Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s trial of ‘floating wetlands’ on the Tukipo River in Central Hawke’s Bay will feature on Television One’s Rural Delivery programme this Saturday at 7.30am.
The ‘wetland’ is the first of its kind in New Zealand and consists of plants growing on a buoyant mat. It is particularly efficient in removing nutrients from waterways.
The Tukipo has the poorest water quality in the Ruataniwha Plains and is surrounded by intensive farming.
The Regional Council is collaborating with NIWA on the project with the aim of removing ninety percent of the nitrogen in the catchment. Both organisations see floating wetlands as a potentially useful tool in reducing the impact of intensified land use on waterways.
Showdown Productions filmed at the wetland site earlier this year.
Rural Delivery is also broadcast on TVNZ 7 on Saturdays at 6.10pm & 10.35pm, Sunday at 12.35pm and the following Saturday at 7.10am. The programme will also be available online on TVNZ 7’s website. |