Restoration work in the Uretara catchment started after an application to the Ministry for the Environment’s Sustainable Management Fund (SMF) in 2006 and we made a second successful application in 2009.

In collaboration with BOPRC and MfE, Riparian planting was carried out by landowners, local volunteers, Katikati College and Bay of Plenty Polytech (now Toi Ohomai) students, Regional and District Council staff together with contractors from HELP Waihi.

Planting plans differed from site to site to achieve a range of objectives from bank stabilisation to habitat improvement and stream shading. The scope of works was broad and included stream bank re-grading, removal of farm dump debris, farm track realignment, stock fencing and bush remnant protection.

Read the water monitoring report for this project here

Since the completion of the SMF project, the project has worked with landowners to manage weeds and get stage 2 planting underway – the establishment of canopy trees, to restart the successional sequence and ensure the new riparian forests are self-sustaining.