News

Tauranga has a variety of parks and reserves that play a vital role in the quality of life enjoyed by residents and visitors. There is access to beautiful beaches, sports fields, neighbourhood parks, walkways and cycleways, and historic places.

Tauranga City Council wants to make sure they’re managing their reserves the way the community wants them to.

They have written a draft Tauranga Reserves Management Plan and are seeking feedback.

This plan will guide Council’s decision-making on more than 290 parks and reserves in the city. It considers over 50 specific topics - enabling a range of activities, guiding maintenance and development, protecting important sites and features, and explaining how they’ll assess requests and proposals for use. It combines all of the existing reserve management plans into one, and also applies to reserves that don’t currently have a management plan.

The draft Tauranga Reserves Management Plan and a summary document are now available for feedback.

To provide any comments or objections:

• fill out the online survey
• email* us at [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
• write* to us at Tauranga City Council, Private Bag 12022, Tauranga

Please let them know if you wish to speak to Council at a hearing. Submissions close at 5pm, 19 October 2018.

You may be able to find some help in this document: http://www.environmentguide.org.nz/issues/coastal

*By taking part in this public submission process, submitters agree to any personal
 information (incl. names and contact details) in their submission being made
 available to the public as part of the consultation and decision-making process.

Photo by John SawyerIn an effort to mitigate the effects of coastal erosion and sea water intrusion, villagers of Naividamu in Macuata undertook a mangrove planting program along their coastline recently, reports The Fiji Times. Some food for thought for us here in NZ.

Read the full story here.

The Post (Franklin, North Waikato) recently reported on the restoration award that we presented to Port Waikato Beachcare at our conference in March. Read it here.

NOTE: change of date Lower Hutt

Biodiversity connects us all, and Greater Wellington wants to build a more connected approach to it so that we can all be more effective. Greater Wellington wants to work with others who protect and manage biodiversity to review what’s been achieved so far, and provide the means to build on it together. With your help, it will be possible to collaborate on the design of a shared framework.

Each workshop will have a keynote address followed by discussion on:

• The strengths of our biodiversity community
• Existing strategies, projects and resources
• The challenges and possible opportunities
• Ways to improve on our work in the region

Dates, times and venues:

Kāpiti Coast
Wednesday 15 August, 5:30pm - 7:30pm at Kāpiti Community Centre

Porirua
Monday 20 August, 10:00am - 12:00pm at Wikitoria Katene Building, Whitireia College

Lower Hutt (NOTE CHANGED DATE)
Wednesday 5 September, 5:30pm - 7:30pm at Silverstream Retreat

Wellington city
Wednesday 5 September, 10:00am - 4:00pm at Te Wharewaka o Pōneke

Email the Greater Wellington BioDiversity Team with the location to confirm your place: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]

Wairarapa workshops in Featherston and Masterton will be confirmed soon.

Greater Wellington Regional Council has organised a planting day on Sunday July 29, 2018 - 10:00-2:00pm

Join them at Queen Elizabeth Park, (Mackays Crossing entrance - Whareroa Beach), on the Kāpiti coast to plant as many trees as you can.

This is a fun family event for all ages with live music and FREE sausages. Bring some warm clothes, sturdy footwear and a spade (if you have one) and they’ll bring the plants.

For more information go here.