Preventing erosion in hill country
Landowners in North Canterbury can apply for funding to help combat hillside erosion through the Soil Conservation and Revegetation Programme (SCAR).
Pole planting to combat farm erosion
The programme aims to:
- Retain productive soils
- Reduce sediment washed into waterways through erosion
- Provide benefits to water quality, biodiversity and mahinga kai
- Build on-farm resilience to climatic effects.
Farmers work alongside our land management advisors identify areas of their properties that are erosion-prone. They then work together to find the best way to mitigate this erosion.
The programme is co-funded by Environment Canterbury and the MPI Hill Country Erosion Fund, and the goal is to reach as many eligible landowners as possible.
Funding is targeted at:
- Space planting of poplars
- Fencing off areas from stock
- Catchment-scale mapping and on-farm Land Use Capability (LUC) maps to support farm environment planning
- Building staff and catchment group capacity to consult on soil conservation and farm plans
- Expanding our existing nursery (Baynons Nursery) to provide greater numbers of poplars and willows across the region.
The programme has been operating since 2019.
Support available
Our land management advisors will work with farmers on:
- funding applications associated with the programme
- prioritising land for treatment
- developing erosion control plans for their property.
Funding is currently available for landowners in North Canterbury and Banks Peninsula.
| Activity | Costs through SCAR assistance | Additional information | Farm Environment Plan (FEP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poplar poles | Poles are provided at a discounted price of $5 per pole + GST and delivery Protective sleeves | Poles are 3 metres long | Recommended but not required |
| Land Use Capability (LUC) Mapping | Free mapping | To assess the physical characteristics of the land, to help landowners understand the capability of the land to make sustainable land-use decisions | Not required |
| Reversion / Retirement fencing | $15/metre | Payment where fencing meets specified criteria and on inspection. Typically 8-wire post with droppers/battens. Stock must be permanently excluded | A current FEP is required |
| Reversion / Retirement land | Provide up to $1500/hectare | Partial payment on invoice, remaining on inspection | A current FEP is required |
Farm nursery installation
The SCAR programme is helping local communities establish on-farm satellite poplar and willow pole nurseries. Download our guide about installation and ongoing management of nurseries (PDF file, 2.3MB).
Ongoing measurement and commitment
Our land management advisors will need reasonable access to land to approve funding applications.
It will be landowners’ responsibility to maintain funded projects:
- Pole plantings will need to be maintained for a minimum of 10 years
- Fencing, reversion and retirement projects will need to be maintained on a long-term basis.
Staff will then liaise with farmers to measure survival rates.
Project data (fencing, planting, costs, work-in-kind, timeframes, contractors) will be entered into a geographic information system (GIS).
Getting started
For advice and help getting started, or for mapping advice, contact:
Kaikōura
Peter Bradshaw on 027 302 2149
Hurunui
Sam Thompson on 027 678 9746
Andrew Turnbull on 027 244 9502
Waimakariri
Anna Veltman on 027 549 7646
For any general enquiries, email SoilCon@ecan.govt.nz.
Find out how to order poles.
Additional information
Farm Forestry New Zealand's website provides general information on poplar poles and guidance on how to plant poles successfully.
While Landcare Research’s LRIS portal (Land Resource Information Systems) provides national information on soils.
Useful fact sheets and brochures
Baynons Nursery
We manage Baynons Nursery, which supplies poles funded through the Soil Conservation and Revegetation Programme.
- Read more about Baynons nursery products and prices
- To find out about funding for erosion control, email SoilCon@ecan.govt.nz.
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