Who’s Doing What Around Tauranga Harbour

Who’s Doing What Around Tauranga Harbour

For immediate release: Thursday 28 February, 2013

The latest research, information and ideas on protecting and managing Tauranga Harbour will be the topic of conversation at a special gathering in Tauranga next Thursday (7 March).

Tauranga Moana - Te Papa; Our Harbour - Our Place will let the community and agencies know what’s happening around the harbour and catchment.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chair John Cronin said the symposium would bring together speakers from community groups, iwi, councils and research agencies and universities.

“We’re taken this opportunity to showcase the exciting work that’s happening out there in the community and what we and other agencies are doing.

“I’m looking forward to opening the day’s programme of speakers and presentations and hearing from a lot of really interesting people,” Mr Cronin said.

“We’ll hear about some of the latest research on the harbour and its catchment and what’s happening in the community to improve it.

“We’ll also hear about a variety of agency projects aimed at improving and restoring the harbour and its catchment,” he said.

“As a Regional Council we rely on good science to help us make better decisions, but often the community don’t get to know about the science so this is a great opportunity for everyone to share and hear.

Key note speakers include Rahera Ohia from Tauranga Moana Iwi Collective speaking on expectations and opportunities arising from Treaty Settlements for Tauranga Moana, and Prof David Schiel from Canterbury University speaking on research to underpin coastal ecosystems management.

Other speakers will cover topics from ecological surveys and sea lettuce in the harbour, bird life, clean ups and estuary care on the harbour edge, and local planting and broader community collaboration with the hills to the sea approach of the Kaimai catchments project.

At the end of the day's presentations there will be a Panel Discussion for participants to put questions to a panel of experts.

The event, being held by the harbour’s edge at the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club at Sulphur Point, has been organised by Bay of Plenty Regional Council, together with University of Waikato and Priority One.

Participants must register with the Regional Council before the event by either emailing harboursymposium@boprc.govt.nz for details, call 0800 884 880, visit www.boprc.govt.nz/taurangaharbour or visit the Regional Council’s Rata Street office in Mount Maunganui. The cost is $25 for adults and $10 for students.

Programme:

9am Opening – John Cronin, Bay of Plenty Regional Council

9.15am Keynote speakers:

• Rahera Ohia (Tauranga Moana Iwi Collective) – “Expectations and Opportunities arising from Treaty Settlements for Tauranga Moana”

• Prof. David Schiel (Canterbury University Marine Ecology Research Group) – “Research for Underpinning Management of Coastal Ecosystems”

10.30am – 12.15pm - Our Knowledge of the Harbour

• “Broad-scale Intertidal Ecological Survey of Tauranga Harbour” – Joanne Ellis (Cawthron Institute) and Caine Taiapa (Manaaki Taha Moana)

• “The Birds of Tauranga Harbour” (Keith Owen)

• “Measuring and Modelling Sea Lettuce in Tauranga Harbour” – Alex Port (Intercoast )

• “Effects of Sea Lettuce Smothering on Estuarine Benthic Communities” – Clarrise Neimand (Intercoast)

12.45pm – 2.45pm – Increasing Community Understanding and Action

• “Matua Estuary Care” – Jerry Cowper – Matua Estuary Care Group

• “Matauranga Māori and Cultural Health Indices – Case studies from Tauranga Harbour” – Caine Taiapa (Manaaki Taha Moana)

• “Waikareao Estuary Clean-up Day” – Otumoetai College Environmental Group

• “The Rotary Centennial Trust Kopurererua Valley Planting Project”– Ian Wilson (Tauranga Rotary Centennial Trust)

• “Collaboration, Community and the Kaimai Catchments Project” – Rob McGowan (Chair - Kaimai Catchments Forum)

3pm – 4.15pm - What are the Councils doing?

• “Action on the Ground - Tauranga Harbour Catchment Action” – Robyn Skelton (Bay of Plenty Regional Council)

• “Giving the Monkeys Back - Collaborative Pollution Prevention” – Toby Barach (Tauranga City Council) and Adrian Heays (Bay of Plenty Regional Council)

• “Sea lettuce – How is it being cleaned up and what are we doing with it?” – Craig Fea (Tauranga City Council) and Bruce Gardner (Bay of Plenty Regional Council)

4.15 pm – 4.55 - Panel session – facilitated by Tommy Kapai Wilson, Ngāti Ranginui and Pirirakau

• Prof. Chris Battershill (University of Waikato)

• Rob McGowan (Chair – Kaimai Catchments Forum)

• Tauranga Moana Iwi Collective / Ngaiterangi Iwi

• Warwick Murray (Bay of Plenty Regional Council)

4.55pm Closing – Tauranga City Mayor Stuart Crosby

ENDS

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