Water conservation focus of Waihi and Te Moana field day

Optimisation of water is on the cards for the Waihi and Te Moana catchment group field day.

A Waihi and Te Moana catchment group field day, later this week, will focus on optimising water use.

The field day, to take place on Saturday, will focus on how a deer farm and a food processing plant use and conserve water.

Spokesman Rhys Taylor said the event would showcase how water access and behaviour among deer herds could be best-managed to reduce silt loss from the paddocks.

The name of the farm to be used for the workshop had not been released to prevent people from turning up if they had not registered prior to the event, Mr Taylor said.

A wetland area, fenced off from farming activity to allow native plant species to recover, will also be showcased on the day.

Janet Gregory, of the Landcare Trust, will provide details on a new edition of the environmental standards for deer farming.

The second part of the field day will take place at Barkers Food Processors, where participants will see where the company draws groundwater near the Te Moana River.

Mr Taylor said participants would also see how the water was treated for use and, at the other end of the process, where used water goes and how environmental standards were protected,

''It will be useful for other farmers in the catchment group and for local residents, from town or country, who are interested to see how streams are being protected from pollution.''

He said community groundwater protection zones would also be explained on the day.

The field day had been organised on the back of another similar event last year.

He said the event also aimed to introduce more farmers to urban residents.

'' ... if we increase awareness of how surface and groundwaters are connected; and if we encourage good management practices in farming and other businesses to protect water [it will be successful].''

Everyone, including children accompanied by an adult, are welcome to attend the workshop, but must pre book with Mr Taylor by Friday. Phone: 021 462-260 or email: rhys.taylor@ecan.govt.nz

-By Alexia Johnston
Central Rural Life