Tom Kay, Forest & Bird Freshwater Advocate, near collapsed Redclyffe Bridge after Cyclone Gabrielle. Image Chantal Pagel
Tom Kay, Forest & Bird's Fresh Water Advocate will be talking about the Making Room for Rivers campaign.
"Many of our stopbanks and other flood mitigation infrastructure need expensive improvements to cope with this increased risk to communities. And ironically, the way these defences are currently constructed can actually increase the risk of flooding during large rainfall events."
Tom Kay, Freshwater advocate
This presentation will start with a very short walk to the Waitakere River to see the effects of the Auckland floods, before Forest & Bird's Freshwater Advocate, Tom Kay, talks about the impact of forest and wetland loss, and river engineering, on our rivers and communities.
He’ll discuss how river ‘management’ has worsened flood and disaster risk in many cases, and outline the nature-based approach we should be taking instead.
Tom has presented to communities across Aotearoa throughout 2023 and news of the Making Room for Rivers kaupapa and ‘tour’ recently featured on RNZ Saturday Morning.
This event is hosted by our Wāitakere Branch.
Bio: Tom Kay grew up in Hawke’s Bay but now lives in Wellington with his partner, where he works as Forest & Bird’s Freshwater Advocate. Tom developed a keen passion for rivers whitewater kayaking on the Mohaka River throughout his childhood and continues to kayak around Aotearoa, most regularly on Te Awakairangi / the Hutt River.
Tom has has worked at Forest & Bird for the better part of six years and has also worked briefly as a Policy Advisor at an environmental consultancy, as a field team member in a predator control R&D organisation, and as a raft guide. He has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a Master of Science in Ecology from Massey University in Palmerston North – where his thesis focused on measuring changes in river habitat over time.
For the past year, Tom has been leading Forest & Bird’s campaign to get decision-makers and communities to make room for rivers – providing space for them to flood safely while protecting their natural character and habitat. After Cyclone Gabrielle, Tom started touring the country, giving presentations to councils and events. Forest & Bird has taken this presentation in various forms to some 40 groups, and recently featured on RNZ’s Saturday Morning.