Tax Changes for Riparian Planting

A very positive tax reform for farmers undertaking riparian planting has been announced this month by Conservation Minister Nick Smith. The tax reform means that riparian plantings undertaken by farmers can now be deducted as an operational expense rather than as capital expenditure. Such a reform in the Income Tax Act 2007 allows the planting cost deductions that help to prevent or mitigate discharges into water courses or water bodies. The new reform will also be extended  from just trees to shrubs and other plantings.

This is a very positive move by the minister and will assist pro-active farmers who working hard to protect waterways and wetlands.

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Lake Waihola Waipori Wetlands Society will be held on Wednesday 10th July at 7:30pm at the Waihola Hall. All are welcome.

This year’s guest speaker will be Peter Bodeker the Chief Executive of the Otago Regional Council.

World Wetlands Day at Titri

The Lake Waihola Waipori Wetlands Society celebrated World Wetlands Day on the 2nd of February at the Titri wetlands. Working with the Department of Conservation the walking track and viewing platform have finally been completed and opened for public use. While the project has taken considerable time with technical and logistical problems, perseverance and hard work have finally triumphed. The Titri wetlands are a fine example of the retirement of agricultural land and the natural restoration of a site into a vibrant wetland area. The track and viewing platform add a new conservation and recreation asset to the Waihola community, and it is hoped that people will enjoy the opportunity to visit this beautiful area. The track opening ribbon was cut by Maureen Wiel who was accompanied by members of her family. Her late husband, Bert, was a foundation member of Lake Waihola Waipori Wetlands Society and Bert was a tireless advocate and worker for the betterment of the wetlands. After the Opening Ceremony the group shifted to Sinclair Wetlands to do some planting followed by afternoon tea.

Lake With a View

Some of the dead willow alongside private property and the Lake Waihola edge have been removed by contractors recently. The Lake Waihola Waipori Wetlands Society have been fortunate to receive invaluable sponsorship from forestry company Wenita Forest Products and Roxburgh Contracting.  The work was undertaken with skilled machinery and  forestry workers on January 31st and February 1st to remove the dead willow killed in the Society’s 2011 spraying programme. The removal work would have cost $2500 and the Society is extremely grateful to these companies for their generous donation in this task. The area will be replanted using native wetland species and fenced off to protect the planting and the lake-land edge from stock. The Society have been aided in this project by the generosity and assistance of landowner Robert Girvan and his family. The Girvan family have a long association with the Waihola region and there is discussion with local community group Waihola Looking Forward to build a walking track in the area. The open views of the lake from state highway one have been greatly enhanced and the work adds to the natural qualities and biodiversity of the area.

Black swan monitoring

LWWWS recently had a report on swan numbers from Fish and Game manager Ian Hadland. Fish & Game Otago have been monitoring Black swan numbers at Lakes Waihola and Waipori for at least the last 20 years. The high summer aerial count is done in conjunction with the paradise shelduck moult count flight.

The data shows a highly variable population and this is largely explained by the fact that they are a transient bird which tends to use a number of lakes and estuaries across Otago and Southland. Due to the low number shot each hunting season (under 1000 Otago wide) it is not thought that hunter harvest of them has a big influence on their numbers. Even the organized hunt which took place in 1999 on Lake Waihola (where around 900 were shot) failed to have any long-term impact. The population seemingly bounced back and bubbled along somewhere between 1000 and 2500 birds. Variation aside, the data suggests a sustainable population and not one which is surging as some people suggest.

Black Swan do appear to be taking better advantage of nearby pastures though and that is making them more visible and is causing concern to landowners. Some may argue that sharing a lakeside property with a bit of wildlife comes with the territory. Others are less sympathetic and want to know why swan grazing habits have changed. One suggestion is that the swan, who’s main diet is lake weed, preys upon high quality pastures in the early spring when the aquatic vegetation has been eaten out. This may not be a swan numbers issue – it could be related to water quality or clarity. Whatever the reason, when the water temperatures warm up and the lake weed regrows, they do tend to return to lake grazing.

…not a drop to drink?

The publication in March 2012 of  the “Water Quality in New Zealand – Understanding the Science” report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has been an important first step at improving the quality of New Zealand’s waterways. The report does not provide a “fix all” methodology for the challenges that we face in water management in New Zealand, but rather looks at understanding the science behind water quality. This is critical if we are to have rational debate that ultimately leads to sustainable management of water for industry, agriculture, recreation and domestic use. In the context of that debate the protection and enhancement of wetland’s such as Waihola and Waipori are pivotal in  their role to our local catchments. Importantly too, localised wetland and water management contribute to regional and national protection of our indigenous flora and fauna. The recreational opportunities afforded by water in New Zealand are a central part of our lifestyle that we enjoy as “rites of passage”. So gaining an understanding of the science that contributes to that lifestyle is important if we are to pass those rites of passage on to future generations. It would be a sad day in New Zealand if there was “water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.”

