TARGETING TWO MILLION TREES

The Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR) Project is fasttracking the planting of its two millionth tree, having achieved its one million trees target in August 2023. After doubling the rate of planting between its first and second year of operation it’s now working hard to double that again over the next year.

KMR was founded in 2020, becoming the largest landscape programme underway in the country. It aims to reduce sedimentation of the Kaipara Harbour and under the agreement signed between the Crown, Northland Regional Council, Auckland Council, Ngā Maunga Whakahi o Kaipara, Te Uni o Hau and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whatua funding is made available to landowners in line with this objective.

At the end of October last year, KMR had engaged with 676 landowners, making up around 45% of the estimated 1500 landowners in the catchment. 514 sediment reduction plans had been completed with landowners with over 100,000 hectares now managed under these plans or Tiaki farm plans.

Over 554 kilometres of fencing has been completed or contracted, the distance from Dargaville to New Plymouth with just under 1.275m native plants in the ground or contracted to plant. Some 282ha are planted or contracted to plant, mostly made up of narrow riparian strips.

There are now 28 local businesses and 20 nurseries accredited as KMR suppliers and 57 people have been trained as KMR field advisors, many from local iwi and hapū. A total of $11.837million in project value was completed or contracted, with an estimated 190,000 hours of new work created up until mid-2023.