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Managing erosion on my farm

Soil erosion is a critical issue for our region’s farm land. It represents a loss of current and future potential productivity and affects water quality in our streams and rivers. Financial support and trees are available for farmers from the regional council to help manage erosion-prone land.

What we know

Approximately 252,000 hectares of Hawke’s Bay hill country has been identified as being high risk of erosion.

It is estimated that this land produces on average 3,272,686 tonnes of sediment into the region’s waterways every year.  That’s 136,000 truck and trailer loads or 1090 Olympic sized swimming pools full of sediment per year.

Erosion can negatively impact farms. It can represent a loss of current and future potential productivity both on the farm. Sedimentation also impacts water quality within the region and the biodiversity (both aquatic and terrestrial) that depends upon it.

What can I do on my farm ?

  • Identify areas of erosion-prone land.
  • Plant trees in paddocks. Pole planting can reduce erosion by up to 80 percent. Trees can also help diversify farm income and add additional value through timber products, stock feed and honey (as examples). 
  • Fence and plant retired marginal land. Closed canopy forest can be up to 16 times more effective at preventing landslides than pasture. 

Talk to us about erosion

Call one of our staff for advice and assistance.

Northern Office - Wairoa
46 Freyberg Street,  Wairoa 4108
+64 6 835 9200

Central Office – Napier
159 Dalton Street, Napier 4110
+64 6 835 9200

Southern Office – Waipawa
26 Ruataniwha Street, Waipawa 4210
+64 6 835 9200

Where can I get assistance with this?

Willow and poplar planting

The Regional Council has a selection of poplar and willow poles for sale each year. These poles have been bred especially for farm planting.

Details about how to order willow and poplars here

Debris dam construction

The Regional Council has expertise in constructing debris dams and can advise if these are suitable erosion controls for your farm.

More information about debris dams

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Contact us

info@hbrc.govt.nz

+64 6 835 9200


159 Dalton Street. Napier 4110

Private Bag 6006, Napier 4142


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While every endeavour has been taken by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council to ensure that the information on this website is accurate and up to date, Hawke's Bay Regional Council shall not be liable for any loss suffered through the use, directly or indirectly, of information on this website. Information contained has been assembled in good faith. Some of the information available in this site is from the New Zealand Public domain and supplied by relevant government agencies. Hawke's Bay Regional Council cannot accept any liability for its accuracy or content. Portions of the information and material on this site, including data, pages, documents, online graphics and images are protected by copyright, unless specifically notified to the contrary. Externally sourced information or material is copyright to the respective provider.

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