‘Essential’ workshop on land use to be staged for Gisborne farmers

The region's farmers have been urged to attend an "essential" workshop at Patutahi on Tuesday, where the council's long-term vision for land use in the region will be discussed. Photo / Liam Clayton

A workshop entitled “Land management for the future of farming in Tairāwhiti” will be staged at Patutahi next week and it’s described as “essential” for the region’s farmers.

It will be held in the Ngatapa clubrooms from 5pm on Tuesday (August 27).

“It will give farmers some insight into what the council has been working on since the cyclones when it comes to future land management in the region,” said Kerry Worsnop, one of the organisers.

“Farmers will get a chance to engage in how this research informs our regional land use discussions going forward.

“It’s really important as so far pastoral farming has had very little engagement with this work and doesn’t know a lot about it, despite it forming a big part of how the council is informing itself with regards to our future land management.”

The workshop will cover the post-cyclone mapping of vulnerable land, erosion trends and what has been learned from that, and guidance to understand farm-level mapping.

“There will be discussions and feedback on how farming in the region can address challenges, identify opportunities and move forward,” Worsnop said.

“It’s an essential workshop for pastoral farmers in Tairāwhiti.”