Press Release to Waikato Times
Tui 2000 Inc receives
Substantial grants for plantings at Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park
“Two substantial grants have been awarded to the
environmental group Tui 2000 Inc. to undertake further planting work for the
next four years at the Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park (WNHP). The grants were from Waikato Regional Council,
a total of $361535 over four years and Waikato Catchment Ecological
Enhancement Trust of $80,000, also over four years – a total of $441,535,” Lynne
Garnham, Chairperson of Tui 2000, said today.
WNHP is being developed as a representative example of the
original ecosystem diversity of the Hamilton Basin and will become one of
Hamilton’s most important parks, especially significant as it is situated in an
urban environment. Half of the park has
now been planted and is already recognized both nationally and internationally,
the most recent recognition from the Society for Ecological Restoration
Australasia with a “highly commended”. The park is also in the catchment of
Lake Rotokauri and the improvements in water quality enabled by these plantings
will flow through to that lake and eventually the Waipa and the Waikato Rivers.
The WNHP is led by a community partnership and involves a
wide range of community members from council staff, academics, iwi
representatives, retired business people, students, school children, minority
groups who are passionate about the project and its vision.
“Volunteers have been planting native trees and shrubs at
WNHP since 2004, and these grants are recognition of these hundreds of people,
young and old, from all walks of life who have devoted thousands of hours to
this park”, Ms Garnham concluded
ENDS
