Progress is being made but plenty of work remains in the longstanding battle to minimize erosion on Kaipara hill country and reduce sedimentation of the sensitive Kaipara Harbor and waterways, the Northland Regional Council (NRC) said in its latest release.
The milestones have been achieved with funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) Hill Country Erosion Fund, established for regional projects that help hill country farmers treat erosion-prone land and implement sustainable management practices.
The NRC received a $666,000 share of the fund in 2015.
“These are encouraging results that are a credit to our land management advisers and the landowners they are working with,” the council’s chairman Bill Shepherd said. “It’s very much a hands-on effort for our advisers who are working direct with Kaipara farmers on their soil conservation initiatives.”
“I think this shows what can be done when people work together with a common goal. We’ve made a start on reducing Kaipara’s erosion, though it will be some time before we see significant results in terms of reduced sedimentation in the harbor. This is a long-term project to right a long-term problem.”
In addition, the council is leading a Kaipara Harbor sediment mitigation study funded by the Ministry for the Environment and involving NIWA, Landcare Research, Streamline Environmental and Auckland Council.
This two-year project is improving understanding of the sources and ecological influences of sediment on freshwater and harbor systems.