Manager appointed to Project Parore restoring Katikati catchments

Andrew Butler is Project Parore's new programme manager.

Clean fresh water flowing into the northern Tauranga harbour from streams teeming with healthy aquatic life thanks to the restoration efforts of local landowners and residents, is the vision for newly appointed Project Parore programme manager Andrew Butler.

"We are already well on the way to achieving that goal. Many farmers and growers are doing amazing work to protect and enhance streams.

"I'm looking forward to expanding our scope to get even more landowners on board," says Butler, who is Project Parore's first paid employee.

Project Parore is an environmental restoration initiative based in the Katikati area covering eight adjoining catchments: Aongatete, Waitekohe, Te Mania, Te Rereatukahia, Uretara, Tahawai, Tuapiro and Waiau, all of which flow from the Kaimai range into the northern tidal zone of the Tauranga harbour.

Butler's appointment has been made possible by funding from Bay Trust and his role includes liaising with the community, landowners, primary industry, service providers and key stakeholders to plan and mobilise implementation of environmental restoration work using a catchment management approach.

Butler says in many ways he has been preparing for this role most of his working life.

"I am passionate about restoring and protecting New Zealand's biodiversity, and love getting my hands dirty.

"This is an exciting opportunity to be part of conserving our natural environment and managing our land to ensure a sustainable future."

Born and educated in Hamilton, Butler has a Bachelor of Resource Management majoring in Conservation and Ecology from Lincoln University. He has worked both in New Zealand and London in several roles including project management, town planning and conservation projects.

Butler says he is impressed at the talent and dedication of Project Parore's volunteer members.

"This is a very professional and skilled group of people who are making a real difference in our environment."

Much of his time will be spent with landowners, helping them develop Environment Plans for their properties, something which is soon to become a requirement under the Government Essential Freshwater Policy.

Butler will be working one day a week from the Project Parore office at The Arts Junction in Katikati's main street, where members of the public are encouraged to visit to find out more about the project and services available to help with environmental enhancement.

Project Parore is the new name for Uretara Estuary Managers (UEM), a charitable society formed in 2004 to protect habitat and birdlife around the Uretara estuary at Katikati.

In 2006 UEM gained Sustainable Management funding for restoration projects, followed by other grants 2008 – 2011 to extend the boundaries of that work.

After receiving core funding for the "Katikati Hills to Ocean (H20) Improvement Project" from Ministry for Environment's Freshwater Improvement Fund in 2018 UEM (now known as Project Parore) has been working with Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and local landowners to create comprehensive catchment management plans to address a range of water quality and biodiversity issues.

The parore fish has been chosen as the project's icon because parore are vegetarians, and their grazing habits helped keep algal plants in check in the harbour.

The re-establishment of parore's sediment-damaged habitat, and perhaps with it the natural control of sea lettuce, will be one measure of the project's eventual success.

For more information contact Andrew Butler : email andrew@projectparore.nz or visit https://www.uem.org.nz/projectparore