Please see if you – or the people you know who gather kaimoana – can make
time to attend this excellent FREE marine pests workshop!

Dr Anjali Pande has confirmed her attendance and will talk about the
recent incursion she was involved with in the South Island as well as other
marine pests in the area.

The workshop will be held at:

Rawene Memorial Hall in Parnell Street

12:30pm to 2:30pm

Wednesday 30 November 2011

People keen to
register should contact Northland Regional Council reception on (0800) 002 004 or
email Gail Townsend or Jillian Fulcher at gailt@nrc.govt.nz
or jillianf@nrc.govt.nz

Please RSVP your availability to attend the next Waiora Hokianga Quarterly Meeting:

9am to 3pm

Thursday 8th December 2011

Rawene Memorial Hall

(bring a plate to share for lunch)

It’s worth getting in touch with me to learn more about how any of the listed agenda items could be relevant to you – my contact details are below.

Proposed agenda is below and attached as a pdf:

09:15

Introductions and karakia

09:30

Pocket ranger android and iphone app for Hokianga water quality and other local information

10:15

Refreshments

10:30

Otaua, Mangamuka and Waima  water quality programmes of action

11:15

Update on Lake Omapere from Remana Henwood/NRC

11:30

Kauri Dieback update as it affects water quality

11:45

Hokianga water sampling by Waka Ama, Hokianga Surf, local commercial fishersand people involved in other water-based activities in Hokianga’s contributing catchments.

12:15

Shared lunch (please bring a plate)

12:45

Wananga on Marae: water quality focus

13:00

Spring Wellbeing festival (water quality theme) for September 2012

14:00

Hauora Hokianga study on Pain and Suffering: Wellness as it relates to water quality

14:15

Closing karakia

Nāku noa, na

Natalie Glover

Principal

http://natalieglover.wordpress.com/

P           09 401 8801

M         027 600 4237

E           glonat@gmail.com

Skype apopo.consultants

Donn composts his pond algae and plants seedlings straight into it!The pond improves the water quality compared to that of the river[slideshow

The day began with an introduction and demonstration by Donn of simple charcoal production – not for energy or art, but for use as bio-char – a soil amendment to enhance soil fertility.   Donn followed this up with an explanation of his earth building methods, which produced his stunning and ingenious home.  Many of the materials
required for his building came from his immediate environment – clay dug from
the pond, totara beams washed up from the river for example.  The result was a labour intensive, but very inexpensive structure.

Strolling over to the impressive waterfalls was next on the agenda, in order to compare the clarity of water samples taken from Donn’s pond outflow and the river
itself.  Donn explained that the pond is effective in cleaning up the water, and he plans to expand his water storage in a keyline system of ponds on the flatter parts of his property.

Donn explained on the way back to the house, how he had converted a problem into an opportunity – he harvests the red weed growing naturally on his large pond for compost, which he plants vege seedlings directly into.  The weed would otherwise contaminate the pond water.  Drinking water is harvested from rainwater falling on his roof.

Fitter members of the group then negotiated the steep and slippery path down to Donn’s micro hydro turbine, which produces all the energy his family needs and liberates Donn from having to connect to the grid.

Stopping for a BYO lunch, the group then had the opportunity to tour the inside of Donn’s remarkable house, including a visit to the odour-free composting toilet.

The final session was an explanation of Keyline Irrigation. Donn detailed how the Keyline system of water storage can be utilised on many properties to avoid the effects of drought.   In this way, year-round water supply is assured and there is also the opportunity to generate energy from a micro hydro turbine integrated within the system.

Waiora Hokianga Coordinator, Natalie Glover says feedback from people attending the event was very positive, and she looks forward to organising more free water quality themed events in the Hokianga in the near future.  Go to the Waiora Hokianga Facebook page to vote for the next event!

Donn demonstrates his micro hydro system for energy generation

Upper Otaua catchment

Kia ora

At the Waiora Hokianga meeting held 13 July 2011, it was decided to focus Waiora Hokianga resources primarily upon supporting Otaua catchment (Hokianga) stakeholders in improving water quality outcomes.

