April 02, 2019
Trees best bet for harbour clean up
Hokianga is set to get some high level political focus on Friday as Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Forestry Minister Shane Jones head to Rangi Point for a hui on land use.
Mr Jones says before crossing the harbour they will attend the blessing of a new seawall at Opononi, which was built as part of a $5 million project by Land Transport New Zealand to improve the road that loops from the Bay of Islands through to Waipoua Forest.
He says the Rangi Point hui is in part a response to the protest at Waitangi this year over the quality of water in the region and the health of the harbours.
"For the small part that I'm responsible for on behalf of the government, the future health of the Whangapē, Herekino and Hokianga harbours depends on land use and one thing we can do in that part of the country is work with landowners and plant lost more trees, right tree, right place, right time," Mr Jones says.
He says despite a wall of wood having come out of the north over the past decade or so, there have been no tangible benefits to the region in terms of infrastructure development or downstream jobs.
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