A Minute with Marco – August

Kia ora everyone, we are very quickly moving through this year. We have just ticked over the 2022/2023 financial year, during which we were involved with a number of projects in the district. The projects cover a number of aspects including weed control, where we have been working to reduce a number of invasive weed species including vines and some willow species. This has been carried out in the Waiau Toa/Clarence River, Hāpuku catchment and the Charwell River areas, led by our local senior biodiversity advisor, Heath Melville.

Native plantings and protecting our waterways

We have also been busy working with landowners on the Kaikōura plains around Middle Creek.

This financial year our projects continue to focus on weed control and fencing. We also have the Soil Conservation and Regeneration (SCAR) project, which I talked about in my last column, locked in for another four years. The project has a main outcome of soil conservation by planting poplar and willow poles in strategic hill country locations to prevent soil erosion, however, we also offer funding for fencing and Land Use Capability Mapping. Please get in touch with our land management and biodiversity advisor Peter Bradshaw on 027 302 2149 or peter.bradshaw@ecan.govt.nz if you would like more information.

From a consent monitoring point of view, our resource management officer Garry Husband will be out on dairy farms this year to ensure consent conditions are being met. This is a good opportunity for farmers to ask any questions they might have about farming practices and regulations.

If you aren’t sure about some rules or just want advice regarding weeds and native planting, please call our office on 03 319 5781 and one of the team will be happy to assist.

For now, enjoy the last of this cold weather and I’ll be in touch again in spring.

Take care,

Marco.