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Executive Summary

 

This is the First State of the Environment Report produced for the Matamata-Piako District. It identifies the key policy issues within our environment and presents information on some of these. It describes the state of the environment on some issues, and provides us with a baseline of information so that we can report on our progress towards the continual improvement we strive for.

 

This project has been completed in conjunction with developing a programme for monitoring our environment against the key issues for the District and as such further reporting will identify trends in relation to our aims.



The State of the Environment

The district has a reputation as a well established dairying, horse breeding and cattle fattening area. It is situated in the eastern part of the Waikato Region and has an area of 182,150 hectares of mostly flat land. The greatest impact on the district has been land drainage and clearance, which has enabled the development of rural industries which support the economy.

 

 

Rural Development

It is important to ensure that the productive potential of rural land is maintained to ensure the development and growth of the district. Areas of highly productive soils within the district are slowly declining, mostly as a result of urban development. However, this development is occurring in areas that have been specifically identified for development. We are just beginning to gather information about rural development in relation to Council's policy and in future years will be able to identify development trends and assess how they may affect the future growth of the district

 

 

Residential Growth

The district experienced a small decline in population between 1991 and 1996. This decline is likely due to recent industry closure and removal of industry housing in the district. However, despite this small decline in the population of the district, the population within the three main urban centres of Morrinsville, Matamata and Te Aroha has steadily increased and the number of households within these areas is growing at a faster rate than the population.

 

 

Solid Waste

Council is continuing to improve the management of solid waste within the District and has implemented a waste management strategy, which identifies longterm strategies for the management of solid waste. A recycling scheme has been in place for some time and along with the promotion of waste minimisation practices has helped to keep the average annual wastage per person well below the regional and national average. Reducing the amount of waste has also reduced the costs of waste disposal, leaving the Council more money to spend on other community projects

 

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