If you have feedback on this proposal, please email me your thoughts. Encourage others you know to get in touch too.

All feedback will be recorded as part of consultation documentation for the project.

How to provide feedback:

Waiora Hokianga is on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Waiora-Hokianga/219557394742382?sk=wall
Email Natalie Glover (Waiora Hokianga coordinator): glonat@gmail.com
Post a comment this blog: http://natalieglover.wordpress.com/
Phone/text Natalie Glover: 027 600 4237

In terms of an organisation to umbrella Waiora Hokianga (to apply for, receive and manage funding for catchment projects), Jon Hampson has provided me with the following background on NZ Landcare Trust, as requested at the Waiora Hokianga meeting:

• Established over 15 years ago the NZLT is a charitable trust – they are not for profit (but they must also be not for loss to exist)
• NZLT employs 16 people across NZ – they are not a big mysterious organisation.
• They work on projects across NZ through their regional and project coordinators.
• They are supported by a team of 5 in Hamilton which includes Nick Edgar their CEO, Abby their graphic designer, Pauline their accountant, Arni for IT and James who manages their communications.
• They do not lobby on environmental issues but rather focus on action on the ground and try to work constructively in partnership with others to get projects delivered.
• Their environmental direction is driven by their diverse range of Trustees who are:

Ecologic Foundation, Federation of Maori Authorities, Rural Women New Zealand, Royal Forest & Bird Society of New Zealand, Fish & Game New Zealand, Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand, Federated Farmers of New Zealand.

Jon Hampson is the Regional Coordinator for Northland and they also have Ngaire Tyson who coordinates their biodiversity projects. They are both based in Whangarei.

The term Landcare sums up what they do. Landcare is a concept rather than a method… http://www.landcare.org.nz/landcare/

Their main Northland project at the moment is a three year DoC Biodiversity Advice Fund project to support biodiversity management on private land. Their two other big projects (3 year projects) came to a close in June this year. These were MfE Sustainable Farming Fund projects relating to farm resilience and promoting totara as a sustainable farm/forest resource. Jon is currently looking to develop new projects and is keen for one of these at least to be catchment management orientated (i.e. addressing water quality issues primarily but not exclusively).

In terms of the Otaua Catchment, their most relevant case study comes from the South Island… the Aorere catchment in Golden Bay… http://www.landcare.org.nz/regional-focus/upper-south-island/aorere-catchment/

Other good examples are the Kaimai Catchments Project in the Bay of Plenty and the Community Sustainable Land Management for Waikato Lake Catchments project.

Most of their projects tend to include a number of project partners who assist with their delivery (e.g. providing expertise or facilities) but the Trust ultimately carries the can for the delivery of the project and therefore manages the project (however a project group consisting of the partners can focus the delivery).

Jon mentioned the Community Environment Fund at the Waiora Hokianga meeting as he thinks this could be a good funding stream to cover the costs of facilitating a project in the Otaua, however Jon enquired with the lady who manages the fund at MfE and we could not use the fund for any capital costs e.g. costs of plants or fencing, so we would need to have a further look at this aspect, in terms of securing other funding for capital costs.

Hopefully, we have the makings of a collaborative project, which will need to begin with consultation with all Otaua catchment stakeholders to determine everyone’s aspirations for water quality in Otaua catchment.

Waiora Hokianga, originally developed by Natalie Glover in 2008 has multiple agency support to achieve its goals within the Hokianga catchment.

Four project groups formed by Waiora Hokianga community delegates in December will deliver measurable water quality outcomes:

Taonga Wai/ Treasures living in the Water – the focus of this group is to protect biodiversity in waterways. This includes shellfish, tuna and ika. Monitoring and managing threats will be key actions.

Waiora Mahi/Working with Three Waters – the focus of this group is improving the management of clean water, contaminated water and stormwater, “the three waters”. Includes investigating methods to reduce pollution and wastage of precious water.

Mana Tangata/Empowering the People – the focus of this group is education, government participation, protecting human health and applying for project funds.

Whakatika Awa/Safe Waterways – the focus of this group will be the management of flooding, aggradation, structures and hazards within waterways. This will include involvement in the NRC Priority Rivers project.