on the back for their great support of the lovenz project.
LoveNZ is a public places recycling project delivered in the Waikato region through a partnership between Environment Waikato, the Ministry for the Environment and the Waikato, Taupo, Otorohanga and Thames-Coromandel district councils.
Since last June, more than 160 public recycling bins have been installed in some of our region’s tourist hot spots – Raglan, Taupo, Otorohanga, Whangamata, Whitianga, Hahei and Hot Water Beach – helping to promote New Zealand’s clean, green image. Positioned next to regular litter bins, they let people recycle plastic, glass and aluminium cans.
More than 60 per cent of material that used to go into street litter bins is now being diverted to recycling schemes. In Taupo alone, almost 20 tonnes of recyclables have been collected since last June – great stuff when you consider that the energy saved by recycling just one aluminium can is enough to run a light bulb for 20 hours! For more information visit www.mfe.govt.nz/lovenz.
Weed invasion threatens farms
The re-discovery of an old weed in the Waikato Region has highlighted the importance of cleaning cultivation and harvesting equipment before
moving it between farms.
Noogoora bur, a weed with prickly seed pods, was recently found in the Otorohanga district and has been removed by Environment Waikato, but it could appear in other areas. It has historically been found in the Matamata to Okoroire area.
Environment Waikato biosecurity officer Wendy Mead is urging farmers to keep an eye out for the plant, which is poisonous to livestock and has seed burs that get stuck in animal hides and sheep wool, destroying the fleece because they are impossible to remove.
“Noogoora bur and other weeds such as yellow bristle grass, alligator weed and Johnson grass are transported by cultivation equipment, so it’s really important that farmers insist contractor machinery is thoroughly cleaned before entering their properties,” Ms Mead said. “Even small particles of soil stuck to the machinery can contain weed seeds and pieces of vegetation that can spread.
“If you see something that you think may be Noogoora bur on your property please don’t try and get rid of it yourself – just call 0800 BIOSEC (0800 246 732) and notify your Environment Waikato regional pest plant contractor. The service is free and you’ll ensure the weed has been controlled properly. It will also help us trace where it might have come from and where there might be new infestations.”
HELP WANTED for tui project
Ever wondered why you might see tui in Hamilton over winter, but almost never in summer?
It’s because there are no tui living in Hamilton – but in winter they fly into the city from up to 20 kilometres away to look for food. Scientists believe they are attracted to Hamilton between May and August when the city’s abundant exotic trees are producing the flowers, nectar and fruit they love to eat. In summer, however, tui tend to stick to the native bush areas outside the city where they fledged, especially because native trees are the best food sources at that time of year. Hamilton residents can help to change this by planting more native species such as kowhai, flax, wineberry, five-finger, kahikatea and rewarewa in
their gardens.
Environment Waikato is working to bring more tui to Hamilton through the Hamilton Halo project, launched in 2007. The project focuses on controlling the tui’s two main predators, ship rats and possums, in breeding areas within a 20-kilometre ring or ‘halo’ of the city. Hamilton residents can support the Halo project by being our ears and eyes around the city and letting us know if they hear or see a tui. Please register the sighting at www.ew.govt.nz/hamiltonhalo, or call biosecurity officer Ben Paris on 0800 800 401.
Rook spotters needed
Environment Waikato’s biosecurity team is asking everyone in the region to keep an eye out for rooks, which could pose a major threat to our agricultural industry.
Rooks are black birds that are bigger than magpies. Native to Great Britain and Europe, they come from the same family as crows and ravens, which are not found in New Zealand. They rip open silage covers and can ruin newly sown crops and cause extensive damage to pasture by
tearing it up in search of seeds and grubs.
They nest high in the branches of tall trees such as gums and pines and are found in both urban and rural areas.
“Rook numbers are currently low in the Waikato thanks to ongoing control and we need to keep it that way to protect our region’s farms,” Environment Waikato biosecurity officer Dave Hodges said. “If you see a rook at any time please let us know by reporting the sighting on our
website, www.ew.govt.nz/rook, or calling our biosecurity team on 0800 BIOSEC (0800 246 732).
Mr Hodges said people should not try to control rooks themselves because this would only cause them to scatter and spread further, making professional control more difficult.
More information about rooks and how to identify them is available at www.ew.govt.nz/rook.
Civil Defence officer joins regional hazards team
Ainsley Alexander’s proven ability to keep a cool head under pressure will be a major plus in his new role with Environment Waikato’s regional hazards team.
Ainsley is a former British Army warrant officer (sergeant major) who has served all over the world, including the UK, Northern Ireland, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and worked in some of the most extreme conditions imaginable. His toughest ever postings were three tours to Basra, Iraq, from 2003-2007, where he worked in peacekeeping forces tasked with protecting the local population and rebuilding war-torn infrastructure.
“It was a very hazardous and hostile environment. Sanitation and water services had broken down, there were riots in the city and local militia were a constant threat. We were attacked every time we went out the gate.” Ainsley had 180 soldiers under his direct command in Iraq, and says the skills he learnt there will certainly help in his new role as a senior emergency management officer with Environment Waikato.
“Civil Defence and hazards management is about protecting the civilian population of New Zealand and getting things back to normal as quickly as possible, and it was very similar in the military. They key is to encourage preparedness through education, training and coordination between agencies.” Ainsley is Kiwi by birth, but moved to the UK with his parents aged three, and lived mostly there and in Europe before joining the army in 1984. He retired from duty in 2007 and returned to New Zealand, taking up a role as an emergency management
officer for the Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) group as an employee of Hamilton City Council.
With the CDEM group’s emergency operating centre moving to Environment Waikato’s Hamilton headquarters in Grey Street this month following a review of Civil Defence in the region, Ainsley will retain his position with the CDEM group and also join our staff. We welcome him to the team.
For more information about the Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management Group visit www.waikatoregioncdemg.govt.nz.
Saving beaches and costs, naturally
Winter can bring severe coastal storms that attack ourregion’s beaches, eroding sand dunes and threatening beachfront houses.
But while it’s natural for people to want to protect theirhomes from coastal erosion, there are better ways to tackle the problem than dumping rocks on beaches or building concrete walls, says Environment Waikato community education facilitator Sam Stephens. “Expensive engineered solutions often just shift the problem further down the beach. They can also ruin the natural character of beaches and detract from people’s
enjoyment of them.”
Mr Stephens said Environment Waikato could help home owners find natural solutions. A great example was a recent restoration project undertaken by the Whangapoua Beachcare Group, after major storms caused the worst erosion seen at the southern end of Whangapoua beach in more than 50 years.
The storms left a 750-metre stretch of sand dunes steeply eroded, with many homes teetering perilously close to the edge of the dunes. Rather than dumping rocks on the beach, the care group consulted a local scientist and decided to reinstate the dune.
The group waited for the eroded sand to return to the beach during calmer weather and got a resource consent to move the sand back up the beach with hired machinery. It planted sand-binding plants on the dune which will trap sand and help the dune repair naturally. The whole project cost less than two per cent of the cost of building a sea wall.
For more information about beachcare, please call Sam Stephens on 0800 800 401 or visit www.ew.govt.nz/beachcare.
Did you know
Up to date information about rainfall and river levels in the Waikato region is available on Environment Waikato’s website at
www.ew.govt.nz/riversandrainfall.
Alternatively call our 0832 information lines for up to date readings on river levels, rainfall, barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction,
air temperature and river fl ow. Calls are charged at 12 cents a minute from a landline and standard cell phone rates from a mobile phone.
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