The Government has today announced that the Kaipara Harbour catchment will be the first focus for the Government’s $12 million clean-waterways fund. This is the most recent step in the Government’s plan to clean up our rivers and lakes by supporting community-led programmes, which delivers on the Wellbeing Budget’s investment.
“Every New Zealander should be able to swim in their river without getting sick,” Jacinda Ardern said, “Sadly, half of our monitored swimming sites are not safe for swimming”.
Kaipara is a large and biologically significant harbour. It is New Zealand’s largest estuarine ecosystem and is the receiving environment of a 640,000ha catchment with many inflowing rivers encompassing a large proportion of the northern peninsula of the North Island. It extends across the Auckland and Northland regions.
“Volunteers, iwi, local government, farmers and school students are all working together to improve the quality of the water flowing into the Kaipara harbour,” Environment Minister David Parker said.
This announcement is positive news that will assist the mahi already undertaken by the WaiRestoration project in Northland.
Supported by Enviroschools, WaiRestoration is a facilitated project that focuses on taking action to restore local waterways and biodiversity. It is a collaborative approach involving whole communities, evolving in response to issues of water health and management, and a desire to engage a range of people.
Strong partnerships between Enviroschools, farmers and landowners are developed, and collaboration with key organisations supports learning and actions on the land / whenua.
Banner photo: (NZ Herald) Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Environment Minister David Parker, centre, flanked by Dover Samuels and Labour MP Willow Jean Prime.