Team powers on with green corridor project
Tasman Area Community Association seeks more sponsors for the development of a green corridor along Te Mamaku Drive, between Tasman Village and Mapua.
Formerly known as the Ruby Bay Bypass, the 10km stretch of mostly public land on the eastern side of State Highway 60 is overgrown with gorse, broom, wattles and wilding pines.
The project team, a subcommittee of the association, wants to connect the Waimea estuary and Moutere Inlet with a corridor of mainly native bush and trees.
Committee member Michael Markert said part of the popular Dicker Ridge loop track went through the project area and was used frequently by walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
The project area was divided into more than 11 blocks.
With support from Tasman Environmental Trust and Restoring the Moutere, the team in mid-2022 finished clearing and planting Block 0 at the northern end, which was 500m long.
Work on Block 1, about 350m long and covering about 1.5 hectares, had been funded so far by a contribution from the Rata Foundation and a Tasman District Council community grant.
‘‘The land has been cleared at the end of October . . . and planting is scheduled for May/June 2023,’’ Markert said.
As well as Block 1, the ‘‘efficient contractor’’ had also cleared Block 2, which was another 350m and 1.4ha.
With no funding in place for Block 2, the team was appealing for support from additional local sponsors.
Markert said about $8000 was sought to cover the cost of clearing, along with approximately $3000 for spraying regrowth in April/May 2023 and $20,000 to buy about 6000 plants and plant guards, to be planted by a contractor.
‘‘This is the ‘business card’ or ‘entranceway’ to Motueka and the Abel Tasman National Park while driving down the SH60 towards Tasman and the first visible results can be seen now,’’ he said.
A Givealittle page has been set up for donations.
‘‘Please be a part of [this] ambitious project; your support would be very much appreciated by the wider community,’’ Markert said.