Waikato Regional Council has submitted a bid to central govt for environmental projects that would benefit from govt stimulus package.

Total cost: $96M  Total funds requested: $59M.  Total employment: 273+ Full Time Equivalent Jobs (FTE’s)

Collectively these projects will at a minimum provide:

• 1,070 km of fencing

• More than 4.5 million native plants in the ground

• 140,000 poplars on eroding land

• 4500 ha of land retired

• Plant pest control over 18,000 ha

• Animal pest control over 500,000 ha

• Strategic pest control for protection of important indigenous species including kauri, kokako and long-tailed bats, tui, kereru and bellbird

• Adaptive management of koi carp at vulnerable sites in the Lower Waikato

Thames Coromandel/Hauraki Projects

Waikato Kauri dieback

Protection of the most ecologically significant kauri stands in the Waikato region. Currently the Waikato has the largest areas of kauri forest left in New Zealand without kauri dieback.

Total cost $2.29M  Funding request $1.84M Total 4 FTE for 3 years

Significant social and economic benefits will be achieved through: – future proofing investment into tourism and biodiversity while supporting the local economy. – Approximately 25km of stock proof fencing protecting the most ecologically significant kauri stands in the Waikato.

Control of alligator weed surveillance and planning

Total cost $0.6M Funding request $0.6M

Westcoast coast and Thames coast beach survey

Alligator weed is one the world’s worst pest plants and a significant risk to the agricultural and horticultural sectors and to the environment. The Waikato west coast beaches and the Thames Coast from Maranda to Coromandel township is at risk of the impacts of alligator weed due to recent new infestation finds close to these areas.

Clean Streams 2020 Riparian Restoration Project

140 ha of retired land ➢ 1,020,000 native plants in the ground ➢ 283 km of fencing to retire waterway margins ➢ Pest plant control ➢ Employment of local and iwi/communitybased nursery and planting contractor ➢ Training of new iwi/community contractors

Key points: This is a Waikato regionwide project which provides for the establishment of 283km of riparian fencing and the planting of over 1,000,000 native plants over the next three years to assist landowners to achieve water quality, biodiversity and sustainable landuse outcomes in priority Waikato catchments, rivers, wetlands and lakes

Total cost $10.2M (Cofunding $5.1M) Funding request $5.1M TOTAL FTE 11

This project would pilot a new way of working. Landowners who construct a fence to permanently retire a stream, wetland or seep from grazing (with key specifications met) will be eligible for the retired area to be planted by a local service provider in appropriate native plants at no cost, subject to conditions and funding availability.

Waikato Regional Goat Control Programme

The goat control currently occurs at 19 key management sites (est. 500,000+ ha and including Coromandel Peninsula,

Total cost $8.1m  27 FTE

Benefits to climate change mitigation and carbon sequestration through maintaining healthy native forest and exotic ecosystems. Protection of Nationally Top Ranked Ecological Units.

Biodiversity and freshwater quality improvements. Maintaining healthy primary production ecosystems.

Protection of significant cultural and geological areas of significance.

Maintaining low goat and other pests numbers has resulting benefits in reduction in erosion, sedimentation, debris, slippages, scour, blockages and associated negative community, utility infrastructure and water quality damages

The Piako River Green Corridor

A green corridor reconnecting the Kopuatai wetland to the Firth of Thames – RAMSAR site to RAMSAR site. From the restaid peat bog of the Kopuatai wetland through the mangrove forests and the salt marshes. to the chenier plains of the Firth of Thames foreshore.

➢ 35ha of WRC managed land over 2 sites including riparian retirement, site preparation/weed control

➢ 36km fenced ➢ 248,340 native plants planted (based on a 14m planted area)

➢ Direct control of animal pests

➢ Connecting Firth of Thames RAMSAR site to Kopuatai Peak Dome by establishing a ‘green corridor’ along the Piako River

➢ Increasing biodiversity and shaded margin to drainage systems extending from Kopu Bridge, Waihou to Piako Waitakaruru and to provide shade to aquatic fish and insects

Total 20FTE.

Coromandel harbour and catchment plan delivery

100,000 native plants planted

➢ 45ha of riparian and wetland enhancement and retirement including constructed wetlands and sediment traps

➢ 30 km fencing ➢ 10km of upper harbour margins restored with weed control, infill planting and predator control network (where access allows) (approx. $750k)

➢ 10 ha of pole planting and 30 ha of severe erosion risk land managed

➢ Erosion protection measure along stream banks, predominantly soft engineering

➢ Instream woody debris habitat (approx. $600k)

➢ 5 sub-catchments restored

➢ 20 Farm Environment Plans completed

Total cost $3.1M Funding request $1.62M TOTAL FTE 8.25

Significant environmental benefits include improved water quality through reduced sediment and nutrient inputs, improved biodiversity through habitat enhancement and weed control, improved productive capacity of farmland through more stable rivers and healthier marine receiving environment.

Manaia River sub catchment restoration

include: ➢ 40,000 eco-sourced plants planted ➢ 6ha of riparian retirement ➢ 8 ha of wetland retirement/re creation ➢ 7km of fencing ➢ Water quality monitoring programme ➢ Training for 10 locals ➢ Establishment of plant nursery ➢ Stream channel erosion protection and remediation

➢ Upper catchment predator control – ground based Manaia community largest iwi Māori community on Coromandel Peninsula

Total cost $1.3M Funding request $1M TOTAL FTE 5.85

Eastern Mercury Bay Habitat Connection

include: ➢ 2,000 properties with a predator control traps ➢ 2,000 properties with bird food trees

➢ 15 ha coastal, brackish and freshwater wetland extension and recreation ➢ 3 sub-catchment restoration plans implemented across 3 streams through riparian and hill country plantings and significant plant pest control ➢ 15 Farm plans prepared ➢ More than 30,000 native plants planted

Total cost $3.42M  Funding request $2.72M TOTAL FTE 12.75

Mountains to the sea connectivity to the only marine reserve in the Waikato Region – Te Whanganui a Hei – Cathedral Cove.

• Connectivity to the Whitianga/Mercury Bay Harbour and Catchment Management Plan.