Flood of support for Top of the South catchment

Work to look after nature and restore freshwater quality in Te Hoiere/Pelorus River catchment is getting a significant boost, thanks to new Government funding support Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage announced in Canvastown today.

“Every New Zealander should be able to swim in their local river without getting sick, and rivers should be healthy for fish and other wildlife and for gathering mahinga kai. Currently Te Hoiere/Pelorus River is at risk and needs a helping hand to improve water quality for its own sake, and for people now and into the future” said Eugenie Sage.

More funding for the Te Hoiere/Pelorus River catchment is part of the Government’s action plan to clean up New Zealand’s waterways in a generation to make them safe for swimming.

Te Hoiere/Pelorus is the second at-risk catchments identified for restoration, after Northland’s Kaipara catchment with more to be announced over the coming months.

“Restoration of river health requires a united effort led by the community, involving landholders, iwi, councils and community organisations helped by Government funding support.”

Te Hoiere/Pelorus is one of 14 priority catchments around the country identified for a share of $8 million of funding through the Department of Conservation’s Te Awa programme to restore the catchments to a healthy, functioning state. In addition the catchment will receive a share of the Ministry for the Environment’s $12 million funding as part of an ‘at risk’ catchment programme. 

 “Te Hoiere/Pelorus catchment is set for a new phase of community-led landscape-scale restoration that could provide a leading example for restoration projects around the country,” said Eugenie Sage.

“Te Hoiere/Pelorus is home to at least 14 native freshwater fish species, nine of which are either threatened or at risk of extinction. It’s also home to kākahi (freshwater mussels), koura (freshwater crayfish) and freshwater shrimp.

The catchment supports recreation, agriculture, forestry and marine farming.

“Pekapeka/long-tailed bat, tarāpuka/black-billed gull, speckled skink, shortjaw kōkopu, carnivorous snails and very rare plants like the pygmy button daisy live in Te Hoiere/Pelorus – and that’s just to name a few. A successful restoration could see whio/blue duck return one day which would be amazing.”

The project is part of the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance  a collaborative way of Iwi, local and central government working with the community across the Top of the South Island to achieve mountains to sea restoration that will benefit nature, and people connected to nature.

“The farming community have made significant improvements to land and water management with support from the NZ Landcare Trust and Marlborough District Council. Forest and Bird is leading a nationally important Bat Recovery Project supported by Ngāti Kuia and DOC.  Te Hoiere/Pelorus project builds on and helps strengthen this co-operation.

“Te Hoiere/Pelorus catchment faces some significant freshwater challenges, particularly from increased sedimentation, so I’m pleased to see the leadership shown by the Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance to make their waterways healthier.

“Cleaning up our rivers and lakes over a generation is a priority environmental issue for New Zealanders. I am eager to see what can be achieved and what we can learn from this additional support from Government,” concludes Eugenie Sage. 

Latest Environment Announcements

Story

Forestry sector must compensate for slash damage

The Green Party welcomes today’s release of the report of the Ministerial Inquiry into slash and sediment, and are clear that the forestry industry...
Read More

Story

Greens launch petition to protect conservation lands from mining by Mineralogy International Limited

The Green Party has today launched a petition calling for conservation land to be protected from mining by big overseas companies such as Mineralog...
Read More

Story

National's drought of ideas won't help farmers facing climate change

Christopher Luxon and the National Party have once again presented another lazy, back-of-the-napkin policy to Aotearoa.
Read More

Story

Freshwater crisis needs stronger government action

New Zealand’s rivers, lakes and freshwater are in crisis and there needs to be a more ambitious Government plan to clean them up and protect agains...
Read More

Story

Greens welcome waste strategy release and work

The Green Party is today welcoming the release of the Government’s waste strategy, but says it has a big gap without action on the container return...
Read More

Story

NZ needs strong protection against water privatisation

New Zealanders deserve strong protection against the future privatisation of water assets, the Green Party says.
Read More

Latest Water Announcements

Story

Three waters rebrand insufficient

Today the Government adopted a long held Green Party position to increase the number of water entities to ensure a closer connection with communiti...
Read More

Story

Freshwater crisis needs stronger government action

New Zealand’s rivers, lakes and freshwater are in crisis and there needs to be a more ambitious Government plan to clean them up and protect agains...
Read More

Story

Changes needed to three waters plans

Greater local oversight and control, seven instead of four entities, stormwater staying with councils, and stronger safeguards against privatisatio...
Read More

Story

National reckless on rivers

The opposition’s dangerous plan to scrap rules to improve the health of rivers and lakes around Aotearoa highlights the importance of having a stro...
Read More

Clean Water

From the maunga to moana, water is a taonga which must be protected, but too many rivers, lakes, and wetlands have been polluted over the years, an...
Read More

Story

Strongest ever water reforms mean swimmable rivers within a generation

The Green Party says major freshwater reforms announced today provide the strongest ever protections of our waterways, to help ensure the next gene...
Read More

Latest Conservation Announcements

Story

Inquiry into forestry slash and land use welcome, but more needed

Today’s news of a Ministerial inquiry into forestry slash and land use in Te Tarāwhiti/Gisborne and Wairoa is welcome, but the forestry sector shou...
Read More

Story

Time for Labour to deliver on No New Mines

The Green Party is today welcoming reports of Government progress towards having no new mines on conservation land.
Read More

Story

Urgent action needed at home following global deal for nature

The Green Party welcomes an historic new global agreement to protect 30% of the planet for nature by the end of the decade and calls on the Governm...
Read More

Story

Swimmable rivers and healthy lakes could soon be out of reach

The Green Party is calling on the Government to tighten the rules on synthetic fertiliser use and intensive land use, including intensive winter gr...
Read More

Story

Bill to ban mining on conservation land pulled from biscuit tin

Following months of work by the Green Party and community and environmental organisations, Parliament will have the opportunity to pass legislation...
Read More

Story

Stewardship land recommendations fall short of protecting nature

The proposed reclassification of stewardship land on the West Coast doesn’t go far enough to protect nature and the area’s spectacular landscapes, ...
Read More