Auckland / Waikato News > August 2008

AUCKLAND/WAIKATO FISH & GAME
BI-MONTHLY NEWSBRIEF

(Published following each Bi-Monthly Council meeting)

If you require further elaboration or clarification of items contained herein, or any other matters relating to F&GC business, please contact your local F&G Ward Councillor or the office

Matters Arising from Council Meeting of 9th August 2008

1. Deteriorating situation of Taupo fishery discussed along with possibility of Fish and Game taking up such.

2. Staff’s ruling regarding maimai mark-ups confirmed whereby arrangements pertaining to distances between maimais reached between parties will only be revisited when there are changes to those who marked up the original positions.

3. Concern again expressed at increasingly alarming rate at which paper roads are being sold off by local authorities – paper roads often being the only means by which hunter and anglers access can be gained to public resources. New Zealand Council to be written to requesting the issue of a moratorium on the disposal of paper roads be investigated.
As we have requested several times before, please keep an eye on the Public Notices section of your local newspaper and if you see an application for the closure of a public road that you think is important for hunting and fishing access please let us know immediately.

4. New Zealand Council asked to explore option of placing suitable signage upon bridges spanning trout streams as a cost effective way to raise public awareness of Fish and Game and promote the resource.

5. In light of long standing good works undertaken on behalf of Fish and Game, Council resolves that Mr Malcolm Brodie of Morrinsville be presented with Council’s Merit Award.

6. Council noted that the EW CE was stepping down from his position after failing to negotiate a new contract. Council resolved to write to Mr Harry Wilson thanking him for all the help and assistance he had given Fish and Game during his term in office.

7. Further successful prosecutions undertaken for angler fishing without a licence at Taumarunui – fined $350 plus court costs of $150 and solicitors costs of $250. Another angler from Tokoroa convicted and ordered to pay solicitors costs of $350.

8. Successful prosecutions concluded arising from staff investigations during special parrie season in the King Country of two individuals shooting over their limits. Each were convicted and fined $400 plus solicitors costs of $350 plus court costs of $150.

Matters Arising from Staff Reports

1. Yet again a reminder to all hunters out there to return bands. To date we’ve only received about 150. We desperately need these bands, otherwise all the time, effort and expense put into banding by both ourselves and the volunteers who help us is wasted.

2. The following trout releases were carried out recently:

4. Cost considerations look set to halt the release of trout into Lake Pupuke with the fish alone costing some $10,000 per annum. Sponsorship opportunities are being explored. If any licence holders are able to assist in this area, please contact us.

5. Objection lodged to Waikato District Council Application to take water from Waikato River due to a lack of commitment to adequately screen the intakes to avoid the entrapment of juvenile fish.

6. Meeting held with EW consultant regarding activities of EW River Catchment Services and Fish and Game concerns regarding the impact of such work on wetlands and trout habitat.

7. Discussions undertaken with Waitomo District Council regarding Bennydale Wastewater Treatment Plant and its discharge into the Mangapehi Stream. Over the last year it has been in breech of the requirements of its resource consent. Although the Council has upgraded the plant, the discharge is still not achieving an adequate standard and we have recommended a discharge to land rather than a direct discharge to the Mangapehi Stream.

8. Waitomo District Council has approved a subdivision application alongside Gribbons Rd, the headwaters of the Awakino River. The subdivision covers the “Gaston Farm”. The District Council has agreed to the subdivision with the condition that a 20 metre wide esplanade reserve is provided beside the Awakino River which will provide public access to an extensive length of the river which will see, in conjunction with the existing reserves, about 10 kilometres of river with public access.

9. In previous NewsBriefs we have extolled clubs to get out and apply for funding for projects, however with little success. The Cocks Wetland Society however recently applied to WCEET for funds to do a predator trapping programme and received the $1,700 required to as a result.

10. Considerable time and effort spent on preparing an application to WCEET and the NZ Gamebird Habitat Trust to place some 20 ponds on Council’s 354 hectare Eastern Whangamarino property, situated next to Falls Rd at the top end of the Whangamarino Wetland. The project is estimated to cost some $800,000.

11.  Discussions held with Franklin District Council regarding proposal to upgrade the Sewage Treatment Plant (again) next to Council’s Piggot Block in Tuakau, which may offer an opportunity to have a proper repair done on the two weirs on our block and also the eastern stopbank.

12. Trees bagged up and delivered to all those clubs that had requested them. Given the cold and damp weather we hope that survivorship should be good, however this is dependant upon clubs getting the trees into the ground as soon as possible.

13. Objection lodged to a proposal to stop an unformed paper road leading into Lake Ruatuna (just outside Ohaupo) that is used by gamebird hunters for access down to the lake.

back to Reel Life