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A council scheme to grow and supply subsidised trees to help stop land erosion in Northland and sediment draining into the Kaipara Harbour is being expanded to meet increased demand.
Northland Regional Council (NRC) added 2.8 hectares to its 6.3 hectare willow and poplar nursery last year and is planning further expansion as part of its upcoming 10 Year Plan.
This winter, there are 3500 fully-subsidised poplar poles for the Kaipara Hill Country Erosion Project, a joint NRC and Ministry for Primary Industries project targeting erosion-prone hill country properties in the greater Kaipara catchment area. There are also subsidised poplars and willows available to other Northland landowners keen to help control erosion and protect water quality.
Councillor Rick Stolwerk is urging landowners to get their pole orders in early, though, as demand for the young trees is increasing all the time and supplies are limited. Although non-native, the fast-growing poplars and willows are used to prevent and control erosion due to their broad and binding root systems.
“These trees play a pivotal role in stabilising land and slowing hill slope erosion,” Cr Stolwerk says. “Erosion and resulting sedimentation of waterways and receiving harbours is one of Northland’s most problematic waterway contaminants.”
Indeed, a recent joint NRC and Auckland Council study found that around 700,000 tonnes of sediment drains into the Kaipara Harbour every year, smothering shellfish beds and reducing water clarity. The study found that coastal tree planting was the best option to reduce erosion and sediment, but that could cost up to $331 million a year to implement.
The NRC willow and poplar pole scheme requires landowners to have a council Farm Water Quality Improvement Plan or a specific planting plan in place, and priority is given to applicants in areas identified as having a high erosion risk
Anyone interested in obtaining the poles should contact council land management staff as soon as possible to arrange a consultation and site visit. NRC sells 3-metre poles, which usually retail for up to $12 each, for $6, ex-GST, plus a small fee for delivery to the farm gate. Other sizes are also available.
Info: nrc.govt.nz/poplars
