Editorial: Focus needs to be on Hawke's Bay's natural assets

Andrew Austin, editor of Hawke's Bay Today.

It is the age-old balancing act in Hawke's Bay - we all want a nice, hot summer, but there is a fine line between that and a drought.

The average person wants to be out and about in the sun enjoying the amazing array of outdoor activities and natural beauty we have in this stunning part of the world.

It is remarkable how quickly the landscape has changed from a rich green to a dark brown.

It happens every year, but this year seems to be similar to the drought a few years back. It was amazing to see what little effect the downpour of last week had. There is more rain, specifically thunderstorms on the way, but MetService tells us even that won't be a game-changer.

Obviously, weather like this feeds the argument of the pro-dam lobby who believe we missed an opportunity with the canned Ruataniwha Dam scheme.

It is clear that water storage in some form will continue to be something that the regional council looks at.

It is important that the regional council focuses on its core responsibility - the environment. It is involved in many very good community events and supports organisations like our local tourism body and that should continue.

But everything should lead back to our natural assets and how we can preserve and enjoy them.

Our rivers need urgent attention and it is always disappointing to read stories like the one about fish dying in the Clive River because they got stuck in thick weeds.

I know the council works hard to manage weeds in this river, but wouldn't it be nice for all of us if our rivers were there for us to fully enjoy.

Take the Tukituki for example. What an amazing river it is and, as I have written before, I drive past it every single day to and from work. In summer, even when the level is low, the water looks so inviting.

We need to work hard to get to a point where people can swim and fish in the Tukituki with absolute confidence.