Based on its extensive monitoring, the Council says that in overview, the region’s rivers and streams continue to do well.



Council chairman David MacLeod says the health of Taranaki’s rivers and streams is highly valued and is vital to the well-being, livelihood and lifestyle of everyone in the region.



“There is plenty of interest and public discussion around the water quality in our

rivers and streams. And so, as the manager of the freshwater resource, the Taranaki Regional Council closely monitors waterway quality to ensure that the discussion, as well as the Council’s own decision making, is well informed by fact and science,” he says.



“Understanding long-term trends in water quality is also an important part of our process of reviewing the Regional Fresh Water Plan for Taranaki.



“This is our third annual report card setting out the latest findings of the Council’s extensive freshwater monitoring programmes. I’m pleased to report that it is increasingly clear that freshwater quality is improving or remaining steady across Taranaki.”



Findings in summary:

• The Taranaki Regional Council’s scientific monitoring shows that in overview, the region’s rivers and streams are continuing to do well. Water quality measures are either stable or improving, and an ever-increasing number are improving.

• The trends reported this year, on the ecological health and physical and chemical state of our rivers and streams, are the best yet in 18 years of monitoring.

• Comparison with guideline limits provided by NIWA for various water uses in Taranaki shows water quality is suitable for most purposes almost all of the time.

• This is no accident. The Taranaki community continues to invest heavily in measures that protect and enhance the region’s waterways. The benefits are now becoming more apparent.

• There is still room for improvement, though, and the review of the region’s freshwater management rulebook is firmly focused on finding the best ways to achieve this.



See the full report card here: http://www.trc.govt.nz/healthy-report-for-region-s-rivers/