Taranaki in transformation

The scope of Taranaki’s streamside fencing and planting programme was highlighted today as the Prime Minister, John Key, launched a booklet chronicling its achievements and targets.

The new book, called Transforming Taranaki, focuses on the achievements and rationale of Taranaki’s Riparian (streamside) Management Programme, under which thousands of kilometres of streambanks are being fenced and planted.

The Council Chairman, David MacLeod, says the programme is one of New Zealand’s foremost environmental enhancement projects. Fencing and planting plans have been prepared for almost 2,400 individual properties, covering 96% of Taranaki dairy farms.

So far these plans have resulted in 1900 km of new fencing and the planting of more than 2 million native plants. The latter are supplied by the Council, which tenders for bulk supply to keep costs down for farmers.

“Science proves that fencing and planting streambanks pays big dividends in protecting and enhancing the quality of waterways,” says Mr MacLeod. “Our streams and rivers are generally in good shape today, and this project will secure a healthy future for them as agriculture develops and land use intensifies.

“It’s not just the large-scale vision and the environmental dividends that make this a unique project. The on-farm fencing and planting work is voluntary and unsubsidized, yet the uptake and support by our farmers far exceeds that which we see in similar but state-funded projects overseas.”

But Mr MacLeod says the region has set itself ambitious targets under the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord, and the pace of fencing and planting needs to increase if they are to be met.

Leading the way are the 240 farmers who have completed all the work required on their properties, and Mr Key today presented Certificates of Completion to two of them – Wayne and Joy Peters, who farm near New Plymouth; and Alan and Barbara Harvey, of Shantilly Farms near Opunake.