Fish & Game promises ongoing support for clean-up measures in Manawatu River Accord

Fish & Game has promised ongoing and wholehearted support for the initiatives that have emerged from the Manawatu Leaders Accord Action Plan – after a progress report on the plan was released last Friday.

The Accord was signed in 2010 by industry, local government, iwi, and community leaders in a commitment to improving the state of the Manawatu River.

Wellington Fish & Game Regional manager Phil Teal says the forum “provides a focus for improving the water quality of the Manawatu River, and a worthwhile collaborative approach to taking the right sort of actions.”

He says he’s been encouraged by many of the projects that have been launched under central government’s Fresh Start for Fresh Water Clean-up Fund. “There are several projects that have seen proactive landowners take up the challenge to make significant contributions to stream fencing projects, as well as improvements being either made or planned for wastewater treatment plants in
Tararua, Manawatu and Horowhenua.

“There have been some recent monitoring results which indicate that short term (five year) trends in nutrients levels may be declining slightly. This is positive news, even if these aren’t attributable to recent activities undertaken as part of the Accord members’ initiatives.”

Mr Teal says “there was plenty of room for improvement in terms of the Manawatu River’s water quality, but hopefully, things are at least heading in the right direction.”

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