Mahurangi action plan
Action to date
To date, the primary focus has been on ‘action on the ground', particularly riparian fencing and planting. Recognising that it would be impractical to address the entire Harbour at any one time, priority areas for action have been identified by the ARC.
Two main priority areas, Ducks Creek and Dyers Creek, have been identified as representative of sub-catchments surrounding the Mahurangi Harbour - both catchments have steep topography and are intensively farmed.
Activities toward reducing sediment
- a strong research programme helped guide
See research and monitoring section - provision of approximately $1,370,000 for fencing, planting and alternative water supply activities
- funded 80 kilometres of stream and coastal edge fencing on private land,
- protected 869 hectares of land through this fencing,
- planted approximately 150,000 native seedlings
- completed 39 farm plans
Activities toward fostering community ownership
Community ownership has been fostered through a strong environmental education programme and supporting existing local initiatives:
- environmental education programme,
- Wai Care based schools programme including over 100 environmental education events/workshops/fieldtrips, shellfish monitoring days, a student led MAP presentation to the South East Asian Congress in Christchurch 2007,
- co-hosting eight tree planting days with RDC, Push Play, Mahurangi Rangers, and the Friends of the Mahurangi,
- over 9500 hours of volunteer involvement from the community,
- supporting community initiatives such as the Friends of Mahurangi (FoM) open ground native plant trials, Magic Earth Theatre Society (METS) River Magic production; Mahurangi Forum is a community led network of key groups and individuals that was catalysed through discussions on the future of MAP. Jane Gifford Restoration Trust – a 100 year old scow (the Jane Gifford) has been restored by a Warkworth based group.
Mahurangi Strategic Catchment Plan
After the first 5 years it was decided to take time to plan where to next with the Mahurangi Action Plan –what priority actions were needed to continue to protect the health of the Mahurangi Harbour and its catchment. To do this a strategic catchment plan for the Mahurangi (to be known as the Mahurangi Action Plan) is being prepared. This is being done with tangata whenua, various communities in the Mahurangi, Auckland Regional Council, and Rodney District Council. This plan is mainly being drafted through workshops with the Mahurangi forum.
Several working papers are being prepared to help inform the development of the Mahurangi Action Plan:
- Water quality and ecological values
- Land use planning and management (including forestry)
- Public access, use and cultural heritage
- Integrated catchment management
Once all the papers have been discussed we will hold a final workshop to integrate the issues; bringing together all the papers and their related discussions to finalise the Mahurangi Action Plan.
