Western Bay environment group wins $250K
A Western Bay environmental group has won its bid for funding from Government to help improve water quality in the Katikati Hills to Ocean catchment.
The Uretara Estuary Managers (UEM) group, supported by Western Bay of Plenty District Council, will receive $250,000 over five years from the Ministry for the Environment to continue its work enhancing the rivers and streams in the Katikati catchment from the Kaimai Range to the Tauranga harbour.
The group is assisted by Wild About NZ, which is owned by Andrew Jenks who holds a contract with Council to deliver ecological services and education programmes.
Andrew says gaining the funding is fantastic news and builds on the ability of the group to extend the work it has been achieving for 12 years in the wider Katikati catchment.
The volunteer group has focused on improving stream and river water quality through riparian fencing, stream bank planting and wetland protection plus monitoring aquatic diversity in Western Bay waterways.
The $250,000 is part of a $500,000 grant to UEM this year for its work across five catchments in the Kaimai Hills to the Ocean' project - Tahawai, McKinney, Uretara, Te Rereatukahia and Te Mania. The balance of the $500,000 is from the Western Bay of Plenty District Council ($50,000) and Bay of Plenty Regional Council ($200,000).
Urban development, intensification of land use and changing farming practices have caused accelerated stream bank erosion, sedimentation and stream pollution throughout the five catchments.
Landowner involvement is critical UEM's work due to the catchment waterways flowing through private land.
UEM chairman Lawrie Donald says the funding is an outstanding result and he is immensely proud of the group's dedication.
This level of funding is very unusual for community groups and will enable us to accelerate the catchment work we have been undertaking for many years to come.''
Western Bay Council's community relationships adviser Glenn Ayo says the success of UEM is evidence that the combination of selfless volunteer effort and Andrew's guidance is producing quality results.
The Estuary Managers' funding is part of $44 million spread across 33 freshwater improvement projects for 100 rivers and lakes throughout New Zealand.
The Bay of Plenty region received $8.25 million distributed between the UEM ($250K); Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Rangitaiki River wetland restoration project ($1.5m) and Rotorua Lakes Council Lake Tarawera sewerage reticulation ($6.5m).
