Further education and monitoring efforts to roll out for Taharoa Domain visitors

Education and monitoring will be the main focus to stop freshwater gold clams from establishing in Kaipara District’s Taharoa Domain and Kai Iwi Lakes.  

At the November council meeting elected members considered a recommendation from the Taharoa Domain Governance Committee to temporarily close the boat ramp at Lake Taharoa. Motorised boats and jet skis are considered by Northland Regional Council to be the highest risk for gold clam transferring to the lakes.  

After lengthy discussion, elected members noted the information provided by Northland Regional Council on the risk posed by gold clam and the current lake conditions, and agreed that KDC staff alongside Te Roroa and Northland Regional Council will continue education and monitoring efforts over summer, but that the boat ramp would remain open.  

Kaipara District Council Mayor Craig Jepson said elected members sought a balance between the impact of closing the boat ramp and the risk to the lake.  

“There are many tools in the toolbox to reduce the risk of the invasive clam getting into Taharoa Domain. At this time elected members have agreed education and monitoring remains the right way to go at this stage. We will keep monitoring the situation for any changes and change our approach if we need to.” 

“We know that MPI is actively working on a response and we will be looking to them for support to help protect the wider Northland region.”  

Hayley Worthington, Kaipara District Council General Manager for Customer Experience confirmed staff, alongside Te Roroa and Northland Regional Council, would continue to support regional monitoring and education efforts for visitors and campers as per the Biosecurity NZ national response and the regional council’s Clean, Check, Dry summer advocacy programme. 

View the Council Meeting discussion and decision on the Kaipara District Council YouTube channel (3:15:58 minutes in).  

About golden clam (information taken from Northland Regional Council report presented to council): 

The freshwater gold clam was found in the Waikato River in May 2023 and poses a great threat to freshwater lakes and rivers in Northland. The clam has spread 100km down the Waikato River, between Lake Maraetai, near Mangakino and Hamilton City. A single clam can produce 400 juveniles a day under favourable conditions, with greater than 70,000 juveniles being produced per annum. Gold clam has been classified as an unwanted organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993.  

To move or spread gold clam or water that may contain it is an offence under the Act. 

Find out what you can do to help prevent gold clam: Freshwater gold clam - Pest control hub - Northland Regional Council (nrc.govt.nz)