Economic impacts of mitigation options to reduce suspended sediment loads and improve visual clarity in the Wairoa catchment, Hawke’s Bay

The Wairoa River is significant to the iwi and hapū of Te Rohe o Te Wairoa, and is valued ecologically as well as for recreation and mahinga kai. Excess sediment entering the water is an important threat to the health and mauri of the river.

The Wairoa Tripartite (Wairoa District Council, Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council) and the Whitiwhiti Ora project (part of the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge) have formed a partnership to jointly guide the direction and delivery of a project focused on the river, particularly the impact of sediment on this taonga. As a part of the project the Tripartite created a land use scenario called the ‘best efforts scenario’ aims to investigate means of improving sediment loads in the river.