Thursday, 09 April 2015 07:43

Field day for Waipā catchment

Written by 
Waipā River. Waipā River.

An event aimed at advising famers and landowners on how best to manage their property in an environmentally sustainable way, starts this month.

People in the Waipā River catchment are being encouraged attend the Kaniwhaniwha Stream field day, which will offer information on funding sources for environmental initiatives along with other resources. 

The event is being organised by the Waikato Regional Council and DairyNZ.

Hosts Denis and Felicity Ahlers have worked with industry body DairyNZ to develop an environment-focused sustainable milk plan. They have also identified work that can qualify for council and Waikato River Authority funding.

The field day will cover topics such as farm planning, planting beside waterways, aquatic life, council river management, and land stabilisation.

“Reducing soil loss is particularly important in the Waipā catchment as this contributes to a high sediment load in streams and the Waipā River itself,” says council sustainable agriculture advisor John Vosper.

“This sediment reduces water clarity and can harm aquatic life. The Waipā River’s major issue is poor clarity caused by sediment and it is the biggest contributor of sediment to the lower Waikato River.”

The field day follows an announcement late last year that the Waikato River Authority is planning to provide the council with up to $1.5 million over three years for implementation of projects identified in the recently released Waipā Catchment Plan. The plan aims to contribute to the restoration and protection of the Waipā River.

The catchment plan promotes sustainable land uses and management practices, as well as providing targeted funding and assisting landowners to develop property or farm plans.

Overall, the plan sets 20-year goals for the catchment, including reducing erosion and sedimentation of the river, having productive soils, swimmable water quality throughout the catchment, and providing flood protection and enhanced ecological health.

For more information on the catchment plan, visit www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/waipaplan.

The field day at the Ahlers’ farm will be held from 10am to 1pm on Tuesday 21 April at 1120 Limeworks Loop Rd, Te Pahu, near Hamilton.

People are asked to RSVP for catering purposes by Friday 17 April to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

More like this

ASB rolls out more community bankers

ASB is rolling out more community bankers across New Zealand, providing targeted coaching and seminars to help customers with their personal finance needs.

Jersey cow fetches $55,000

A three-year-old Waikato Jersey is claiming to be New Zealand's highest priced dairy cow, toppling a record that stood for 50 years.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

AGTEK and ARGO part ways

After 12 years of representing the Landini and McCormick brands in New Zealand, Bay of Plenty-based AGTEK and the brands’…

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter