Riders fear loss of waterways
Concerns are growing from equestrians who worry they might be prevented from accessing waterways with their horses.
Under the proposed rules in the Waikato Regional Council’s Healthy Rivers Plan, properties in the Waikato and Waipa catchments grazing cattle, horses, deer or pigs must have fences or stock proof natural barriers to prevent animals entering the rivers.
Waikato Endurance secretary and Waipa resident Jenny Chandler said she no longer takes her horses swimming, but she used to.
‘‘I understand the need to clean our rivers up and am all for keeping stock out for that purpose, but surely recreational use ought to be okay.’’ She used to graze her horses on Airport Rd, and would often ride down over the Narrows Bridge to the park on the other side to go swimming.
‘‘As an endurance rider we often cross streams and the occasional river as part of the course, it would be a great shame to not be allowed to do that,’’ Chandler said.
‘‘In fact it is encouraged in the rules of endurance to include such natural obstacles.’’
Waikato Regional Council director of science and strategy Tracey May said horse owners did not need to worry about losing recreational use of the waterways.
‘‘There is a specific inclusion listed in schedule C [of the Healthy Rivers Plan], and this exclusion says a horse can pass across a water body if it’s being ridden,’’ she said
Schedule C - Stock Exclusion, states that water bodies included in this plan change are rivers that continually contain surface water, drains that continually contain surface water, wetlands including constructed ones, and lakes.
‘‘So for example if a landowner is keeping horses in a paddock, any streams in the paddock need to be fenced, but a person can ride a horse through a stream however.’’
The proposed plan aims to include all landowners over 2 hectares within the Waikato River and Waipa River catchments.
Existing rules in the Waikato Regional Plan such as farm dairy effluent rules, earthwork rules and point-source discharge rules will continue to apply.
Submissions on the Healthy Rivers Plan are open until 5pm March 8.