Rafting operation for the ..... Mataura!

[Johnno]

You Southlanders will just love this proposal... and source of pressure and frustration for a river already creaking....

I have no idea why F and G would endorse this sort of thing. Madness!

https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times ... d=app-iPad

[Dave]

Hi Johnno. This matter was dealt with in a public excluded session so there is no detail in the F&G meeting minutes. I can assure you that F&G did not endorse the operation on the Mataura from Nokomai or the operation on the Waikaia. There was little concern about the operation on the lower Mataura.
Dave

[fraser hocks]

Yea heard about this. Id like to know more details. I totally agree with everyone having free use of the river, but when its for personal profit as a commercial operation I do have an issue. Id like to know more about the application and exactly what F&G Southland did agree to.

[Dave]

Hi Fraser
This is what is recorded in the minutes of the Southland Fish & Game Council.
"Rafting Application:
Council considered the application as presented earlier in the meeting. The application required
written approval from Fish & Game, as an affected party to the consent required for a commercial
activity.
Discussion followed with the general consensus being that in certain areas there could be
recreational conflict with intrusion on riverbank anglers & hunters. There were also safety
concerns during the duck hunting season. The opening of the fishing season was another area
where conflict could arise. Council generally agreed that it was a passive mode of transport &
disturbance to the river would be minimal but could have consequences to the river during summer
months and low flows, if pushing of rafts occurred, which would disturb the bed of the river. The
lower reaches were of no concern to the Council however the Upper Mataura and the Waikaia
were two areas of huge concern as they were very popular with licence holders and they believed
that conflict could arise.
After discussions:
Resolved Cochrane / Harris that the Council supported the rafting application in principle
with the exclusion of the Upper Mataura (Nokomai beat) & the Waikaia. Carried with Dave
MacGregor & Chris Owen against."
This is on the F&G website so is there for all to see.
Dave

[Steve]

The river has a conservation order on it, all the way down to the seas - protecting the fisheries values, I certainly would be against it, particularly as it's a commercial operation, as it has to be impacting on the angler experience, and it potentially could be a high number of trips on a world class fishery;

Two of them to go out several times a day, two to five days per week, with the other aimed at half-day trips for tourists

[Drifter]

Hi Everyone , First post here, im not really an online person but in recent weeks have been keeping an eye on where the Rafting article miss Tohill published ended up , id like to point out the only input I had was the bit that said no comment so the end result was quite an inaccurate misleading storey that in my opinion should have not been published im sure there's a few of you out there thinking "yea rite" but if you look at the big picture obtaining a resource consent this day & age is a night mare with all the hoops needed to jump through even for a rafting activity which as we all no is simply floating down a river , how many people on here have done just that wether is a raft , tyre tube or air bed ! harmless fun , but none the less councillors have gone over this project with a telescope , I gave a full presentation to Fish & Game explaining exactly what I wanted to do and I can tell you all they have done a very good job at representing you all and my self for that matter , after all I haven't missed a game bird or fishing licence in 25 odd years so I understand your concern BUT this did not have to make headlines to have a good outcome , there's no environmental disaster waiting to happen the rafts will not kill a single fish nor muddy the river or make any noise !! ok I am wanting to take that a little further by offering a friendly service to the good people of southland or anyone passing by I mean there's only so many things to do in Gore or Mataura why not let people use what's in our back yard , just think for a moment who else aside from fisherman mite like the opportunity to enjoy the river ...safely , to be honest I am a little surprised at the reaction of some particularly a handful of fishing guides who represent only them self,s & shock horror some offer things like helicopters , jet boats & rafts to get to where they need to be !!, i am here to offer a service to anyone be that fisherman , family groups , scout groups take your pick il make a good day of it & the plan is to have hot lunch somewhere along the way , now to answer a few questions here how many rafts is too many , lets talk the Nokomai & Waikaia seen as how those 2 areas seem to be a bit of a topic , the Nokomai i have down for a maximum of 3 trips per week , your on the river i silently pass 2 minutes latter im gone and you will not see me again unless your wandering down stream for considerable distance that stretch is 20 k,s long with crap access not everyone wants too or can walk that far , especially with good food & refreshments !! we may camp a night , The lower Waikaia from waiparu bridge to Waipounamu bridge maximum of 1 trip per day , that trip is a plan B if the mataura is flooded so there you have it , is it really that big of a deal il leave that for you to decide , personally i would think there's far worse things happening to our fishery .

Regards Phill.

[fraser hocks]

Thanks for your response Phil. I think the biggest issue the people I'm speaking to is that it's a commercial operation. No issue with people rafting, as the river is for all to enjoy, but when it's a "for profit" operation then I think, as you have found you will raise some hackles

Also the low trip numbers your suggesting? So your saying that even if demand increased considerably, that you wouldn't apply to increase trip numbers?

[fraser hocks]

Also, a friend of mine, who is an American originally, told me a story of a similar scenario in his home state of Wellington. A small commercial rafting operation on a local river. Unfortunately this promoted all end sundry to float the river on an alarming regular basis.

He said the river is now a toilet, with many people drunk and littering. Suppose what I'm saying is that it might not be your tour group or operation, but that it might be the impetuous for less desirable people to do the wrong thing and ruin the river environment. People outside of your control.

[Drifter]

Hi Fraser
Yea the term commercial has been thrown around I do have a bit of a chuckle at that especially recently I mean not getting stuck into fishing guides here after all we have similar interests in that we are passionate about our surroundings , care about the environment and want to make a living doing what we enjoy , but if you think about that for a moment how many times have recreational fisherman missed out on a spot because a guide has a client on that beat first , to me that's a commercial business especially when you look at all the advertising sponsorships etc etc . when it comes to rafting its certainly not something I would recommend to just go and do you need skills to do it even out side of a grade 3 plus river , willows are treacherous there's been a few drownings and shotguns lost over the years at the idea of going for a float down the river so I feel it would be a benefit to those who wish to go for a raft down the river and not have to worry about things .
Phill.

[fraser hocks]

I really think you need to go out for a day fly-fishing a section of the rivers discussed to get an appreciation of the impact a raft floating would have on fishing opportunity.

Once a raft floats down, then your next 4-5hrs of fishing is pretty much over. So floating 20km will pretty much ruin approximately 10 beats (sections that anglers fish) with usually 2 anglers on a beat. So one raft floating down is going to put a end to a possible 20 anglers fishing day. I'v had people floating down on me in the past, and I just take it on the chin, but if it were a commercial operation then I'd suggest I wouldn't be so understanding.

I don't think you have grasped the issues that an operation like this on these rivers will raise. I hate to say it, but even if granted consent, and you went ahead with it, I'd suggest things would get very ugly streamside as your group would be upsetting so many people on their drift thorough. I definitely wouldn't want to be on a raft floating down through those sections.

The only way it may work is if rafting was to occour when the river is closed to fishing, but these are typically the colder months, so I'm guessing that is going to work?