August 05, 2021
Runanga to lead Rangitata restoration
Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua will lead an $8.7 million Jobs for Nature project to protect and enhance the lower Rangitata River.
It will focus on the braided fairway, berms next to the main river channels, wetlands, and intensively farmed riparian margins within the lower catchment which runs for the 65 kilometres from gorge to sea.
Another $7.3 million project will be run by the Upper Rangitata Gorge Landcare Group, which includes all landholders in the catchment, which runs through some of the South Island’s best known high country stations including Mt Peel, Erewhon and Mesopotamia.
Farmers and landowners will partner with DOC and other agencies to fence off stock, restore wetlands, trap pests, and propagate and plant eco-sourced and culturally significant native plants to improve water quality and enhance biodiversity values.
Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says Canterbury’s braided rivers are an iconic part of the landscape and are home to a range of special birds and wildlife.
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