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www.
waikatoriver
.org.nzThe Waikato River Authority has received 57
applications to fund river clean-up projects
totaling just over $14 million in its fifth funding
round with a strong showing from projects
dedicated to wetland restoration.
There is up to $6 million available for initiatives
that help restore or protect the Waikato and
Waipa rivers.
Waikato River Authority Chief Executive Bob
Penter says it is encouraging to see both the
quantity and the quality of applications. “We
are particularly heartened to see the number of
wetland restoration projects. This is one of our key
strategic priorities and so to see this alignment
Learning from
Maurea Islands
restoration
A project to begin restoration of the Maurea Islands
in the main stem of the Waikato River near Rangiriri
is nearing completion and at the same time
providing valuable information for weed control at
other planting projects.
The project was an undertaking between Waikato
Raupatu River Trust and NIWA with support from
Landcare Research, Maurea Marae, Ngaa Muka
Development Trust, DOC and the Waikato Regional
Council. The project has involved 79 people.
As well as wanting to return the islands to native
vegetation with the removal pest plants, the work
compared the use of herbicide spraying regimes
to removal of weeds manually and native plant
competitiveness.
NIWA wetland ecologist Kerry Bodmin says
the amount of extra work required in the areas
that were not sprayed was considerable. When
comparisons were made between herbicide spray
and non-spray areas it was estimated that the
additional work to manually removed pest plants
was a 34-fold increase.
This project also developed a number of useful
resources, including pest and native plant
identification guides which will be available on the
Authority website. Key learnings from working in a
river environment, whether on an island or riparian
One of the large scale pest weeds on the Maurea
Islands is tradescantia, here is is being cleared by
hand and replanted with cabbage trees.
from the people and organisations who are
wanting to undertake clean-up projects is very
encouraging,” he says.
Project applications have come with a strong level
of additional funding support. While $14 million is
being sought from the Authority the total value of
projects is close to $30 million.
The applications will now undergo an independent
evaluation process. The evaluation panel will
make recommendations to a sub-committee of
the Authority who in turn will then make the final
funding recommendations to Authority’s board. It
is intended that successful project applicants will
be announced by the end of November.
Wetland restoration features strongly in
funding applications
margins, are also contained in the final report
available on the Authority website.
A key consideration for the Authority in the future
when considering funding for planting projects,
will be the significantly high and constant level of
labour required to undertake weed control where
there is a wish to use no, or minimal, herbicide.