$2.8m goes to fight to stop hill country erosion

• Published date: 25 May 2023
• Publication title: Te Awamutu Courier

The council’s regional HCE programme is in its fourth year, and the new funding helps to extend it into 2027

About 43 per cent of Waikato land has a high potential for erosion due to high rainfall, steep slopes and weathered geology. In hill country farming areas, the risk of erosion increases if the land has little protective vegetation or is poorly managed.

An estimated 1 million tonnes of soil erodes away annually along the western side of the region, from Port Waikato south to Mōkau.

Soil erosion can affect the clarity of rivers and waterways, damage farming and other infrastructure, and reduce soil quality and productivity. High sediment levels also have an impact on the in-stream ecology as well as the cultural and amenity values associated with waterways.

Since 2019, the council’s HCE programme has targeted the areas of highest erosion risk and supported local farmers and landowners to take protective measures such as retiring, fencing and planting steeper farmland.

Climate change is likely to increase the occurrence of high-intensity rainfall in parts of the Waikato region and planting poplars and other species reinforces slopes and reduces the present and future risk of soil erosion and sediment entering streams.

Previous funding has been vital to Waiwhakaata Trust’s efforts to prevent erosion. The trust manages 147ha of farmland alongside the...