Maintaining fences along the Wairoa River had been an ongoing battle for dry stock farmers Jonathan and Beverley Davie.

With help from Northland Regional Council’s Environment Fund, the Davies have implemented solutions to their riparian margin problems.

“Our river fencing kept getting silted up and damaged from logs coming down the river when it flooded,” says Jonathan.

“I could see that what we really needed was our fencing and trees to be working together – for the fence to protect the trees as they were getting established, and the trees to stabilise the banks and protect the fence.

“We also wanted to do the right thing for the ecology of the Wairoa River.” 

Through its Environment Fund, the council contributed to the cost of the river-side fencing, supply of willow wands for bank stabilisation and advice on planting. The fund also helped with the cost of fencing drains on the Davie’s property.

Several years on, the trees are well established and the fencing is holding up well.

Jonathan says the funding and support from Northland Regional Council’s land management advisor Kerry Webster throughout the project really helped.

“Kerry has been excellent to deal with and we’ve really appreciated the attitude the regional council brought to the process,” says Jonathan.

“The council’s given us real practical and financial support, and I think that’s something really valuable for landowners.”