Springvale wetland in Cust, North Canterbury, is being protected through a weed and willow control programme which aims to protect mahinga kai values. Photo / Supplied
Springvale wetland in Cust, North Canterbury, is being protected through a weed and willow control programme which aims to protect mahinga kai values. Photo / Supplied
A 12.3-hectare wetland on a Cust farm is being protected and enhanced through a willow and weed control programme funded by Environment Canterbury and Waimakariri District Council.
Waimakariri farmers attended a recent Shed Talk at Ken Robinson's 325-hectare sheep and beef farm, hosted by Environment Canterbury, Fonterra, Waimakariri Irrigation Limited, and Waimakariri LandCare Trust.
The aim of the talk was for farmers to learn more about protecting biodiversity and taking a catchment approach to enhancing natural values and mahinga kai on their properties.
The Robinson family view Springvale wetland as an asset to the farm and the wider catchment, as the block of land containing the wetland has been in their family since 1961.
Over the last few years, Ken grew increasingly concerned about crack and grey willows taking over the wetland and weeds smothering the native plants and trees.
"I had been thinking about doing something about it for a while and contacted ECan to see if they could help me. We have worked together to create a plan."
Waimakariri farmers attended a recent Shed Talk at Ken Robinson's 325-hectare sheep and beef farm in Cust. Photo / Supplied
Environment Canterbury biodiversity officer Zipporah Ploeg said the wetland supported native birds and insects, while also containing springs in its lower reaches.
"The wetland supports various fauna and acts as an important food source for braided river birds which nest nearby. It contains flax, cabbage trees, native sedges and a wide range of indigenous shrubs, herb and fern species."
"The hydrology shows that this wetland has been here for a long time, and we can see this from maps of the area in the 1800s.
"Water from Waimakairiri Irrigation's race is also replenishing the water from the top end of the wetland."
A three-year programme was created to deal with the weed issues and the willow species were being drilled and poisoned to avoid damaging the ecosystem of the wetland, Ploeg said.
"Crack and grey willows have invaded the site and have created a canopy over part of the site, so we want to control these species to allow the indigenous flora and fauna to thrive here."
Analysing how individual farms are connected to the wider catchment will become increasingly important.
This is because freshwater farm plans will be mandatory for all farms with 20 or more hectares of land used for arable or pastoral use, or five or more hectares of land being used for horticultural purposes, from mid-2022.
Waimakariri farmers recently visited Springvale wetland located on a Cust farm to learn how its biodiversity and mahinga kai values are being enhanced. Photo / Supplied
These new plans expand on previous Farm Environment Plans (FEPs) by requiring farmers to link their own land use to what is happening in the wider catchment to improve the quality of local waterways.
Environment Canterbury will be providing further guidance on the steps that farmers can take to ensure that their freshwater farm plans meet the new catchment-wide approach.
In the meantime, starting small and looking at how to protect existing areas of biodiversity was a good idea, Ploeg said.
"Take a look around your farm and protect what you already have as a first step. You don't have to do everything all at once but getting a plan in place is a great start, and we are available to help you with this."
