A newsletter from the
The project to help protect the lake and
create an education and research centre is
being undertaken by the National Wetland
Trust of New Zealand. The project is one of
the larger endeavors to be funded by the
Waikato River Authority with $600,000 of
funds allocated.
The National Wetland Trust has been
putting in place 1.4 kilometres of predator
proof fence to help protect and enhance
the native bird population. In the longer
term the Trust aims to build a visitor and
education centre on the site. Designs for
the building are being developed currently
but the construction will be dependent on
further funding.
The Trust says its first priority is site
restoration.
Lake Rotopiko
a showcase and sanctuary
in the making
J U LY 2 0 1 3
Chairman of the Trust, Waipa’s Tony
Roxburgh, says there have been 34 species
of native birds identified living in the
environs of the lake with 10 of these being
threatened species.
“The only true wetland species of bird
currently missing from the lake is the
Brown Teal, and our aim is to reintroduce
a breeding population of these birds. It is
highly likely these birds would be ‘free-
flying’ moving in and out of the protected
area to feed,” says Mr Roxburgh.
As well as important bird species the
Wetland Trust is wanting to widely re-
establish the native giant cane rush,
Sporadanthus ferrugineaus
, which is an
important peat building plant. The rush is
also home to a rare native caterpillar larvae
that lives inside its stems.
The Waikato River
Authority will be open
for applications from
1 July to 23 of August
for its third round
of funding for river
clean-up projects.
Up to $7 million is
available for distribution.
The annual application process
has been brought forward and an
additional million dollars added
to this year’s funding round
in an effort to get increased
momentum in cleaning up the
Waikato River.
Waikato River Authority co-chairs
Tukoroirangi Morgan and Hon
John Luxton say while the two
previous funding rounds have
been successful; the task ahead
for the Authority, and the wider
community, in protecting and
restoring the river is considerable
and there is a need to push even
harder to see more clean-up
action.
“At our funding round in 2012 not
all available funds were awarded.
We have funded some high quality
projects and we are keen to send a
message that we do have funding
available for more projects that
meet the required standards and
outcomes,” says Mr Luxton.
The Authority would also like to
see more funding applications
from community groups.
Continued over…
One of the country’s most important peat lakes, Lake
Rotopiko in Waipa is on the way to becoming a major
educational showcase and native bird sanctuary.
Applications
open for third
funding round
Chairman of the National Wetland Trust of New Zealand, Tony Roxburgh, with the important
wetland plant Sporadanthus ferrugineaus.
