Smothering Gully restoration programme providing real benefits

Fencing and weed control at Smothering Gully, around 8km north-east of Waipara in North Canterbury, is providing real environmental benefits including protecting water quality and biodiversity in the Omihi Stream. “A fence has been installed alongside Smothering Gully Stream to create a buffer from farming activities and protect the otherwise pristine stream,” said Jo Abbott, Team Leader Biodiversity for Environment Canterbury. Smothering Gully Stream is about 4km long and drains the step and rugged area north of Mt Cass, and flows to the Omihi Stream, a tributary of the Waipara River. “Smothering Gully contains significant remnants of locally rare populations of southern rata, filmy ferns and pygmy mistletoe. “New Zealand’s biodiversity is special because of our isolation and it is important we act to preserve our rare species as part of a more sustainable approach to land-use and economic activity. “The second part of this project is to protect important but fragile native ecosystems in Smothering Gully by controlling the spread of wilding conifers in the area.” Native ecosystems have a high capacity to filter and buffer contaminants before they enter streams and rivers. “Wilding conifers, however, have been threatening to take over the entire area and have begun to dominate native species and ecosystems in Smothering Gully. “This is why it is so important we control wilding pines.” The wilding conifers in the area – Corsican pine and Radiata pine – have been drilled and poisoned and will be left to die and decay naturally. “The less we disturb the existing native vegetation and ecosystems the better.” The Smothering Gully project is a joint partnership between landowners Hamilton Glens farm, the QEII National Trust and Environment Canterbury’s Immediate Steps freshwater biodiversity programme (part of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy). “It is most important we make it a priority to protect the remnant areas of natural ecosystems as they have the greatest potential to protect water quality,” said Jo Abbott. The Smothering Gully area is protected under a QEII covenant and there will be ongoing management of threats such as pest animals and plants. Without ongoing management these pests would have threatened the ecology and integrity of the stream and surrounding native vegetation. The Immediate Steps funding has been provided by the Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee. It has $500,000 of Immediate Steps funding towards the protection of freshwater biodiversity over the next five years. A five year $10 million ‘Immediate Steps’ biodiversity protection and restoration programme was launched in 2010 as part of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. Through Immediate Steps, $2 million each year is available for protecting and restoring biodiversity in and around freshwater habitats. Of this two-thirds comes from Environment Canterbury rates and one-third comes from land owner contributions.