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September 16, 2020
Maori landowners get PGF help to fence streams
Waatea Team
Posted On September 16, 2020
Māori land trusts and conservation groups are set to benefit from an $11 million investment by the Provincial Growth Fund into fencing and waterway projects.
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says the projects will create more than 100 jobs nationwide with work starting within the next couple of months.
He says PGF funding with support from regional councils is encouraging more farmers, landowners and iwi to improve the quality of their waterways by fencing it off from stock and creating biodiversity through planting.
Among the projects, Ngāti Awa Group Holdings in the Bay of Plenty will get $3.4 million to do 18 hectares of planting and build or fix 72 kilometres of fencing, creating 30 jobs.
Tiroa E Trust in Waikato gets $900,000 to fence 30 kms of riparian margins and plant up to 40ha of retired land on sheep and beef farms.
Te Wiwi Nāti Trust, representing marae in Waiapu Valley, will get $2.5 million to redeploy two dozen forestry workers affected by the COVID-19 slowdown to build 53km of fencing and plant 105ha.
On the West Coast, Mawhera Incorporation will get $2.8 million for its long term project to restore the indigenous riparian, wetland and forest habitat and biodiversity of Arahura River.
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