EW lifts lake grant

Environment Waikato will grant $120,000 over three years to help create a living museum at Lake Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park (Horseshoe Lake) in Rotokauri, Hamilton.

The restoration of the lakeside through the planting of about 14,000 native plants each year is considered a ground-breaking urban ecological reconstruction project.

But at a political level the funding also represents a defeat for the Environment Waikato's once-dominant Rates Control faction.

The council's environment committee, chaired by Rates Control member Jane Hennebry, had earlier recommended project funding be limited to $25,000 in the first year. But this was overturned by the full council, with the first-year grant figure upped to $40,000 after a 5-4 vote.

Councillors John Fisher, Paula Southgate, Andra Neeley, Ian Balme and Laurie Burdett supported the increased amount, with Rates Control councillors Hennebry, Pat Gregory, Simon Friar and Tony Armstrong opposed.

Ms Southgate said promoting restoration to about 60 hectares was one of Environment Waikato's core responsibilities.

She said significant cuts had been made to natural heritage in previous budgets which had led to "cumulative underfunding".

"This is a fantastic way of giving the city some of our bio-diversity spend,' she said, pointing out it was a project which would serve a large portion of the council's population.

Earlier Mrs Hennebry said she favoured a smaller grant because there would be a big scramble for money for six other projects in April. The lake was not "at risk" and was only considered 52nd in terms of regional priorities.

The additional funding will help establish the forest canopy more quickly, reducing weed problems and make the area more attractive to native birds such as tui, bellbird and kereru.

The project has strong partnerships with Hamilton City Council, Waikato University, Wintec, Tui 2000 and Nga Mana Toopu O Kirikiriroa.

- © Fairfax NZ News