Taranaki region

The region’s communities, industries and farmers continue to make major investments to protect and enhance Taranaki’s freshwater resources. The last single-point discharge causing substantial freshwater pollution in Taranaki was removed in 2010.

Across the region, there are nearly 3000 riparian plans covering around 15,900 kilometers of streambanks. As of October 2020, plan holders have protected 88% of their waterways with fencing and planted 77% in riparian vegetation. Further to this, 99.9% of the approximately 1800 dairy farms in the Taranaki region have riparian plan.

The Council measures up to 22 parameters at 13 river and stream sites to assess physical and chemical water quality. Ecological health is measured at 59 sites on 26 rivers and streams and recreational water quality is measured at 16 popular freshwater swimming spots annually. Wildfowl and gulls are the major source of contamination at three known sites that often exceed bathing water guidelines.

Generally, water quality is poorest in lowland urban catchments, better in lowland rural catchments and best in upland forested catchments. Overall, the Council’s monitoring shows that water quality measures are either generally stable or improving, and an ever-increasing number are improving.

TRC conducts flow-adjusted water quality trend analysis based on NIWA protocols and guidelines (following Scarsbrook and McBride 2007). This information is available at https://www.trc.govt.nz/council/plans-and-reports/monitoring-reports/environmental-monitoring-technical-reports/.