Willie White (left, landowner), Colin Tyler (TCCG chairman), Richard Wakelin (HBRC rural partnerships manager), Philippa Fourie (Fonterra manager local government and external effairs), Larry White and Ed White (landowners) at the constructed wetland in Ashley Clinton.
Willie White (left, landowner), Colin Tyler (TCCG chairman), Richard Wakelin (HBRC rural partnerships manager), Philippa Fourie (Fonterra manager local government and external effairs), Larry White and Ed White (landowners) at the constructed wetland in Ashley Clinton.
Farmers, scientists, and environmental enthusiasts gathered in Ashley Clinton recently to celebrate a landmark achievement in waterway health and conservation in the Tukipo catchment: the unveiling of a cutting-edge, 1.6ha constructed wetland designed to reduce farm runoff contaminants and enhance local biodiversity.
Funded by Fonterra and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) in partnership with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) and the Tukipo Catchment Care Group (TCCG), the project aims to improve water quality and biodiversity in the catchment while also providing scientists with valuable data on how effective constructed wetlands are in removing nitrogen and other contaminants from farm runoff.
Tukipo Catchment Care Group chairman Colin Tyler talks with Philippa Fourie, Fonterra manager local government and external affairs.
“This project is proof of what can happen when local farmers and visionary partners unite for a shared purpose,” said TCCG chairman Colin Tyler.
“The collaboration here has been simply amazing. It’s inspiring to see farmers, eager to protect and enhance their environment, work with partners who share their vision.”
The site, once a marginal paddock set aside by the White family of Ashley Clinton, now features a thriving wetland with 24,000 native plants, adjacent to a 7ha remnant bush teeming with biodiversity.
Using Niwa’s innovative modular design, the wetland captures and treats water from about 180ha of the catchment. It features a series of cells that hold water for specific periods, allowing natural bacterial processes to reduce nitrogen and other contaminants from farm runoff.
A shallow planted zone occupies 50-60% of the wetland, with deep open-water zones at the inlets and outlets of each cell to disperse inflows and recollect outflows before they pass to the next cell.
A high-flow bypass channel routes storm flows around the wetland to the main waterway downstream of the wetland outlet.
Fonterra’s Philippa Fourie, who has been involved with the project from its inception, noted the value of the collaboration.
“This project demonstrates the power of community beyond dairy, with diverse stakeholders coming together for a common purpose,” said Fourie.
“One thing we’ve seen consistently across the country is that nobody knows or loves the land quite like farmers. Their commitment to passing on a better landscape is truly inspiring.”
The 1.6ha constructed wetland is designed to reduce farm runoff contaminants and enhance local biodiversity.
Annabel Beattie, HBRC’s catchment lead for biodiversity, spoke about the importance of wetlands for biodiversity.
“Wetlands as a whole are incredibly special,” she said. “They not only help with water quality and potentially help with some flood attenuation by slowing flows, but they also provide a unique habitat for a number of breeding species that rely entirely on wetlands.”
A wetland of this size is expected to provide habitat for a number of native birds, including the nationally critically threatened bittern.
TCCG, founded in 2018 by local farmer Rob Barry, has already achieved environmental gains across the Tukipo catchment. Local farmers and landowners have embraced the initiative, resulting in 49km of waterway fencing, 75,000 riparian plants, and 40 small-scale wetlands – all funded through a 50/50 matching grant under the Ministry for the Environment’s Freshwater Improvement Fund.
Fourie concluded by thanking local farmers for their dedication. “I just want to thank every landowner that has participated for every bit of planting that you’ve done, for every weed that you’ve pulled out. Thank you for your contribution because it really does make our country an amazing place to be.”
