Councillor's Comment: Healthy river catchments ensure a better future for everyone

Healthy rivers and careful land management in river catchments are important for biodiversity, flood mitigation, recreation, and tackling climate change.

Ongoing flood events throughout the motu mean that rivers and land use are firmly in the spotlight. In my role as Nelson North Liaison Councillor, I know that many people in rural Nelson are concerned about the links between flooding, land use, and climate change.

In this context, it’s great news that Nelson City Council has been awarded a grant of up to $900,000 from the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) for two Catchment Advisers to work with iwi and catchment groups in the region including the Wakapuaka and Whangamoa catchment areas in Nelson North to improve waterway health.

The Integrated Catchment team’s work programme will support community development, implement flood recovery projects, enhance biodiversity and river health, which will help improve the areas’ resilience to future weather events. This work will complement the existing Project Mahitahi, which aims to restore the native forest ecosystems of the Maitai Mahitahi Valley.

To achieve these aims, Council will work with the community and landowners on catchment management plans, bolstering riparian planting and fencing, reducing the discharge of E. coli and nutrients such as nitrates into the water, and preventing erosion and sediment discharge.

This work is part of the government’s 2020 Essential Freshwater reforms, which aims to prevent further degradation of Aotearoa New Zealand’s freshwater by making immediate changes so water quality improves within five years; and reversing past damage to bring waterways and ecosystems to a healthy state within a generation.

On a related note, Council has established the ‘Right Tree, Right Place’ taskforce to make recommendations to Council on the most appropriate land use for the 650ha of Council reserve land that is currently used for clear-fell pine forestry. All options are on the table, and a decision on the future use of this land is due later in the year, so watch this space.

Finally, please get in touch with feedback or ideas on the issues covered in this comment. My email is aaron.stallard@ncc.govt.nz. Working together is key to making positive changes for our environment.