NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Kahu

Talking Point: Let's return pātiki to the Ngaruroro

By Rick Barker
Hawkes Bay Today·
28 Jul, 2022 09:21 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Hawke's Bay Regional Council chairman Rick Barker.

Hawke's Bay Regional Council chairman Rick Barker.


OPINION
A friend of mine whose family has lived near the Ngaruroro River for generations told me a story that sums up the state of the environment, and epitomises how far our environment has degraded.

As a boy, he and his father collected pātiki (yellowbelly flounder) from the bed of the Ngaruroro River. He can't do this any more. They are gone.

I feel sad for him and I feel sad for all of us.

Our environment has been steadily degraded over successive generations and this is without question. Restoring our environment is a must-do and our biggest challenge.

It's simple - all agree we should be able to collect pātiki from our rivers in the future. We need to restore our rivers so fish are abundant and people can swim. Our land should be nourished and protected.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Our mountains, productive land, water, and sea are natural phenomena that we are dependent on and need to protect.

I think as a community we are on the same page about our direction of travel. The only issue is the rate and pace of change.

At the regional council we view the environmental challenges for Hawke's Bay through three critical elements – climate change, water for the environment and people, and biodiversity. All of these are interlinked.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Doing nothing in any of these areas is not an option. However, we can make critical changes bit by bit that will make a big difference over time.

One of the biggest issues impacting the health of our rivers, estuaries and marine areas is sedimentation. Erosion is a natural process, yet we humans have accelerated the rate of erosion.

Sediment reduces what river channels can carry during floods, harms native species, and makes recreational activities unsafe and unpleasant.

What are we doing? Since 2018, through a combination of fencing and planting and in partnership with landowners and the community, the regional council has protected 117km of our region's waterways with 319km of fencing.

In total, 2929ha of land has been protected through our Erosion Control Scheme.

In addition, 600,000 natives have been planted and 63,473 poplar and willow poles and other exotics for erosion control.

We have invested millions of dollars in mitigation, employed more staff, planted trees, put up fences and worked with individuals and communities to take better care of our environment.

Since 2015, we have been working with landowners to manage freshwater-quality issues through farm planning, education and promoting good management practice, as well as resource consents in sub-catchments where water quality has degraded to below an acceptable level.

This is a snapshot of some of our work – there is more, much more, that we are doing.

In the coming weeks we are coming to a community hall or marae near you because we want to hear from you - our community - about the environmental issues you care about.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

We have got to the point of needing to develop a single plan that encompasses the whole environment – air, land, sea, freshwater – to combat climate change and restore our region. This is called the Kotahi Plan.

To understand what we need to do – and ensure that our precious taonga of water, land and biodiversity stays healthy in the years to come – we need science.

Our scientists and monitoring team have spent tens of thousands of hours to pull together environmental data and create our three-yearly State of the Environment report.

We will use this data to help inform our discussions with the community as we develop the Kotahi plan.

We want to hear your views about our waterways, birdlife, land and sea, and for you to be part of our journey to a healthier future.

We can restore pātiki to the Ngaruroro River, and all our rivers, but we all need to help. Let's work together to create an environment that will be our gift to future generations and let's make this the best gift we can give.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

To find out more about our Kotahi Plan meetings, go to hbrc.govt.nz, search #kotahi

To find out more about our State of the Environment report, go to hbrc.govt.nz, search #soe

• Rick Barker is Hawke's Bay Regional Council chairman. He is not seeking re-election at this year's Local Body Elections.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Kahu

Politics

Te Pāti Māori selects former broadcaster for Tāmaki Makaurau byelection

10 Jul 08:58 AM
Kahu

'Exemplar for the country': Historic iwi agreement reshapes water use

09 Jul 09:14 PM
New Zealand

'Dying needlessly': Iwi monitors call for action on low cancer screening rates

09 Jul 09:08 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Kahu

Te Pāti Māori selects former broadcaster for Tāmaki Makaurau byelection

Te Pāti Māori selects former broadcaster for Tāmaki Makaurau byelection

10 Jul 08:58 AM

Move comes after MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp died last month.

'Exemplar for the country': Historic iwi agreement reshapes water use

'Exemplar for the country': Historic iwi agreement reshapes water use

09 Jul 09:14 PM
'Dying needlessly': Iwi monitors call for action on low cancer screening rates

'Dying needlessly': Iwi monitors call for action on low cancer screening rates

09 Jul 09:08 PM
Wellington Opera brings historic tale of Rotorua soldier to life

Wellington Opera brings historic tale of Rotorua soldier to life

08 Jul 09:46 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search