Friday, March 29, 2024

Grant to fund fencing Hawke’s Bay waterways

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A joint Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and government grant of $4.2 million will be spent on improving water quality and biodiversity on the region’s farms, while also providing employment opportunities following covid-19.
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The council and central government are contributing $2.1m each towards the Hapara Takatu Jobs for Nature project.

To improve water quality, the project will fund 195km of fencing around waterways to prevent contamination from livestock. 

Council Integrated Catchment Management Group manager Iain Maxwell says the project will provide employment opportunities for fencing contractors, particularly for those who have taken on new staff in the wake of covid-19. 

“We are thrilled to get this project under way, as it will have multiple benefits for our rural community,” he said.

“Fencing our waterways on a large scale is an important part of the process to prevent excessive nutrient levels and restore water quality.” 

Maxwell says a number of landowners were in a position to commence works immediately, but were also prepared to go beyond the minimum requirements for stock exclusion from waterways. 

“We expect this project will spur on farmers to put in place riparian plantings, which help to filter sediments and nutrients before they enter waterways, prevent land erosion and increase the habitat for native wildlife,” he said.

The bulk of the fencing is expected to be completed within the next six months, with the remainder by July 2022.

The Crown funding, administered by the Ministry for the Environment (MfE), is part of the Government’s $1.3 billion Jobs for Nature programme, which aims to create nature-based jobs to benefit the environment and support the economic recovery following covid-19.

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