Marlborough farmers stand up for water quality
The Council designed and built new mapping software to collect real-time data on stream conditions, fencing, and low-lying areas where runoff collects, to help inform farmers' decision-making about future management of their properties. Blenheim-based GeoInsight, which specialises in mapping and data, upskilled its staff to use the new programme while mapping properties by foot and electric bikes from February to May.
The Council launched the Catchment Care programme last year to invest in and collaborate with communities of Marlborough to improve river catchments. The voluntary programme also aligns with new Central Government freshwater rules, which will require farmers to have their own freshwater farm plans in place over the next few years. Data from the survey is confidential and belongs to the landowners, who can request information on their property from the Council.
Under the programme, the Council provides the mapping, or catchment condition surveying, at no cost to the landowners and provides government funding to incentivise farmers to build fences, establish dung beetle populations and plant natives alongside waterways. Funding for projects are prioritised over the five-year programme and based on multiple considerations - from water quality monitoring results to landowner readiness and goals for the property.
Environmental Scientist Matt Oliver said many farmers were going beyond the bare minimum, with fences being planned to meet both the letter of the law and to make additional common sense improvements to further protect water quality.
The new freshwater rules have been a real challenge for farmers, but they have stepped up and worked with us on this, he said. We've been out talking to the farming community since last year and many are keen to get involved. Now, each farmer will be able to make informed decisions about their property. The data will also help farmers with the Freshwater Farm Planning process coming in the next year.
Anyone who didn't participate in the first round of surveying is still able to participate by contacting the Land Resources team at the Council.
Catchment care officers have contacted more than 400 landowners to get permission to map their properties. More than three-quarters of the land area across seven catchment areas were mapped across Are Are Creek, Kaituna, Pelorus, Rai, Ronga and Opouri Rivers, and the Linkwater streams.
While the catchments were selected based on the priorities in the Proposed Marlborough Environment Plan, each catchment area is unique with solutions driven by the community. Some communities have formed catchment groups to discuss water goals for their area, designating one landowner to liaise with the Council on the programme.
In the Pelorus Sounds area, the Te Hoiere Project is one of the largest catchment improvement efforts in the country, and the Catchment Care programme has also completed surveying for this project.
The next step for this area is for catchment groups to meet with Council staff to discuss the results before one-on-one farmer meetings. At these meetings, farmers develop water quality action plans. Once action plans are developed, the Council can offer funding to support delivery of water quality mitigations through funding from Ministry for the Environment and Ministry for Primary Industries.
For more information:
Go to web page with catchment care programme details
View details of the Te Hoiere/Pelorus Catchment Restoration Project
Catchment Care programme update:
- 10,924 hectares mapped across focus catchment areas
- This represents 77% coverage of the land area, some areas up to 92%
- 418 landowners contacted, 1,026 hours of surveying time
- 812km of streams surveyed across all catchments
- Remediation work under way, following the survey:
- 11km of fencing
- 16 dung beetle farm packs ordered
- 0.6 hectares of native planting
- Catchment community groups establishing
Disclaimer
The information in this media statement was correct at time of publication. Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of the information.