Jane Nees BOP Regional Councillor www.janenees.co.nz

A huge amount of work is being done to safeguard Tauranga Harbour. For example, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council has $6.7 million in its budget for its Tauranga Harbour programme next year – including more than $300,000 for monitoring.

The budget covers a wide range of activities including catchment management programmes to reduce sediment, pollution prevention, sea lettuce clean-up, mangrove control, support of the work of community groups, council's maritime activities, and funding to dredge the Opureora channel for the Matakana Ferry.

There is also funding to support the co-governance entity which will be established as a result of the Tauranga Moana treaty settlement.

A really good initiative which foreshadows the co-governance entity is the Te Awanui Tauranga Harbour Advisory Group – a collection of councillors from the regional council, Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council, and iwi representatives who get together periodically to discuss who is doing what around the harbour.

For the first time we are seeing the wide range of work being done across the harbour by various entities – and it is very exciting to get this integrated picture.

There are lots of linkages and opportunities to work together positively for the benefit of the harbour and its communities

The new operating environment may be concerning to some, but it does offer huge potential benefits.

If you have views on this or any other issue, you can email me at neesj@xtra.co.nz or ring me on 07 579 5150.