Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Draft plan for river clean-up published

Updated at 2:09 pm on 4 August 2011

People in Hawke's Bay with a concern about farms polluting two rivers in the region have until the last week of August to make submissions on the issue.

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council has published a draft strategy for improving water quality in the Mohaka and Taharua rivers south east of Taupo almost two years after it admitted nitrate pollution was serious.

Land use near the rivers includes dairying, forestry and sheep and beef farming.

The council's strategic development manager, Helen Codlin, says land intensification has led to declining water quality in the rivers, which are recognised as among the best in the North Island for trout fishing. She says cleaning up the rivers will be a challenge.

Ms Codlin says the strategy has been developed with the help of a stakeholder group whose members include landowners, Fonterra, Dairy NZ and Federated Farmers.

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