$6m for river projects

A fresh round of Waikato River Authority funding will see $6 million dished out among river restoration projects.

And $2m is set to fund iwi-led projects, including a bid to develop a live feed of the Waikato River’s water quality data.

Landowners, farmers, council and iwi are also forking out millions, bringing a total of $12m to the region’s clean-up projects, Waikato River Authority (WRA) chief executive Bob Penter said.

The largest sum – a ‘‘game changing’’ $1.6m – funded the Waipa¯ Catchment Plan, he said.

The $1.6 million will be matched by the Waikato Regional Council and landowners, principal adviser for integrated catchment management Keri Neilson said. It’s the third time the plan has received funding from the WRA.

The project works with about 70 farmers and landowners to reduce sediment levels, she said.

The WRA received a lot of strong applications from iwi, Penter said.

‘‘[The Waikato River] is essential to the identity for river iwi, particularly Waikato-Tainui of course.

They take their name from the river.

‘‘It’s taonga, it’s treasure’’. Te Arawa River Iwi Trust received $250,000 to develop a high-tech live feed of the Waikato River’s health around the upper Waikato River catchment.

‘‘That’s something that potentially – with Waikato council’s support – we’d like to see rolled out throughout the catchment,’’ Penter said.