Northland regional manager Mike Borrie says the grassroots efforts to survey and enhance riparian zones are some of the most effective and enjoyable community involvements.
“Smaller projects within sustainable catchment projects on the Ruakaka River and at Maungaturoto with Otamatea Harbour Care are among the most satisfying I have ever participated in,” he said.
“We have considerable community involvement and we get plenty of feedback from the project coordinators and the farmers.”
In these instances, Fonterra has sponsored the work of Whitebait Connection and its parent Mountains to the Sea Conservation Trust.
“This Northland community effort has been well-organised and executed and the co-operative gets regular reports of progress,” he said.
Fonterra suppliers Jarrod and Phillipa Halse milk 340 spring-calving Jersey cows on 140ha effective on both sides of State Highway 1 at Mata, 20km south of Whangarei.
Through the underpass, 20ha of the farm in nine paddocks border the Ruakaka River, with riparian fencing set back up to 15m and subject to annual flooding from heavy rain events.
Whitebait Connection established the extent of the salt water and tidal influence, about 5km from the sea, and identified a natural spawning site at the zone with fresh water.
The Halses were keen for the riparian zone to be planted and the new native trees and shrubs to be weeded and maintained.
During last summer’s big dry, they asked farm workers Obet and Alena Canlas to bucket water the young plants to ensure survival.
In August, children, teachers and parents from two local primary schools, the Bream Bay College, the local hapū Patuharakeke and Fonterra staff members in Northland came to a planting day.
They planted flaxes, pittosporums, hebes and kawakawa, while tea trees seem to self-seed and establish.
Some hay bales have been placed in quiet zones in the river and Whitebait Connection conducts fish egg counts on the vegetation.
“We have no intention of fishing the river as now we know there are some quite rare kokopu and inanga species and we don’t want to be eating them,” Jarrod said.
Beyond fencing and planting, the Halses have not changed their comparatively low-intensity stocking and farm management.
One of the first in Northland to have a Fonterra-facilitated Farm Environment Plan, the Halses say totaras for riverbank shade and stopping sedimentary run-off are now sustainable and permanent features.
They look forward to having larger riparian plants that will not need maintenance and enhance the environment for the whitebait species.
The nine riverine paddocks out of 66 on the farm are about 2.5km from the dairy and fit into the rotation without amendment.
Lime is spread every two years and some nitrogen for stimulating early-spring grass growth.
Fonterra’s Northland sustainable dairy advisor Ben Herbert worked with the Halses and 14 other farms in the catchment on their FEPs to improve biodiversity by planting and management changes.
Whitebait Connection’s national coordinator Kim Jones, who lives in Whangarei, says about 14 whitebait spawning sites had been identified in Northland, many of them on farms, whereas previously only one confirmed site was known.
Landowners were all pleased to know of their special habitats and to move fences and plant riparian zones.
“We find that whitebait habitats are a really good motivator for water quality improvements,” she said.
In the Ruakaka River the water quality issues are E. coli, clarity and cyanobacteria.
She kayaks up the rivers as far as the tidal influence extends and searches for eggs in the root crowns of vegetation on the banks.
Spawning is triggered by spring tides during the months of April to July.
Subsequent high tides or floods wash the eggs into the sea where whitebait hatch and swim back up the rivers about six months later.
Riparian fencing and planting had been carried out with the financial support of Fonterra to help stabilise banks and provide shade to help improve water quality.
She says hardy pioneer species were planted like manuka, flaxes, cabbage trees and native grasses and rushes, grown by volunteers at the He Kakano Whangarei nursery.
All plant seeds were eco-sourced locally and an especially suitable lowland ribbonwood had been propagated and used from the Ruakaka district.
Whitebait Connection also runs an education programme in schools to increase understanding through monitoring and participating in planting and care effects.
