On 27 November 2018 Waikato District Council adopted the Natural Reserve Management Plan.
Reserve management plans provide direction for the future development, management and use of reserves.
Determining community and environmental protection preferences and establishing the best means to provide for them are essential ingredients of good management planning. A management plan provides the community with certainty about the function and management of each reserve that is managed by Council. It also helps ensure that management decisions are consistent with the principles of the Reserves Act 1977.
The primary purpose of Natural Reserves is to provide opportunities for protection and enhancement of the environment, and for people to experience nature. The definition of nature and natural is widely defined to include: native bush areas, wetlands, coastal and lake margins, forestry, farm parks, esplanade and restoration areas or other natural landscapes. This plan will provide for consistent approach to the management of these reserves in the Waikato district.
Some of the District’s destination lakes have existing reserve management plans and are therefore excluded from the scope of this document.