Report on Waikato and Waipa rivers sets benchmark
A whole of catchment Report Card for the Waikato and Waipa rivers has been released by the Waikato River Authority giving the catchment an anticipated low rating for its wellbeing.
The Report Card was produced by NIWA, Diffuse Sources Ltd and the Waikato Raupatu River Trust on behalf of the authority.
The whole of catchment Report Card grade is a C+ and scores across eight different indicators; Water Quality, Water Security, Economy, Kai, Ecological Integrity, Experience, Effort and Sites of Significance. The Report Card score is not a pass with a C grade regarded as a low rating meaning overall the standard of river catchment falls short of the expectations of the vision and strategy for a healthy Waikato River.
Holistic approach to benchmarking
NIWA’s Chief Scientist for Freshwater and Estuaries, Dr John Quinn, who led the Report Card project, says being able to assess catchments holistically is becoming best practice internationally, and it is anticipated the process for evaluating the Waikato and Waipa rivers will create a benchmark and a focus for future restoration. He says the Report Card is internationally unique in being underpinned by indigenous and community values, rather than purely science driven. It had ongoing input from an iwi advisory group and the Waikato Regional Council’s extensive environmental and social databases were key information sources, as well as over 30 subject experts from 10 organisations.