Hill country erosion fund open

Applications are being sought for more than $300,000 worth of funding for soil conservation mitigation on highly erodible hill country, including fencing for natural reversion, fencing native bush and planting native trees.

Tui Shortland, who chairs the Northland Regional Council’s Natural Resources Working Party, says the council has $160,062 for planting natives across 37 hectares of Northland during the 2025-26 planting season (June, July and August 2025).

It has another $151,840 for fencing to retire highly erodible land from grazing.

The fund is available to Northland landowners outside the Kaipara Harbour catchment area, as the Kaipara catchment is covered by funding delivered through the Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR) programme.

Councillor Shortland says half of the money is being provided by the council and half from the Ministry for Primary Industries.

People interested in applying for funding can contact the council’s Land Management team on (0800) 002 004 or email [email protected]  Applications are expected to close by September/October so fencing can be completed by 31 March 2025.

Councillor Shortland says 36 hectares across seven Whangarei District properties and one in the Far North’s Awanui catchment were being planted in the current planting season.

“This planting stabilises eroding hill country helping to reduce sedimentation, which is the single largest source of pollutants in our waterways.” “Erosion and sedimentation are natural processes, however they have been significantly sped up through human land use.”

Meanwhile, Cr Shortland says over the 12 months to 30 June this year, the council’s land management team worked with landowners to exclude stock from 185 hectares of highly erodible land. This included areas of formerly grazed native bush.

Additionally, funding through the council’s Hill Country Erosion Programme is used to subsidise the cost of planting poplars and willows to stabilise movement-prone land.

Last year the council subsidised the cost of providing 28,130 one-metre poplar and willow ‘wands’ 3110 two-metre stakes and 2630 three-metre poles.

Over the next year the council plans to support events aiming to develop relationships and support tangata whenua/Māori landowners to access funding to improve soil conservation on erosion-prone land.

“Maintaining the health of our whenua for future generations is a key part of kaitaikitanga (guardianship) for tāngata whenua. We know there are many marae, hapū and kaitiaki groups already doing great mahi to protect and nurture the whenua, and council welcomes the opportunity for kotahitanga (collaboration) to support that,” Cr Shortland said.

Tangata whenua/Māori landowners who are interested in hosting an event are being urged to contact the Land Management Team.