Bay Harbour: September 30, 2020

Wednesday September 30 2020
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
BAY HARBOUR
PAGE 5
News
Project to protect precious native species
TWELVE HECTARES of
farmland on Banks Peninsula
will be protected in perpetuity,
allowing precious native species
to regenerate and thrive.
The Stencliffe protection
project will receive $38,500 to
fence off and exclude stock from
a section of Pigeon Bay Stream
and its surrounding land, on
Jane and Hugh Eaton’s sheep
and beef farm.
It is one of four biodiversity
projects the Banks Peninsula
water zone committee recommended
for Immediate Steps
funding earlier this year.
The grant makes up part of the
project, with additional funds
coming from other sources
such as the Banks Peninsula
Conservation Trust and the
landowners.
The project’s aim is to increase
the extent, density and diversity
of native vegetation to allow
species such as birds, lizards,
invertebrates and fish to prosper.
The land will be protected
through a BPCT covenant after
fencing the area has been completed.
This will allow the valley
to regenerate back to its natural
state without interference from
stock, pests or humans.
A covenant is a legal mechanism
for protection that requires
current and future landowners
to manage the land for conservation
purposes.
Stencliffe landowners Hugh
and Jane Eaton said the family
would likely have not been able
to foot the cost of protecting the
area alone.
“The funds will be used to
fence off a corridor of bush and
stream that has survived 150
years since the farm was logged
and cleared by the early settlers,”
Hugh said.
“Permanent hill country fencing
is a huge cost so we really appreciate
the help to protect this
block of old growth forest with
its stream to let it regenerate,” he
said.
Jane added that the family is
enthusiastic about protecting
bushland.
“We hope to help the bush
back to its pre-logging glory.
By excluding stock, we protect
the stream bed, encourage
revegetation and protect larger
trees including two precious
kahikatea.”
“Active bird life will be enhanced
by this process which
also assists new seedlings.
Thanks to Immediate Steps and
the BPCT, another part of Banks
Peninsula’s precious forest will
be protected,” she said.
Water zone committee chairwoman
Benita Wakefield is
proud to be supporting local
landowners to protect and
enhance biodiversity and water
COVENANT:
The
Stencliffe
protection
project
will receive
$38,500 to
fence off
and exclude
stock from
a section of
Pigeon Bay
Stream.
quality throughout the zone.
“These projects highlight
some of the collective efforts going
on to improve the waterways
and biodiversity values in our
zone.
“They all contribute
to the vision of ‘ki uta ki
tai’ (mountains to the sea),” she
said.
One of the committee’s goals
is that the value of biodiversity is
recognised in its own right and
embraced through stewardship.
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