On Queen Charlotte Drive, adjacent to the treatment ponds and opposite the Link Pathway, Marlborough District Council is restoring native habitats in partnership with Te Hoiere Project. Owned by Council and not appropriate for future grazing, this area in Havelock is undergoing riparian and wetland planting to improve freshwater quality, capture sediment, and provide biodiversity corridors. It’s also a place that many freshwater species love to call home and a floodway where native plants will gradually help to restore the mauri (life force) of this wetland.
This project began in Spring 2022, with 14,000 native plants spanning nearly three hectares. While care has been taken to ensure the area remains a functional floodway, new seedlings have included flax, carex, cabbage trees, manuka, kanuka, kahikatea, and totara, just to name a few. Care has also been taken to ensure the plants have the best chance of survival by using plant guards, says Te Hoiere Catchment Care Coordinator Aubrey Tai, who is overseeing the project.
“The pukekos love to rip out newly planted seedlings,” he says. “We have found a win-win solution by using a local product, EmGuards. “These plant guards are made with recycled pulp and are biodegradable. It protects the plants, improving their chance of survival, while keeping our maintenance costs down as well.”
Because the guards are biodegradable, they don’t need to be removed once plants are established, as they will naturally break down over time.
Planting is underway for an additional eight hectares this winter, making it one of the largest planted areas throughout Te Hoiere Project. This restoration has been funded through the Ministry for the Environment's At Risk Catchment fund, as well as Department of Conservation’s Jobs for Nature programme.
