Award Nominee

Kainui Lake is one in a series of peat lakes that are a unique feature in the Waikato region. Peat lakes in general are a dwindling habitat worldwide due to pressures from drainage, agriculture, sub-division and peat harvesting.

Andrew Hayes has been involved with both the weed control and water quality for three lakes, A, B and lake Kainui for over 20 years. Andrew has provided knowledge, time and materials to not only controlling noxious weeds around these lakes but also creating native habitat for encouraging bird life around the lakes for the public to enjoy. The implementation of silt traps to control nutrient discharge into the water ways and the selection of plants to absorb these nutrients have been a key part to control of the ecosystem around the lakes. Andrew has been a key person in organising work groups of interested parties to carry out planting and continues to be involved in mowing, weed spraying and other maintenance and enhancement works to improve the quality of the facility.

Andrew got involved with the lakes as his farm overlooks one of the lakes (Lake Kainui) and adjoins the other two lakes.

The outcomes from the efforts that Andrew has put in would be recognition primarily and also increase funding to help the committee he is involved in to continue to maintain the lakes and to continue to improve the water quality and facilities so that all interested parties can come and enjoy this area.

The highlights would be the pleasure that the public, water skiers, fish and game, walkers, kayakers, wind surfers are now being able to get from this facility. But to keep up with what needs to be done requires time, money and resources.

The committee has the involvement with WDC and EW along with local residents but always battles limit resources it is through people like Andrew that makes these things a reality.

Nominated by: Peter Tait, Chairperson of the Lake Kainui Management Committee.