Horizons Regional Council calls for public opinion on water quality targets

Horizons Regional Council is seeking public feedback on water quality across the region. Photo/ Bevan Conley

Horizons Regional Council wants feedback on potential targets for freshwater across the region and what it might take to achieve them.

Action that might be taken by Horizons - if the targets are set - could be planting native trees on erosion-prone land, using slow-release fertilisers, upgrading current wastewater systems and excluding stock from having access to rivers and streams.

Horizons is still undertaking the economic modelling of what the potential cost of this work would be.

The work is in line with the Government’s plan for freshwater management and is the next step in the broader Oranga Wai process.

Community goals could be things like the awa being a great place to swim during summer or streams being home to communities of tūna and native fish, Horizons strategy, regulation, and science group manager Dr Lizzie Daly said.

“The target states are provisional - council has yet to make any decisions or propose moving forward with these water quality targets so community input into the process is crucial to assist with those decisions.”

Interactive maps on the Horizons website allow participants in the survey to view the amount of reduction required for E.coli, phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment across the region’s rivers and streams.

Horizons acknowledged the reductions “might be confronting for some people” but said no decisions had yet been made on whether to adopt the provisional targets or scale of change displayed.

“There is further work to do before decisions are made,” Daly said.

There will be a public roadshow across the region between November 2-22 for people to discuss the freshwater targets with council staff.

To give feedback on the provisional targets for freshwater in the region, complete the online survey at freshwater.horizons.govt.nz by December 13.

The water targets roadshow will be heading to the Whanganui Jockey Club, Purnell St, on Monday, November 6, with sessions at 2.30pm and 6pm.