A new trial for the Whakatāne River berm is seeing inanga (whitebait) flourish.
The riverside berm has been leased for grazing by Bay of Plenty Regional Council for many years as a convenient way of keeping the area tidy and controlling weeds. However, earlier this year, the rivers and drainage team decided to trial a different approach which will increase the environmental and amenity values of the area.
Rivers and drainage operations manager Bruce Crabbe said the project comprised multiple stages.
"Downstream of the Awatapu Lagoon outlet we're progressively retiring sections from stock grazing and converting the higher areas to a hay growing operation. In the lower, wet areas, we're improving the habitat for native fish, wading birds and whitebait along with a few changes to improve public access for recreation.