Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Duck shooter digs himself into trouble


29 August 2016

Duck shooter digs himself into trouble




Picture shows the digger stuck in the hole. It has since been retrieved

Trying to dig a duck pond in a protected coastal marine area saw a duck shooter come close to being prosecuted by the Waikato Regional Council.

The local man used a borrowed digger to illegally excavate a pond next to his maimai near Waitakaruru in the southern Firth of Thames in February of this year. The area is part of an internationally significant wetland that extends along the shoreline between Miranda and Thames and is also one of New Zealand’s three most important coastal stretches for shorebirds.

Waikato Regional Council began investigating the incident after receiving a complaint that a digger had become stuck in the wetland. When council officers first arrived they found the machine nearly fully submerged in a large hole surrounded by piles of excavated marine mud.

The man tried to claim that he was using the digger only to remove leftover building materials from his maimai but the investigation found that he was digging a pond for the up-coming duck shooting season. The offending and resulting damage to the environment was compounded by the man then organising other heavy machines and equipment to be brought and used on site to help extract the stuck digger.

“We are very fortunate to have such an exceptional wetland in our region. Being listed as a Ramsar site recognises the need to provide additional protection to the area and its diverse bird, plant and fish life,” said council investigations manager Patrick Lynch.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“Human activity is the biggest threat to any wetland and people simply cannot go in there with 20 tonne diggers destroying habitats.” These sentiments were endorsed by the Department of Conservation.

On this occasion the man’s actions resulted in the council issuing him two formal warnings. The council found it concerning that this case followed a similar incident north of Waitakaruru in 2013 when a farmer also received a formal warning for digging a duck pond.

“There is certainly scope for some activity in the wetland. However, before considering entering with any vehicles or machinery people really need to know what restrictions are in place first,” said Mr Lynch. Information can be obtained by contacting Waikato Regional Council on 0800 800 401 or the Department of Conservation on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).


• A Ramsar site is a wetland of international importance and designated for protection under the Ramsar Convention (an intergovernmental treaty named after the Iranian city of Ramsar where the original meeting was held in 1971.) The convention recognises the important role wetland ecosystems play in providing freshwater and natural resources for use and the need for conservation and wise use of them. There are just over 2200 Ramsar sites around the world – six of those are in New Zealand.


ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.