Share view on natural resources, public urged | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Community views will be targeted in a run of workshops on the well-being and welfare of Wairarapa waterways, coast, soils, air and biodiversity.
Greater Wellington Regional Council will seek community opinions on the regional environment during a two-month series of 16 workshops around the region starting this week.
Greater Wellington chairwoman Fran Wilde said the workshops were timely because ''our environmental monitoring shows that the region's natural resources are increasingly under threat from business and urban development''.
''And there's a groundswell of concern in the community over pollution in rivers and streams, coastal erosion, air quality, and the increasing demand for water,'' Ms Wilde said.
''We also know that threequarters of the region's economy depends on natural resource _ so protecting those resources is necessary for our region to survive and thrive. But a regional council can't do this on its own _ the support of the community, business and other agencies is essential.'' Greater Wellington's community workshops would be the first step in developing a regional plan for managing natural resources in the region, Ms Wilde said.
The aim of the workshops was to get as much community input as possible, using a ''bottom-up'' approach, she said, and people ''with an interest in a healthy environment would be well-served to attend the meetings''.
''Whether you're involved in food gathering, recreation, land clearance and development, environmental tourism, farming, ecology, fishing and hunting, drainage, water use, adventure sports, and cultural heritage _ you all have a stake in this,'' Ms Wilde said.
Te Waari Carkeek, who with Ms Wilde co-chairs Te Upoko Taiao, Greater Wellington's natural resource management committee, said the involvement was also being sought of iwi partners and the wider Maori community in the region ''so that Maori cultural values and views are included in the development of the new regional plan''.
''This is all about getting the best regional plan so our environment is protected and the region has a sustainable future,'' Mr Carkeek said.
How can people become involved?
Attend one of the 16 community workshops throughout the region. The first workshop will be held tomorrow in Martinborough, with the last to take place at Rongotai College, in Wellington, on September 9.
Discussions will also be held with regional iwi groups and local councils, as well as with students in the region's primary and secondary schools.