Waikato District Lakes and Wetlands agreement to be signed

A new memorandum of agreement (MOA) aimed at helping better protect lakes and wetlands in Waikato District is being signed on Tuesday 7 June at 8am at the Twin Lakes Event Centre in Huntly.

Signatories will include representatives from the Department of Conservation (DoC), Fish & Game, Waikato District Council, Waikato Regional Council and Waikato-Tainui.

The object of the Waikato District Lakes and Wetlands MOA is to facilitate more coordinated action to improve the condition of lakes and wetlands in the district.

The health of the lakes and wetlands has been affected by a range of activities and factors, such as drainage, farming and mining, pest fish and exotic plants.

The MOA will enable agencies to better identify the places and projects that are priorities for future work so that they can use current resources more efficiently and effectively seek new resources.

The MOA will be signed by DoC’s Waikato conservator Greg Martin, Auckland/Waikato Fish & Game vice-chairman Colin Sherrard, Waikato District mayor Allan Sanson, Waikato Regional Council chairman Peter Buckley and Waikato-Tainui chairman Tukoroirangi Morgan.

Mr Sanson said that the agreement was an important step.

“Co-ordinated actions by all of the agencies and individuals involved will be required to improve the condition of lakes and wetlands in the district. This agreement being signed on Tuesday will help us ensure that,” Mr Sanson said.

On DoC’s role, Mr Martin said: “Within Waikato district there is a huge variety of wetland types, some of which are of international and national significance. Collaboration by agencies and the community in their restoration and maintenance is vital and accordingly I welcome the signing of this accord.”

Fish & Game’s Mr Sherrard said: "Fish and Game see the signing of an MOA as an important step to restoring the health and wellbeing of the Waikato lakes and wetlands as the current state of these natural resources is of major concern to this organisation and our members."

Regional council chairman Peter Buckley said the MOA “will provide a platform for our agencies to identify the places and projects that are priorities for our work together”.

Waikato-Tainui’s Mr Morgan said: “This MOA is one step towards restoring and protecting the health and wellbeing of our waterways together. Our whakapapa inextricably links us to these lakes and wetlands, and therefore we have an obligation to look after them.”

Media are welcome to attend the signing at the Twin Lakes Event Centre. For further details and/or a copy of the Memorandum of Agreement, call Tracie Dean-Speirs at Waikato Regional Council on 0800 800 401.