Improving water quality in Waikato

The Waikato Regional Council’s proposed Regional Plan Change 1 seeks to improve water quality in arguably the country’s most important and complex catchments.

It also addresses one of the biggest issues people in the Waikato region are currently faced with. It is now open for public submission.

Water quality has consistently been identified as the number one issue for Waikato people for the past two decades. We want rivers that are swimmable and safe to collect food from.

Healthy Rivers is the bold response to addressing the complex issue of water quality facing our Waipa and Waikato Rivers.

This first step in what is an 80 year undertaking to protect and restore our rivers is expected to double the number of swimmable sites. This is based on E.coli readings and deliver a 10-fold increase the number of swimmable sites based on water clarity.

The proposed plan has been developed over more than two years by a collaborative stakeholder group supported by an impartial group of experts. Their job was to set targets and limits for water quality in the Waipa and Waikato catchments and develop policies that will achieve them.

The approach means those most affected by the changes have been holding the pen to develop the proposed plan.

To ensure everyone has time to read and fully understand implications of the proposed plan change, the council has allowed an extended period for public submissions, closing at 5pm, March 8.

Through the submission process, the council is seeking further public input on Plan Change 1 to try to reach workable solutions for everyone so that in the long term we can jointly solve the complex problem of water quality facing our rivers.

Alan Campbell is the land management advisory services team leader at the Waikato Regional Council.