Northland Regional Council is offering more than $300,000 of funding for soil conservation mitigation efforts, including fencing for natural reversion, fencing native bush and planting native trees.
Tui Shortland, who chairs the Council’s Natural Resources Working Party, says the organisation has $160,062 for planting natives across 37 hectares of Northland during the 2025-26 planting season (June, July and August 2025).
A further $151,840 is also available for fencing to retire highly erodible land from grazing.
The fund is available to Northland landowners outside the Kaipara Harbour catchment area, as the Kaipara catchment is covered by funding delivered through the Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR) programme.
Chair Shortland says 36 hectares across seven Whangarei District properties and one in the Far North’s Awanui catchment were being planted in the current planting season.
“This planting stabilises eroding hill country helping to reduce sedimentation, which is the single largest source of pollutants in our waterways,” she said.
“Erosion and sedimentation are natural processes, however they have been significantly sped up through human land use.”
People interested in applying for funding can contact Council’s Land Management team on (0800) 002 004 or email landadmin@nrc.govt.nz Applications are expected to close by September/October so fencing can be completed by 31 March 2025.
Funding is being provided 50/50 by Council and the Ministry for Primary Industries.
