Ōkato Farmers take pride in planting stream

Di and Rob Bridgeman with some of this year's plants.

Dairy farmers know early starts well. Rob and Di Bridgeman are also early finishers.

Last month, they picked up the 300-plus native plants they need to complete riparian protection along the almost 3km of streambank on their 58ha Okato property.

This gets them to the finish line well ahead of the 2020 deadline looming for farmers on Taranaki's ring plain and coastal terraces to have all their streambanks fenced and planted.

The Bridgemans say it's been 'hard yakka' at times but the result is well worth the effort.
"We understand why we need to do it, and we're happy to be doing our small bit towards cleaner waterways, as expected by the wider community," says Rob.

Fencing streambanks keeps stock out of waterways and vegetation helps to trap and filter run-off from pasture, and improves stream biodiversity. The Taranaki Regional Council's Riparian Management Programme, which began in the mid 1990s, has protected waterways with millions of native plants and thousands of kilometres of fencing.

A recent NIWA study found that this has improved ecological health and reduced bacterial levels in Taranaki streams and rivers.

The Bridgemans began fencing and planting their streambanks in 2010 after the Council developed a free Riparian Management Plan tailored for their property.

The couple say they had mixed feelings when they started. They still saw it as a requirement imposed upon them.

"But once we got into it, we could start seeing the benefits," says Rob.

"It's a matter of complying with requirements and expectations, and it goes beyond that.

We want cleaner waterways too, and we're also enjoying the visual impact and the return of bird life.

"And from a stock-management point of view, it's been useful to fence animals out of awkward areas where you didn't want them to be. We used to get animals falling into drains — nothing worse than going out for early milking and finding a cow stuck in a drain."

They were also inspired by seeing well-established riparian planting on other farms, and realising their own property would look as good if they kept the effort up. They've even protected additional areas, including a wetland, beyond their original plan.

"We see our fencing and planting as an investment for the future," says Rob. "We've definitely beautified the farm."

At their peak, the Bridgemans were getting 1000 plants a year under the scheme, where Council sources native plants and sells them to farmers at cost, and organises contractors if farmers require them. Now they've just about finished, there's little they need to do to keep riparian margins maintained.

"It largely takes care of itself if it's done properly," says Di. "It's a big temptation to leap in when you see weeds appearing in the early stages, but they'll get crowded out as the native plants get bigger."

"It's pleasant to drive around the farm now, with all the plants and birdsong," says Di.
The Bridgemans say they're grateful for the support and assistance provided by the Land Management Officer assigned to them by the Council, and are looking forward to having their riparian margins audited before the 2020 deadline.

"The scheme has been voluntary and all credit to farmers like the Bridgemans for understanding that they need to do their bit and realising that it's an investment in the future — not only for their own business but for the dairy industry as a whole," says Council Land Services Manager, Don Shearman.