RMA changes outlined by Minister Chris Bishop to Forest & Bird & other stakeholders Jan 30th 2024
Development of fast-track consenting legislation and changes to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management
Forest and Bird condemns government proposals removing environmental protections (See their response below the Minister’s letter)
See also EDS response here: https://eds.org.nz/resources/documents/media-releases/2024/government-ramps-up-assault-on-our-natural-world/
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LWAG to host GNS Groundwater Scientist Uwe Morgenstern at our November 16 meeting
Topic “GROUNDWATER FLOW PROCESSES & NITROGEN LAG TIME IN THE TAUPŌ CATCHMENT” - Uwe Morgenstern
All welcome - 5.15 pm Thursday November 16 at the Quality Inn Acapulco Conference Room, 19 Rifle Range Rd
Groundwater science has been instrumental in enabling the Lake Taupo Protection Project which has the aim to reduce nitrogen in the Taupo Catchment. Refining the science and monitoring continues. Uwe is a world expert in dating water and has been involved with the Taupo catchment for many years. We look forward to hosting him. Bio here:
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Research to reveal effect of climate change on Waikato River (October 2023)
The Waikato River is at the centre of a new multi-million-dollar programme aiming to reveal how increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are affecting rivers and lakes – and what that means environmentally, economically, and socially.
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LWAG to host Epro Operations Manager Rachael Glendining at our October 19 meeting
All welcome 5.15 pm Thursday October 19, Quality Inn Acapulco Conference Room.
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WRC 'Water quality of Lake Taupō & its catchment to 2020' Technical Report, Bill Vant & John Hadfield
Including: Water Quality of Lake Taupo & surface inflows to Taupo, & groundwater in the Taupo catchment.
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‘Taupō District Council to guide Lake Taupō Protection Trust’, Joint media release July 6th ; TDC, WRC, MfE & Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board
Taupō District Council is taking the reins of a trust which has played a crucial role in a groundbreaking project to safeguard the water quality of Lake Taupō.
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LWAG to host NZ Institute of Forestry President Thursday June 15, 5.15 pm
Forestry has been in the media recently with crashing log prices, contractor layoffs and claims of neighbourhoods and infrastructure being damaged due to poor practices. This is your chance to hear forestry’s side of the story.
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WRC Freshwater Policy Review engagement 2023
Freshwater Policy Review ‘drop-in’ style event: June 1st 10-12 at WRC, Taupo 100 Horomatangi St
Policy development is progressing and WRC will consider the feedback they have received from communities, stakeholders and tangata whenua, alongside science information about the state of waterways and trends across the region.
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Our freshwater 2023 Statistics NZ Report
Our freshwater 2023 is the latest in a series of environmental reports produced by the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ has found poor water quality is affecting people and the environment.
As well as this there is a Lakes380 report showing that half of country's lakes in poor health - New Zealand scientists say almost half of the country's lakes are in poor health, but it's not too late to fix them.
Lakes380, a collaborative project between GNS Science and the Cawthron Institute, wants more resources to clean 1700 lakes that are contaminated. The project has been measuring the health of lakes throughout Aotearoa. ‘Our Lakes’ Health: past, present, future’ https://lakes380.com
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Changes to water services reforms April 2023
The Minister of Local Government, Hon Kieran McAnulty, has announced changes to water services reforms.
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The Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ have released the latest national report on the state of our freshwater.
Our Freshwater 2023 details the key pressures on New Zealand’s lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and aquifers, and the impact of declining water quality on the economy, the environment, and our physical and cultural health. https://environment.govt.nz/publications/our-freshwater-2023/
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LWAG hosting John Gifford, Lake Water Quality Soc Chair, (Rotorua) at April 20 meeting
John Gifford will update us on ‘Rotorua Lakes Issues and Community Responses’ .
All are welcome Thursday 20th April, 5.15 pm at the Acapulco Motel Conference Room, 19 Rifle Range Road
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Waikato environmental disaster: 'Thousands of birds die at important wetland, from deadly disease caused by pollution' March 2023
Agricultural and industrial run-off have caused a botulism outbreak that has killed thousands of birds at Whangamarino Wetland near Te Kauwhata and Meremere. - Stuff article Andrea Vance, Mar 19 2023
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LWAG hosting Mercury Hydrologist David Payne at February 16 meeting 2023
LWAG are hosting Mercury Hydrologist David Payne who will present "Lake Taupo 2022 High Flow Sequence & Management Update" 5.15 pm Thursday 16th February, Acapulco Motor Inn conference room 19 Rifle Range Rd
Agenda here:
We look forward to seeing you.
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'Swollen Lake Taupō soaks up floodwaters to protect Waikato River communities' Rotorua Daily Post 31 Jan
High rainfall means Lake Taupō is sitting at its highest level in more than a decade.
The level of Lake Taupō is managed by Mercury Energy via the Control Gates Bridge, a few hundred metres downstream from where the lake flows into the Waikato River.
Resource consent conditions stipulate the lake level should be kept at a range between 355.85 and 357.25 metres above sea level. Mercury was holding water back in Lake Taupō earlier this week to take pressure off flooded downstream catchments, including Lake Karapiro.
As a result, the level of Lake Taupō surpassed the maximum after the weekend’s rain, triggering a high flow management plan.
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EDS template submission on Natural & Built Environment Bill & Spatial Planning Bill Jan 2023
The Environmental Defence Society has produced a template to help those interested in submitting on the Bills. The Bills, which will replace the Resource Management Act, will provide the legal framework for managing Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural and built environments for decades to come. It is therefore critically important that we get them right.
EDS hopes that its template submission will make it easier for people to get involved in this once in a generation process. The template identifies key problems with the Bills that need fixing, and positive aspects that should be retained.
Submissions on the Bills to the Environment Select Committee close on 5 February 2023.
EDS’s template submission is available here
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LWAG hosted WRC Zone Manager Itty Nikolau at our September 15 meeting
The WRC Upper Waikato & Taupo Zones Update included outputs and achievements 2021/22, partnership projects and more.
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Newly formed Taupo Climate Action Group publishes results from local body candidate questionnaire, Sept 2022
Taupo Climate Action Group - new initiative
Please contact Jane on janehadiadup@hotmail.com if you would like to be involved
Next meeting: Friday 21st October 1pm, upstairs at the Taupō Library – all welcome.
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Taupō District Council adopts climate change directives 31 Aug 2022
Taupō District Council has demonstrated its commitment to helping address climate change, adopting a set of directives and emissions reduction targets at its August meeting.
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