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Background
Environment Waikato, Otorohanga District Council, Waikato District Council, Waitomo District Council and the Department of Conservation are working together on an integrated (land and harbour) catchment planning project for the Kawhia and Aotea catchments. This joint initiative has been named the Shore Futures project. The project team are also working with tangata whenua and other interest groups and agencies such as Federated Farmers, the Ministry of Fisheries and the Historic Places Trust.
The project team recognise that pressure for land use change and subdivisions is increasing within the Kawhia and Aotea catchments, particularly near the coastal margin.
The purpose of the Shore Futures project is to provide for the integrated and consistent management of the Kawhia and Aotea catchments. This means coming up with ways (regulatory and non-regulatory) of managing activities and development, both on land and in the coastal marine area, while taking into account the special aspects and features of these west coast catchments.
What's happened so far?
Information gathering
To determine the trends and issues the Kawhia and Aotea catchments are facing, the project team is collecting information from councils, tangata whenua, key stakeholders and experts, including:
- water quality data (harbours, rivers and streams)
- ecological information (harbours, rivers and land)
- coastal hazard information
- a landscape and coastal natural character assessment of both catchments
- cultural information
- historical sites
- economic and social/demographic information.
Information still being gathered for the project includes cultural, hazard and heritage information.
Consultation
Iwi
In recognition of tangata whenua's special status in these two catchments, the project team has carried out specific consultation with iwi groups, including:
- Ngati Hikairo
- Ngati Mahanga
- Ngati Mahuta
- Ngati Maniapoto
- Ngati Te Wehi.
Information about issues, values and aspirations is being sought from the iwi/hapu groups. The information will be used to in part to acknowledge the cultural richness of these areas and provide recognition and protection, but also to acknowledge the various groups and what is important to them. Information from the groups is being gathered through hui and workshops, from current or pending iwi management plans, websites, and other documentation. This consultation is ongoing.
Iwi, hapu and whanau from both harbours are invited to a hui on the 11th of August at Maketu Marae to hear first hand about the Ohiwa Harbour Strategy project, a similar project to the Shore Futures project. Please RSVP to Jenni Paul or Natasha Hayward at Environment Waikato on 0800 800 401 for catering purposes or with any enquiries.
Open days
The Shore Futures process kicked off publicly on Sunday, 18 February, with an open day in the Kawhia Hall. A second open day was held on Saturday, 3 March at the Te Waitere Boating Club.
The open days were an opportunity for the project team to introduce the project and share information they had collected to date.
Workshops and questionnaire
Nine workshops were run in March, April and May in Aotea, Kawhia and Hamilton. The workshops gave people the opportunity to tell the Shore Futures project team what they love about these areas, what they're most concerned about, and how the various issues facing the community should be managed.
People have also been able to have their say by completing the Shore Futures questionnaire. Over 140 completed questionnaires were returned.
Consultation summary report
A summary of consultation undertaken between June 2006 and June 2007 for the Shore Futures project has been prepared. It is a record of conversations and correspondence, so contains people's opinions and suggestions. This document will be used to inform the Shore Futures report.
Note: Consultation for the project is not complete - consultation with iwi and key stakeholders is ongoing - see What happens next?
Shore Futures consultation report
(625 kb, 89 seconds to download, 56k modem)
What happens next?
Draft Shore Futures report
Using the information gathered and feedback received through consultation, a non-statutory report will be produced that identifies key resource management issues and recommends policies and objectives to guide the future management of the Kawhia and Aotea catchments.
A Community Reference Group (CRG) has been selected to assist in the development of the draft Shore Futures report. This group has been selected by the Shore Futures Governance Group from a list of 40 people who put their names forward to represent a cross-section of the Kawhia and Aotea communities.
Once the Shore Futures report has been drafted, the project team will seek further public feedback to test that we've got things right.
Giving effect to Shore Futures
The final step will be to take the recommendations in the Shore Futures report and incorporate them within council plans and other regulatory tools.
Most outcomes will probably relate to resource management issues and will, therefore, need to become part of the relevant district and regional plans. Part of this process will involve deciding what implementation methods will best achieve the desired outcomes identified through Shore Futures. The most common form of implementation method is 'rules' but others include non-regulatory methods such as environmental education and incentives.
Changes to district and regional plans that affect the Kawhia and Aotea catchments will involve full and formal consultation processes as provided for by the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA).
Council plans which cover the Kawhia and Aotea catchments, and will potentially be affected by the Shore Futures project, include:
- Otorohanga District Plan
- Waitomo District Plan
- Waikato District Plan
- Waikato Regional Coastal Plan.
Additionally, the Waikato Regional Policy Statement and/or Waikato Regional Plan may be adapted to reflect the findings of the Shore Futures project.
Project organisation
Catchment boundaries
Further information
For further information about the Shore Futures project, please contact one of the following:
- Natasha Hayward or Jenni Paul, Environment Waikato - phone 0800 800 401
- Otorohanga District Council - phone 07 873 8199
- Allan Turner, Waikato District Council - phone 07 824 8633
- John Moran, Waitomo District Council - phone 0800 932 4357.