Getting Down and Dirty

Students from Otago University‘s second year Ecology programme got out of the classroom and up to their knees in wetland mud on Sunday 29th of April as part of their course. The group of 80 students and University staff Kath Dickinson, Marion Johnson, Haseeb Randhawa and Emeritus Professor Alan Mark spent the morning removing wilding confiers, silver birch and willow at the Waipori wetlands. The field trip was an oportunity for the students to undertake a practical project and to get to grips with the work involved in wetland conservation. With 80 students the large group were divided into work teams of ten and loaned tools from Forest and Bird. Each team recorded which weed species they removed and were motivated by the competitive spirit when told the team which removed the most weeds would receive an award. The “award” was a handsome trophy made from two polished pine cones and brass plaque with “Weed Whackers 2012” inscribed on it and was donated by wetland project manager Paul Pope from Spiralis Ltd. The students worked hard in the wet muddy conditions and removed 257 wilding conifers and 598 willow and silver birch  saplings and small trees from the wetland area. The winning team of Erica, Ali, Bailey, Henry, Fin, Dom and Hayley managed to remove 188 wilding trees, great effort!

After a short walk to look at the results of the aerial weed control undertaken by the Lake Waihola Waipori Wetlands Society the students took a well deserved break at Sinclair Wetlands. They then visited Ram Island and looked the restoration planting undertaken on the Island. It was great to have the students working in the wetlands and having their energy and enthusiasm helps to vitalise the Society’s efforts in the conservation of the area. For the students, there’s nothing like getting out into the field and feeling the mud between your toes and knowing you’ve played a part in a local conservation project.

National Wetlands Symposium

Members of the Lake Waihola Waipori Wetlands Society attended the National Wetlands Symposium held in Invercargill last week. With nearly 200 delegates from throughout the country, Project Co-ordinator , Paul Pope presented a paper on the Waihola Waipori weed control programme. The paper received very strong interest from agencies and groups interested in the methods used in weed control in our region. The variety of papers and discussions that were held were well complimented by two days of wetland field trips to some fascinating sites including the Waituna Lagoon Complex.

One very interesting keynote speaker was Dr Andy West, Professor of Agribusiness at the University of Waikato. He gave a challenging address on the future of farming and resource management as the planet approaches a population of ten billion people by the year 2050.  In his address he suggested that the global economic forces of wealth creation and consumption will be critical challenges for New Zealand’s primary production economy and our environment.  This was particularly relevant to the NZ dairy industry which provides $6 billion dollars of revenue to our economy. Dr West suggested that far greater use of technology to ensure “smarter” forms of pasture, soil and water management in farming are essential both for our economy and our environment under the weight of such global drivers.

Overall the National Symposium was a very thought-provoking few days that reminds us all that communities throughout the country are grappling with the complexity of wetland and water management for the good of our economy and environment.

 

Wetland Walk – What a Great Day!

Sunday 25th dawned cool but fine for the Lake Waihola Waipori Wetlands Society walk in which 100 people took the opportunity visit this great area of our region. The Society were a little uncertain over what kind of response the event would attract but were gratified to have such enthusiastic numbers from a wide range of ages. Organisers had very positive feedback from the walkers who praised the area and the route that had been marked for them. Many people commented on the scenic qualities of the area, the wetlands and how enjoyable their day had been. Nearly all of the walkers took the opportunity to visit the Gillanders historic stone cottage and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to visit the oldest dwelling in the district.

The return boat trips at the end of the walk ran really well until the arrival of a terrific thunder and lightning storm at 3:00pm which along with strong wind and heavy rain made the lake conditions too unpleasant to take the last 25 people back to Surrey Bay. However, people understood the nature of the conditions and were happy to be brought back to Surrey Bay by Society members in their vehicles, so the change in conditions didn’t dampen their enthusiasm.

The Society must acknowledge the support of all of the landowners who generously allowed access over their properties, turned off electric fences and moved stock so that the event could proceed. A special mention should also go the boat drivers from the Waihola Yacht Club who ferried over 75 people from Baker Road to Surrey Bay until the conditions were too tough to continue.

The Wetland Walk has been a great opportunity for the Society to showcase its weed control work and the importance of that work for the lake and its environs. It also provided people with a close up view of a unique place in our region that we hope people will visit more often and enjoy in the future. The Society looks forward to running this event again next year and hope to see you all again.

Wetland Walk Open Day

The Lake Waihola Waipori Wetlands Society will be holding a “Wetlands Walk” on the 25th of March 2012. The walk will be an opportunity for the public community to walk part of the south-western part of Lake Waihola to opposite the Waihola township. Local landowners who are active participants in the Society’s weed control programme have given permission for their land to be utilised in the event.

Starting from Surrey Bay Road the walk provides an opportunity to view normally unseen views of the lake and its wetland areas. A short portion of the walk will follow the Clarendon/Berwick Road and walkers will have the opportunity to view the historic cottage at the Gillander property.  With outstanding views of the lake and adjacent wetlands from the quarry on Baker Road walkers will visit the remnant of totara forest on the lake’s western boundary. This is a great opportunity to see a local area that is seldom open to the public and to learn more about the significance of Lake Waihola and its environs.

The marked 10 kilometre walk will end below Bakers Road and for a gold donation walkers will be returned to Surrey Bay and their vehicles by boat. All participating walkers must register at the Surrey Bay starting point between 10:00 am and 12:00 noon on Sunday March 25th before setting off. The route will be marked and there will be two marshal points for participants to check into as they go around. Participants are encouraged to be of a moderate level of fitness and wear appropriate walking  shoes and clothing  suitable for the conditions. There will be plenty of opportunities to stop and rest so it is recommended that walkers bring a drink and something to eat.

This is not a race but a chance to stretch the legs and enjoy one of the regions unique places.