KEY POINTS:
Imagine fencing off the entire length of New Zealand's coastline and planting along large sections of it.
That is the equivalent of what Taranaki farmers are aiming to have achieved by 2015 with a mass fencing and planting project along the many waterways that run through their dairy farms.
The need for riparian management along the 17,500km of streambanks was identified about 12 years ago and in the past five years significant progress has been made.
Basil Chamberlain, chief executive of the Taranaki Regional Council, said yesterday that to date 40 per cent of the riparian work on the ring plains waterways had been achieved, and just over half the fencing.
To celebrate the achievements, more than 1000 plants were yesterday planted on an Opunake farm by farming leaders, council staff and Fonterra representatives.
At the Armstrong farm, the stream banks total 34km, of which two-thirds are already protected by fencing. The rest will be be completed over the next few years.
Much of the land is also vegetated where appropriate, and the owners put in up to 2500 plants a year.
Mr Chamberlain said the regional riparian project, supported by the council, was a huge financial investment for the about 2000 landowners.
A typical farm might have nearly 5km of stream, and the fencing and planting would cost about $10,000 a kilometre. The council helped by providing riparian management plans, and plants at cost price of $2.50 each.
To date, plans had been drawn up for about three-quarters of the farms following council visits where staff had walked the creeks and helped determine where fences should go and what planting was required.
Mr Chamberlain said the region had a very high density of waterways - about 300 rivers and streams - flowing from Mt Taranaki. Their length ran into the thousands of kilometres, greater than the entire NZ coastline. He said the water quality was relatively good but the council had noted upwards trends in nutrients, with the recent increases in stocking rates contributing to reduced water quality from the Egmont National Park boundary to the sea.
Regional council chairman David MacLeod said that in the past 15 years, the number of cows had doubled to almost half a million.
Mr MacLeod said with rising stock numbers the riparian project was essential to future-proof the dairy industry.
Since the early 1990s about 1.25 million plants had been established along farm waterways but a million a year would have to be planted for the next few years to achieve the region wide goal.
"The focus is firmly on putting the riparian plans into action so we can meet the regional targets agreed to under the Dairying and Cleans Streams Accord."
Mr MacLeod said the council had a history of environmental achievement by working with farmers but took enforcement action when necessary. "Farmers are increasingly insisting that poor performers among them are weeded out."
Unlike many other parts of New Zealand, all the Taranaki dairy sheds had to have resource consents and their discharge was monitored. There was 95 per cent compliance, with three or four prosecutions a year.
Blue Read, chairman of the Fonterra Shareholders Council, said that as a Taranaki farmer he was personally committed to the programme, and his own riparian management plan was almost implemented. He was confident other farmers would rise to the challenge.
"The Taranaki environment is treasured by all who live here and farmers are conscious of the need to protect this special place."
Mr Read said not enough planting had been done yet, but "let's do it voluntarily and with pride and joy".
The fencing kept the stock from directly polluting the waterways, and the vegetation filtered contaminated runoff from pasture.
The plants, once mature, also provided shade to help keep stream temperatures cooler, which made for healthier water.
Such benefits were underscored during the recent dry summer in Taranaki when stream temperatures and biological stress were noticeably lower in catchments with significant riparian planting.
WHY IT MATTERS
* Fencing off streams keeps cattle from directly polluting waterways.
* Plants filter contaminated runoff from pasture and provide shade to cool the streams, which makes for healthier water.
