Community waterway education, monitoring & action

Changing attitudes to take positive action -protect, restore & care for waterways/surrounding land

Why Care? NZ’ers No. 1 environmental priority

Why Care? Waterways link between land and estuary,

native flora & fauna to life-sustaining water.

Wai Care – assist communities to take action to protect and/or restore waterway health

Council + Regional Co-ordinators(meets monthly)

- delivery of programme against action plan- delivery to fit council budget and ‘flavour’

- annual training

Steering Group(meets monthly)

- strategy + action plan - shared services budget- programme performance

Wai Care SupportingCouncils

Auckland CityAuckland Regional Council

Manukau CityNorth Shore CityPapakura DistrictRodney DistrictWaitakere City

Franklin District

Groups(meet as often as necessary)

~ schools / community~ one-off vs long-term & various outcomesAnnual Data Confidence event + Awards

Partners~ Education sectorcollaboration -programmedevelopment e.g. NWWP

~ Environmental fundsEIF, BOC Gases, Nestle

~ Env’tal Organisationse.g. Gecko Trust,LandCare Research,Greenfleet

~ Local businessesvolunteers, resources &funding

Awareness / Monitoring / Action

Wai Care Manukau

Manukau City - 20+ groups- ‘Clustered’ @ key streams/catchments - Action oriented ~ built on achievement of basics - Encourage local support to undertake actions

Wai Care process - learn about water catchment processes - recognise ecological links and stream life, - monitor, record & report on waterway health, - take action for their local waterways

What’s there to care for?

Mayfly Caddisfly

Shortfin eel

Redfin Bully Banded Kokopu

InangaDiverse stream life indicates a healthy catchment

What are the threats?

Physical • Flood flows (+ low base flows)• High temperatures• Sediment (low clarity)

Chemical• Low DO• High/low pH• Hydrocarbons

and other pollutants

Biological• Poor quality habitat• Pest fish• Poor diversity (ecosystem

functions)• Bacteria

Others• Poor terrestrial habitat and

lack of food sources• Animal pests esp. rats• Lack of birdlife• Weeds• A community that doesn’t care!

What’s happening to Manukau streams?Sediment is the No. 1 pollutant in Auckland.Our fine clay soils need to be actively managed to avoid discharge to streams

- reduces sunlight penetration plant & insect growth- coats bottom habitat and food sources- clogs gills

If the water looks like thiscall the Pollution Hotline ph 3773107

Everyday Activities Are Potential Pollution Sources Accidents and carelessness can result in pollutants entering streams via stormwater systems.

Introduced pests and habitat destructionAquatic weeds smother habitat, Gambusia enjoy our native fish and other stream life

10/10 for colour

10/10 foam

What’s the score at the Papatoetoe stream?

3/10 for fishing. But at least they were there in the first place!

Sediment, weeds, food parcels for the hungry...

Obstructions & dumping call Council 262 5104

First line of defence

Call the Water Pollution Hotline 377-3107 as soon as possible

Let your Wai Care co-ordinator know – for follow-up

Wai Care groups can also help to:

Restore habitat

Organise and conductstream clean ups

Raise community awareness about local streams - e.g. mark stormwater grates

Remove pest weeds and fish

Making the message stick!

What are the main issues?What capacity is there (expertise, interests, skills, funding, community and other support?) to tackle these?

What might it all mean?