The At-Risk Catchments project was jointly funded from 2020 to 2025, by the Ministry for the Environment’s ‘Public Waterway and Ecosystem Restoration’ Fund, Marlborough District Council, and local landowners.
The Marlborough Environment Plan identified Are Are Creek, Flaxbourne, Linkwater, and Tuamarina as having, or being at risk of having, degraded water quality. Targeted actions were subsidised, including riparian fencing, planting, and introducing dung beetles aimed at alleviating specific pressures within each catchment.
Another objective of this project was to offer ongoing support for forming catchment groups and community meetings. The NZ Landcare Trust has collaborated with the Council to strengthen Linkwater and Flaxbourne catchment groups and will continue promoting farmer-led, community-based initiatives.
Further plans for At Risk Catchments, or catchments at risk, will be targeted towards supporting farm projects that address positive environmental outcomes, with a reduction in contaminants to waterways.
Riparian Fencing
| Plants
| Riparian hectares planted
| Dung beetle packs released
|
|---|
26.7km
| 57,000
| 16.2
| 12
|
