Email received yesterday and TRM response below:
Hi Ross,
In addition to the proposed Tongariro River Flood Scheme 2018/19 works distributed to stakeholders on June 29th.
Allan (Zone Manager) and myself (River Management) are hosting a public drop in session to discuss the 2018/19 proposed works programme. This is a good chance for the whole community to have an informal chat about any questions, suggestions and concerns that stakeholders have about proposed works and general river initiatives and programmes at this early stage. We are looking to display a map of the scheme and its asset. Information on recommended management strategies, their best practice guidelines and mitigation strategies will be outlined for discussion.
This drop in session will be held Thursday August 16th between 5-7pm at the TDC/DoC Service Centre Boardroom in Turangi town centre. I have invited the consent listed stake holders to choose a time slot if they so wish to ensure our undivided attention during the session. There are some time slots still available.
Would you like to fill one of these time slots? Would be good to catch up!
5:00 – 5:20
6:00 – 6:20
Kind Regards,
James.
Hi James,
re 2018/19 proposed works programme
Regret I cannot attend. (recovering from ankle surgery and can hardly walk)…
However if I could make a point that might get overlooked –
WRC’s problem is that many Tongariro River anglers who would want to contribute or comment cannot attend either.
i.e. Last weekend there were well over 100 anglers in Turangi and on the river. That is not unusual. Many are regular visitors from anywhere in the North Island. Many of these are the anglers who comment and complain to us about anything happening on the river that might affect the future fishing prospects or which they do not understand – like bulldozers and diggers in the river during early spawning runs, etc.
But none of them are able to attend as they do not live here.
They often belong to local fishing clubs who will not complain as it is out of their region. The local club – TALTAC (Tongariro & Lake Taupo Anglers Club) – only communicate with their members. The Advocates of the Tongariro river – a local advocacy group – similarly only advise their members. As a result there are a large number of concerned anglers who remain uninformed.
Many individual anglers – who may have holiday homes or stay at motels whatever – complain to us as they are very disappointed with the river “management” and we end up regretfully passing on their issues through our motel blog and facebook. From our experience after listening to them over the past 13 years at TRM their complaints are justified.
The major problem is that they have never been consulted or informed and cannot understand the logic behind all of the Tongariro River works in the last few years. I realise your meeting hopes to address this but they will still be unaware.
This is not pointed at WRC who have no way of knowing who these objectors are. It is not adequate to suggest the “stakeholders” have been informed i.e by claiming the “proposed Tongariro River Flood Scheme 2018/19 works distributed to stakeholders on June 29th. “- as they fail to communicate with the licence holders.
The only organisation that has the responsibility and resources and information on every angler is DOC. The Department of Conservation are the fishery managers but fail to inform them what is happening. Previously DOC published Target Taupo which was excellent in keeping all Taupo licence holders regularly informed. When that was published we hardly ever heard such complaints. But since DOC cancelled that the complaints and grumbling has been continuous.
More recently the NZFFA (NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers) have been far more effective at communicating with trout fishermen than DOC. WRC would achieve more using them to advise Tongariro anglers of future works programmes. Fish & Game cannot comment as they have no responsibilities in this region.
Of course DOC will claim they post your programme of works on their website facebook whatever but that is not sufficient. They just go through the motions to communicate without effectively reaching their main body of licence holders. Any casual survey of the number of facebook entries by DOC over the last year will confirm this. Any glance at the typical angler on the Tongariro will confirm they are mainly elderly ( if our own fishing guests are a good measure) who do not regularly access the internet or facebook. This is clearly evidenced by many who need the tackle shops (or us) to apply for their licence each year.
So unfortunately you have to realise the very people you are trying to convince do not live here and cannot attend and will never know of your intentions or programme unless you communicate directly with them…
Unless you object (?) we will post your invitation to attend and our response on the TRM Daily Report tomorrow – to try to encourage increased attendance.