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The Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR) programme has set itself a target of having more than half a million native plants in the ground and a further 250km of fencing completed this financial year.
The programme is one of the most intensive afforestation efforts globally and one of New Zealand’s largest catchment restoration programmes.
Last year, $4.67 million was spent on projects to reduce sediment flowing into the Kaipara Harbour.
Pou Tātaki Justine Daw said efforts to revitalise the mauri are scaling up since a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Ministry for the Environment, Ngā Maunga Whakahii o Kaipara, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua, Te Uri o Hau, Northland Regional Council and Auckland Council in October 2020.
During its first full year of operation, the KMR worked with 285 landowners to deliver 205 new Sediment Reduction Plans (SRPs) covering more than 40,000 hectares. In addition, landowners committed to an additional 380,000 plants and 238 kilometres of fencing – more than the distance from Whangārei to Auckland.
By the end of June this year, 253 landowners were actively implementing SRPs, with a focus on fencing land and planting native trees near waterways.
Millions of local native plants are being grown in 17 accredited nurseries across Kaipara in preparation for the 2023 planting season and beyond, Daw says.
“While still early days, a key to KMR’s success has been its focus on enhancing environmental and social outcomes,” she says.
“The KMR kaupapa is to invest in local people to develop and sustain meaningful, nature-based employment, and support people who whakapapa to the Kaipara returning home to work on the project.
“Over a 6000 square kilometre catchment, genuine partnership is key to achieving our goal of planting 20 million trees in the catchment over 10 years.”
The Kaipara Moana is the largest natural harbour in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of global significance. It is the home of rare and threatened species, including migratory birds, and contains some of the rarest ecosystems in New Zealand, including sand dune, sea grass, freshwater and estuarine wetland ecosystems.
The harbour is also home to several iwi/hapū groups, with local taonga species providing food and medicine, underpinning cultural practices and connecting people to place. The Kaipara is also the breeding ground for New Zealand’s valuable snapper fishery.
However, decades of deforestation and land use intensification have taken their toll. Today, less than 10 per cent of original native forest cover and just five per cent of wetlands remain, leading to a seven-fold increase in soil erosion and associated sediment washing into rivers and the harbour.
As a Jobs for Nature investment, KMR has a dual focus on growing people into new ‘green economy’ jobs.
Any landowners in the 640,000ha Kaipara Harbour catchment are encouraged to do their bit. Farmers, iwi/hapū and community groups who are interested in fencing off riparian and wetland areas and preparing land for planting over spring and summer are invited to complete an expression of interest at: https://kmr.org.nz/landowner-expression-of-interest/
