Kaimaumau wetland
| Kaimaumau wetland | |
|---|---|
 Landsat image centered on the Kaimaumau wetland, Northland | |
| Location | Northland, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 34°53′47″S 173°13′47″E / 34.89635°S 173.229675°E |
| Area | 1,860 hectares (4,600 acres) |
The Kaimaumau wetland is a wetland by the Rangaunu Harbour, in Northland, New Zealand. At approximately 1,860 hectares (4,600 acres), it is one of the largest remaining wetlands in Northland. It comprises the Otiaita and Waihauhau swamps, Motutangi Swamp Scientific Reserve, and Lake Waikaramu. The wetland is currently threatened by peat mining and by water loss from avocado growing.
Biodiversity
Kaimaumau is home to a large number of rare or endangered New Zealand plants, birds, and reptiles, and is biologically significant because of its mixture of dunes and wetlands.[1] The presence of native mudfish and eels qualifies Kaimaumau wetland as a Significant Natural Area (SNA) under the Resource Management Act.[2] From a biodiversity viewpoint, it is considered the second most important wetland in Northland, which has lost 94.5 percent of its wetlands.[2] It has rare orchids such as Thelymitra "Ahipara", one of New Zealand's only two native sun orchids.[3] Kaimaumau is home to fernbirds and marsh crakes. Its threatened plant species include Utricularia australis, Utricularia delicatula, the clubmosses Phylloglossum drummondii and Lycopodiella serpentina, and the ferns Todea barbara and Thelypteris confluens.[4] Sydney golden wattle is an invasive pest species in the wetland, replacing native shrub species in dryer areas.[4]
Threats
Like many wetlands in Northland, Kaimaumau contains
The iwi
Seventeen avocado growers plan to plant 670 ha of avocados near Kaimaumau, and were granted rights to take over 2 million cubic metres of water a year from the Aupouri aquifer which supplies the wetland. The growers claimed avocado orchards would provide 70 seasonal jobs and millions of dollars of spending in the area.[7] DOC have appealed the consent, citing concern over the possible drying of the wetland, and the lack of baseline monitoring to measure the effect of the increased water take. Any drying would allow the establishment of invasive wattle, a pest plant in the reserve. Five avocado growers began planting trees before the resource consent was granted, but although they were taking 10 times the permitted water allocation, none were prosecuted; all were given interim consents or abatement notices.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Kaimaumau kauri gum scheme faces hurdle". Northland Age. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- ^ a b c "DoC joins fight for Kaimaumau wetland". Northland Age. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- ^ a b Hansford, Dave (19 June 2015). "Swamp Monsters – the Looting of Northland's Sunken Assets". Public Address. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ^ a b Hicks, D. L.; Campbell, D. J.; Atkinson, I. A. E. (2000). "Options for managing the Kaimaumau wetland, Northland, New Zealand" (PDF). Science for Conservation. 155: 1–75.
- ^ Evans, Kate (Nov–Dec 2016). "Buried treasure". New Zealand Geographic. 142.
- ^ a b c Williams, Lois (18 April 2018). "Govt could take 400ha Northland peat dig to court". RNZ. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- ^ a b Hancock, Farah (10 December 2018). "Avocado growers in Environment Court water fight". Newsroom. Retrieved 2018-12-10.