South Marlborough community plans river improvements

6:45 pm on 16 August 2022

By Maia Hart, Local Democracy Reporter

A group of south Marlburians who "make money" off the environment are working to improve the quality of two river catchments in their backyard.

Ward farmer John Hickman said they all made money off the land, so they needed to come up with ways to protect it.

Ward farmer John Hickman said they all made money off the land, so they needed to come up with ways to protect it. Photo: Local Democracy reporting/ Stuff - Brya Ingram

Three community meetings had been held to kick-start the work, which was to focus on the Waima/Ure River and the Flaxbourne River in South Marlborough.

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Marlborough catchments co-ordinator Wendy Sullivan helped facilitate those meetings, and said her role was to support landowners with environmental and land sustainability projects.

In the case of Flaxbourne, several farmers approached her to ask if she would help start up a catchment group, Sullivan said.

"Over the last eight months, we have met three times, working towards developing a catchment management plan, which is a collective agreement on what they want to work on collectively".

She said catchment groups provided peer support, a collective voice and the means to apply for grants for projects.

"Catchment groups around the country have shown they can bring positive change to the community - not only through environmental projects, but providing economic and social gains too," she said.

Prior to their third meeting held last Thursday at the Ward Town Hall, the group brainstormed certain goals they had for the two river catchments.

This included creating a pest and weed free catchment, to have a better understanding of regulations, laws and consents to do with the catchments, to get riverbeds to a certain standard and to maintain that standard, so flood damage was minimised.

They also wanted to understand the catchment better to "empower targeted management" and to initiate and manage local environmental projects.

A meeting on Thursday brainstormed actions for how to start achieving some of those goals.

Retired farmer John Elliot called on the council to help rid streams and rivers of invasive crack willow trees following a flood last month.

Retired farmer John Elliot called on the council to help rid streams and rivers of invasive crack willow trees following a flood last month. Photo: Local Democracy reporting/ Stuff - Brya Ingram

Ward farmer John Hickman, who helped initiate the group, said he tried to get the group going because there were "lots of regulations" coming in for the catchment that had a "greater direction towards environmental control".

"There's a lot more focus on what's happening within the catchment and the on-farm effects to the catchments," he said.

"So we're trying to get everyone in the room, so we can discuss things, and maybe put some of our views across to the council, as well as understanding the rules and regulations.

"We're creating the links between all the parties, in terms of farmers, council, government, all those sorts of things."

Hickman said they were all farmers "who make our money off the environment" so it was hugely important that they looked after the catchment.

"I get frustrated because I want to go and do stuff, but we have got to follow the correct process," he said.

"So to get the community behind, we have got to have ideas and brainstorming and all your goals and actions, to achieve them before you move forward.

"You could go out there and try and do something, but you don't get anywhere as an individual."

Retired farmer John Elliot was at the meeting and called on the council to do more to help rid streams and rivers of invasive crack willow trees to prevent future flooding in the Marlborough region.

His property was submerged in floodwaters when an adjacent stream burst its banks in July, which "devastated" parts of his farm, ripped away his floodgates, and had almost damaged a rail bridge on the main Picton to Christchurch railway line.

Debris washed up at the back of retired Ward farmer John Elliot’s property after heavy rain in July.

Debris washed up at the back of retired Ward farmer John Elliot's property after heavy rain in July. Photo: Local Democracy reporting/ Stuff - Brya Ingram

Elliot said he took comfort in knowing there were people in the community wanting to do something about the catchment - albeit he knew they had a long way to go.

Council catchment care officer Rachel Russell also attended the meeting, and told Elliot if he had any concerns he could chat to her, so she could put him in contact with the appropriate people at the council.

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