The Draft Whangamata Catchment Management Plan supports the Draft Whangamata Harbour Plan. It sets out the priority works we propose to carry out to address the sedimentation and flooding issues identified in the harbour plan, the timeframe over which the works will be done and estimated costs. Find out more about the proposed works and how you can give us feedback on them.

Background to the catchment management plan

The need for a specific catchment management plan for Whangamata was identified during the two-year development of the Draft Whangamata Harbour Plan.

To address the sedimentation and flooding issues identified in the harbour plan, the Draft Whangamata Catchment Management Plan has prioritised specific land management, riparian enhancement and river and flood management works in the Wentworth, Waikiekie, Te Weiti and Otuwhete sub-catchments. The Wentworth River sub-catchment would be our initial priority because this is the largest river system in the Whangamata catchment and it has the highest silt loading.

The primary aim of these works is to reduce the amount of soil eroding into the streams, leading to less sedimentation and infilling of the harbour. This will also help limit the places where mangroves can grow. There will be other benefits too, like more native plants, improved habitats for fish and insects and better water quality.

Proposed priority works

Land management protection

• Assist land owners to fence forest fragments to keep stock out.
• Carry out animal pest control work in pine and native bush areas on both public and private land.

Riparian enhancement

• Plant eco-sourced native plants along stream banks and around wetlands.
• Fence out all waterways where stock have access, including tributaries and drains.
• Control weeds in riparian areas.
• Plant willow poles.

River and flood management

• Remove blockages from stream channels, for example tree stumps.
• Repair corners that have eroded.
• Remove willows.
• Mangrove removal and coastal excavation (depending on the approach the council adopts).
• Investigate the possibility of installing silt traps.
• Remove vegetation blocking floodplains and reshape these areas.

Costs and funding

Environment Waikato currently has funding available through the Peninsula Project to carry out these works in conjunction with private land owners. The works, which have been estimated at $670,000 (this figure does not include ongoing annual maintenance costs), would be carried out over the next 10 years, and land owners would pay up to 65 per cent of the cost of works on their properties. Given this, many of the proposed works will only proceed if land owners are willing to carry out work on their properties and contribute to the costs.

Although it will take a long time before you see significant changes in the harbour, doing the work over a shorter timeframe would accelerate the process. If the Whangamata community wants these works carried out over a shorter timeframe, additional funding would be needed to provide land owners with more financial support. This would mean an increase in the rates Whangamata ratepayers currently pay.

Download the catchment plan and overview

 

Draft Whangamata Catchment Management Plan [PDF, 501 KB] (513 kb, 73 seconds to download, 56k modem)

Overview [PDF, 981 KB] (1004 kb, 143 seconds to download, 56k modem)

Community feedback

The opportunity to provide feedback closed on Wednesday, 7 November 2007.