Festival brought us to our river and its future plans

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The festival drew us to our river with top-notch entertainment, superb food and a big dollop of sunshine, but these were not the stars of the show. It was the tank full of lively little native fish and bucket of wriggling river insects that had a magnetising ’ effect.

I’ve been spending some quality time with our awa, and I’m not alone.

The steady He Ara Kotahi foot traffic was boosted by hundreds of people enjoying the Manawatu¯ River Improvement Festival recently and the Ahimate Reserve swim spot has been in hot demand.

The festival drew us to our river with top-notch entertainment, superb food and a big dollop of sunshine, but these were not the stars of the show. It was the tank full of lively little native fish and bucket of wriggling river insects that had a magnetising effect.

Squeezing in amongst the crowd, eager to get a close-up view of the ı¯nanga, bullies, freshwater shrimps and crayfish, I was struck by the sheer delight on the faces of fascinated toddlers and grown-ups alike.

And we should be delighted.

The presence of these little critters in our waterways is an indicator of good river health. And we should be celebrating what’s been achieved, so far. Many in our community are working extraordinarily hard to improve the state of our river.

There remains however much more to do if we are to really look after the stars of the show. Fortunately we know what needs to be done — from riparian planting, reducing sediment and nutrients, to cleaning up stormwater and removing sewage.

Add to this list the poor state of biodiversity and challenges of climate change — Horizons has its work cut out.

I’m sensing that change around the council table has reinvigorated old discussions and I hope this new energy will flow into Horizons’ goal setting when we head into long-term planning this year.

Conversations are shifting — we’re discussing green house gas emission reduction, the value potential of community partnerships, urban biodiversity and how native planting could bring duel benefits of carbon sequestration and increased biodiversity.

Environmental priorities can no longer be shuffled or put on the backburner. A range of actors and actions are needed to right this ship. The community is already showing us what can be achieved when engaged and empowered.

Whether you’ve been skimming stones, dipping your toes or leaping in, it’s good to reconnect.

■ Fiona Gordon is a Palmerston North constituency Horizons councillor. Connect with me: Facebook: @fiona4horizons, Email: fiona4horizons@gmail.com