The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Taranaki farmers to plant more than 500,000 trees this week

Stratford Press
22 May, 2019 01:18 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Vicki Jagersma loads a riparian plant order at the Stratford depot.

Vicki Jagersma loads a riparian plant order at the Stratford depot.

Taranaki farmers are picking up more than 500,000 native plants this week to add to the 5.1 million they've already planted, working towards protecting 15,000km of streambanks on the ring plain and coastal terraces.

It's the biggest annual distribution of plants since the region's Riparian Management Scheme began in the 1990s.

"It's really ramping up now. Everyone's well aware of the need to get their streamside fencing and planting completed by 2020 or near after," says Don Shearman, Land Services Manager for the Taranaki Regional Council, which coordinates the voluntary scheme.

He says farmers have been doing a fantastic job on a voluntary basis but they have been given clear notice that the Council intends making riparian protection mandatory. The Government is considering a similar move.

Under the Riparian Management Scheme, the Council has worked with farmers to prepare individual property plans mapping the fencing and planting required, and setting out suitable plant varieties and a timeline for implementation.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In the next few years, Land management staff will audit all riparian plans to ensure they include all waterways and regionally significant wetlands to meet future regulatory requirements.

Don says the vast majority of the region's farmers understand why they need to do this work.

Fencing and planting waterways addresses many environmental issues arising from diffuse run-off. An independent National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) report last year found that Taranaki's riparian protection work to date has contributed to improved freshwater health and a reduction in bacteria levels.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Council organises annual supply of plants from multiple nurseries, and passes them on to farmers at cost. It also coordinates contractors if farmers prefer not to carry out the work themselves.

As the completion target approaches, the volume of plants ordered each year is increasing so farmers must order their plants a year in advance to avoid missing out and not meeting the target.

More than 15,409 km of streambanks are covered by riparian plans. A total of 85.7 percent (13,207km) of the streams have already been fenced and 71.7 per cent (8,399km) of streambank that require planting or vegetation are already protected by vegetation.

Farmers are picking up their plants this week from depots in Stratford, Hāwera, Opunake, Pungarehu and Lepperton.

Discover more

Archaeological checks 'expensive, unfair'

20 May 10:19 PM
Environment

Forces joined in battle against bottom trawling

20 May 10:26 PM
Environment

Act won't vote for zero carbon

20 May 10:29 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure

The Country

The Country: Luxon on coalition friction

The Country

Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure
The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure

Rifts among industry groups, charities and agencies in the beekeeping industry.

16 Jul 03:00 AM
The Country: Luxon on coalition friction
The Country

The Country: Luxon on coalition friction

16 Jul 01:42 AM
Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal
The Country

Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal

16 Jul 12:37 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP