FMC has submitted in favour of a proposed Water Conservation Order for the Ngaruroro river in the Hawkes Bay. The Ngaruroro rises from the tussocklands of the Kaimanawa before descending down through the forests and gorges of the Kaweka to the Heretaunga plains. On the plains the river is braided, a rarity in the North Island and it trends north to meet the sea through the Waitangy Estuary.
The application was put by a coalition of six groups: the New Zealand Fish and Game Council, the Hawke’s Bay Fish and Game Council, Ngāti Hori ki Kohupatiki, Whitewater New Zealand, Jet Boating New Zealand, and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand. They have done a very thorough job of describing and explaining why the “outstanding” features of the Ngaruroro meet the criteria for this type of protection, which can be seen as the National Park equivalent for rivers. The detailed applications documents can be viewed here. FMC’s short submission in support of this committed effort can be seen here.
