1. Twenty years of sustainable land management in the Taranaki hillcountry Kevin Cash Hillcountry Land Management Officer Taranaki Regional Council

3. Overview Early nineties, Taranaki issues, Makahu case study. Comprehensive farm plans Afforestation grant scheme South Taranaki and regional erosion support scheme

4. Hillcountry erosion and soils Issue: Loss of the soil’s productive capacity through accelerated erosion Understanding landforms and environment basis for land use capability classification system and treatment measures Principally mass movement, stream incision, slumping/ earthflow on land disturbed by earthquake-triggered slope collapse Variable ash cover on sedimentary rocks Hill soils weathered from sedimentary rocks where ash stripped Skeletal soils where hill soils disturbed

5. Makahu Farm case study New era, early 90’s subsidy free Aim to apply results of pasture growth and soil erosion research into farming system –Eroded areas (even after 40years) have much lower levels of production than non eroded areas– especially summer peak growth –Pasture trials key results - Soil erosion is having a significant effect reducing present and potential pasture production on slopes > 28 0

6. LUC mapping at farm level

7. Evaluation Used economic analysis to evaluate long and short term viability of management options Evaluate combined livestock farming and forestry to achieve sustainable land use Local pasture production data for each land class Agroforestry Estate Model (AEM) Stockpol

8. Hopkirk property

11. Where to from here? Case study and review of sustainable land use classification in Taranaki Encapsulated into comprehensive farm plans and agroforestry plans which are being prepared 1990s-present

12. Comprehensive farm plans Understanding physical resource Land use capability mapping Dry matter production Recommendations Implementation – annual visits Relationship building, working with farmers Agroforestry plans/carbon assessments Increased implementation AGS and STRESS

13. Numbers 335 farm plans prepared 57 agroforestry plans prepared Increase of over 500% of plan coverage since 1995 Eastern Hillcountry, 55% of the region’s land area equating to 400,000 ha (286,000 ha in private ownership) 65% (185,000 ha) is covered by property plans under the Council’s Sustainable Land Management Programme

14. TRC poplar and willow nursery est 2007

20. Afforestation grant scheme AGS, regional pool funding 732 hectares of exotic forestry established over the duration of the scheme 60 hectares of native reversion. Total of 792 hectares exceeding $1.5million dollars

26. STRESS!!! South Taranaki and regional erosion support scheme Poplar and willow pole planting for soil conservation. Forestry establishment of less than five hectares per landholder Reversion/retirement/forestry fencing grants

27. Waitotara catchment 118,300ha in Waitotara catchment 16% region 80,000 ha farmed Storms 1869, 1891, 1903, 1904, 1924, 1936, 1971, 1990 1999, 2004, 2006

37. Implementation next 20 years Identifying the resource (comprehensive plan) Understanding the properties resource Matching land use with land type Mitigation of erosion through soil conservation, improvement in water quality Concentration of resources into more productive land

38. Implementation next 20 years Identifying alternative land uses eg forestry, Carbon farming, honey, QEII STRESS, long may it continue Linked to fresh water plan, soil plan and SEM monitoring

39. Questions