On-Stream
It's time to roll out the red carpet for awards season.
Last month we let you know the winners of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (and we'll tell you more about them in the next issue of On-Stream). This month we're happy to announce the winners of The Southern Wood Council award for Forestry Environmental Management Excellence, which ORC sponsors.
Congratulations to the crew at Heavy Weight Hire for the great work they are doing to make sure the waterways and fish that live in them are protected. They go above and beyond what they are required to do, and here are some of the reasons why they won the award:
- They organised a field trip with ORC when the new water quality rules became operative, to make sure their operations would comply with the rules, in particular making sure there were no sediment discharges into streams.
- They are part of the ‘Paired Catchments’ study, which is a long-term study looking into the environmental impacts of harvesting.
- They sometimes have to cut additional tracks through the forestry block to avoid damage to historic water races, and are willing to prioritise this ahead of production rates.
- Their track rehabilitation is often in excess of the environmental standards that have been set.
While forestry activities generally remain the same for many years while trees are growing, the short-term impact of harvesting and replanting forestry blocks can damage the environment and harm our waterways.
We often focus on other farming practices when it comes to water quality in rural areas of Otago, and it's easy to forget that forestry can also have an impact if not managed well. If you have a forestry block on your land, make sure you give us a call before harvesting it so we can help you with the information you need.
Happy reading,
The ORC team
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Gypsy Day is just around the corner, and we remind you to please stand your stock before transporting them so you can keep the muck off Otago's roads, and make sure nothing nasty reaches any of our waterways. Otago has numerous effluent disposal sites; you can find them here: http://bit.ly/2r66Fuv |
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| Updates from your liaison specialists |
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Bruce Monaghan - Central Otago
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The need for sound fish and flow data was highlighted during the Expiring Deemed Permit forum held in March in Alexandra. This information helps start discussions with iwi, DoC and Fish and Game, who are the statutory organisations that are potentially affected parties to water permit applications.
Many deemed permit holders and consultants are now aware of what data is available on the Fish and Flow portal, but we know some people are unsure if this data is sufficient for discussions with affected parties.
To resolve this, ORC staff recently met with representatives of the affected parties group to determine an approach for assessing where additional data may be needed. This will ultimately help applicants to arrange for either fish surveys to be carried out, or water flows to be determined.
Once completed, catchment maps will be tagged to show where extra fish data is needed so keep an eye on the website for updates (the link is below). This could be either gaps in information or the need to update older surveys. Reference will also be made to flow status. This will help all parties associated with the deemed permit renewal process, including ORC staff, statutory bodies, and deemed permit holders.
Go to orc.govt.nz/fishandflowportal to find out more.
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I spent a day with Landcare Trust and other interested groups recently, looking at three citizen science projects on the Otago Peninsula.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable (if not slightly wet and cold) day, starting with the Tomahawk lagoon project where we were given an outline of the water quality issues and the subsequent data collection undertaken, including a great demonstration by school kids involved in the project.
Next stop was the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity group, who explained how they have eradicated 11,000 possums to date and what the next steps are for their project, including controlling other pest animals - it was fascinating!
Last stop was the Marine Meter Squared (Mm2) project run by the University of Otago Marine Studies Centre, where the community can investigate a square metre of their sandy or rocky shore and are then encouraged to upload their observations onto the website.
I was inspired by these impressive citizen science projects that not only help bring communities together, but also aim to help our environment and waterways.
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It seems that many of you are thinking about your waterways at the moment (which is great), as I have had a few enquiries about riparian planting and questions about whether we have any requirements around this in our Water Plan.
In most cases, planting around the bed of a river is a permitted activity so long as you have measures in place to control sediment and there won’t be any resulting erosion or flooding. There are a few exceptions, such as using pest plant species including crack or grey willow, but let me know if you would like any further information as I'm happy to help you out.
Speaking of restoration work, I went to a planting day in Waitahuna recently. Landcare Trust hosted an awesome day out and more than 600 plants went in the ground with help from children at Lawrence Area School. It was great to hear about work being done in the catchment by the Department of Conservation in conjunction with Contact Energy, and to see an electric fishing demonstration.
Riparian planting can help protect our waterways and improve water quality by filtering sediment and nutrients, preventing stock access, improving biodiversity, and stabilising banks. Plus, it's a great way to enhance the aesthetics of your land.
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I’ve just taken off my gumboots after spending several rewarding hours on Simon and Kirsten Engelbrecht’s farm at Stoneburn. Simon and Kirsten are the deserved winners of the 2017 Otago Ballance Farm Environment Supreme Award and it is inspiring to experience first-hand how naturally these guys incorporate caring for the environment into their farming operation.
They have much valuable information to share, and hosted a field day on their property today (19 May). We'll give you a run-down in the next issue of On-Stream.
North Otago Sustainable Land Management Group (NOSLaM)’s new North Otago farmer-focused project is now up and running. Over the next year, ORC and North Otago Irrigation Company (NOIC) will be monitoring the quality of small tributary creeks off the Kakanui River, and Waiareka and Awamoko creeks. NOSLaM will use the results to inform and engage the landowners within each small tributary catchment.
This initiative offers a great chance for locals to find local solutions and show what can happen when farmers roll their sleeves up. So far two meetings have been held in the Awamoko and Waiareka catchments. The next round of meetings will be in the Kakanui catchment. If you’d like to know more about this and get stuck in, please contact me.
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| All the best to those dairy farmers moving to new farms at the end of this season. Remember if you are employing someone new to the region (or you are moving into the region), check out our website for water plan rules relating to dairy farming practices ( orc.govt.nz), or call one of our liaison specialists on 0800 474 082. |
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| Do you have old pesticides lying around that you need to get rid of? There's a free collection to clear NZ of DDT and other pesticides that have impacts on health and the environment. Check out thegreatddtmuster.co.nz for a list of some common brands and how you can get these pesticides collected and destroyed. |
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| MPI, DairyNZ, and Beef + Lamb have put together a great brochure to showcase three case studies of Central Otago farmers who winter graze dairy cows. There's some useful information in here: http://bit.ly/2q8DQzS |
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What's coming up?
- Annual Plan consultation
- 12 May - Submissions closed
- 22-26 May - Hearings
- 28 June - 2017/18 plan adopted
- Minimum flows for Manuherikia and Arrow Rivers. A preferred option for the minimum flow on the Manuherikia River will be presented to the community towards the middle of the year (there have been two rounds of community consultation). Consultation for a minimum flow on the Arrow River will begin towards the middle of this year and we'll let you know meeting dates and venues closer to the time.
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| If you missed the summer issue of ORC's quarterly newsletter 'Waterlines', you can check it out here: http://bit.ly/2mtj4XR. The next is due out soon so keep an eye on your letterbox. |
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| If you know someone who should subscribe to On-Stream, forward this email to them and suggest they email us at water@orc.govt.nz to subscribe. |
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| Make sure you like the 'Good Water in Otago - ORC' Facebook page - click the Facebook link below. |
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