The Press

East Coast Storms highlight the Benefits of Tree Planting

- Alex Wilson - Te Uru Rakau – The New Zealand Forest Service

"Loss of productive land through erosion has a significan­t impact on the environmen­t, economy and local communitie­s. So, while we can't prevent storms and floods happening, we can help mitigate against the impacts on people and livelihood­s from slips and erosion, in particular by planting trees," says Alex Wilson, grants and partnershi­ps director, Forest Developmen­t, at Te Uru Rakau – New Zealand Forest Service. Alex Wilson says erosion and its effects in hill country areas alone are estimated to cost New Zealand's economy $250 million to $350 million a year. "Taking steps to reducing erosion in the upper areas of a catchment is much more cost effective than putting in flood-control structures in the lower areas and cleaning up after a flood. Te Uru Rakau – New Zealand Forest Service works to protect farmland from storm damage by supporting farmers to plant trees to stabilise land, re-establish vegetation, or retire their most vulnerable areas.”

"Not only does this work retain productive soils on farms, it also reduces sediment entering waterways and potential downstream damage. It is particular­ly important to build on-farm resilience now in the face of a changing climate,” Alex Wilson says.

The Sustainabl­e Land Management

Hill Country Erosion Programme is the Government's primary means of reducing soil loss on private land – through actively partnering with councils. "Establishi­ng partnershi­ps between farmers, councils, and Te Uru Rakau – New Zealand Forest Service is fundamenta­l to the programme's success. Since 2007, more than $200 million has been invested in erosion control through the programme. This includes

funding from central government, councils, and farmers. We encourage farmers to work with local councils through these voluntary programmes – plan how to best protect the vulnerable parts of your property and get support to take action." Gisborne-Tairawhiti is the latest region to suffer significan­t storm damage, particular­ly in the township of Tokomaru Bay, which has been cut in half by damage to a bridge on the main highway, and in Wairoa which has seen more storm damage on farms than cyclone Bola from the 1980's. "Tairawhiti has a significan­t proportion of highly erodible land – 3 times higher than in other regions across New Zealand. In recognitio­n of the severe erosion problems in the Tairawhiti district the Erosion Control Funding Programme (ECFP) was establishe­d in 1992," Alex Wilson says. "Since that time, ECFP has partnered with Gisborne District Council to assist landowners in the planting or retirement of over 45,000ha of the most erodible land features in Gisborne. "While this is a significan­t improvemen­t, work still continues to reduce the impacts of erosion on the district; impacts most acutely felt by farmers and rural communitie­s during heavy weather events, like the recent downpours on the east coast."

Evidence of Hill Country Erosion Programme (HCEP) initiative­s leading to more sustainabl­e land management can be found in a series of case studies around New Zealand, including in Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Whanganui, Nelson, Waikato, and Greater Wellington.

Alex Wilson says the case studies clearly demonstrat­e how HCEP is funding the right tree in the right place for erosion control, helping to prevent erosion in hilly country, which means less sedimentat­ion flowing downstream – and better water quality for Kiwis to enjoy.

 ?? ?? Severe farm erosion in Wairoa April 2022
Severe farm erosion in Wairoa April 2022

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