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The following information details procedures and conditions that are legally binding for successful applications.
Soil conservation projects address erosion problems and degradation of the soil resource.
There are several options for soil conservation work:
- willow and poplar pole planting
- erosion control structures
- seedling planting
- retirement of land
- erosion control forestry
In conjunction with this work, an Erosion Control Plan may be necessary to identify future erosion control work. This is a simple process, which the Regional Council land management staff will help you with.
If your application is for a grant exceeding $10,000, a more comprehensive Farm Plan may be necessary. Land management officers work with farmers to prepare such farm plans.
Pole Planting
Traditional soil erosion control techniques include spaced plantings of poplar and willow poles and pair planting of poles for gully control.
All projects must address erosion problems or degradation of the soil resource.
Erosion Control Structures
Structures such as debris dams and flumes can be used to control gully erosion.
Seedling Planting
Seedling planting may be at a density requiring land retirement, or as individually protected spaced planting. Appropriate seedlings may include exotic species such as eucalypts.
Retirement of Land for Erosion Control
These projects are where there is, or could be, a severe erosion problem.
The most common use of retirement areas (except along streams) is for erosion control forestry by close planting trees and excluding stock. This land use is more sustainable than pastoral grazing for very erosion prone soils.
However, the grant also applies to total retirement, allowing reversion of native vegetation to protect from extreme erosion risk.
Grants for retirement from grazing are restricted to land use capability classes 7e and 8, which are the steepest slopes or the most erodible soils. Council staff will help identify these areas.
Erosion Control Forestry
This grant is only available on class 7e land where erosion is so severe, or the potential for erosion is so severe, that space-planted trees in a pastoral system cannot control the erosion.
Where the project involves planting more than five hectares of exotic forestry, a joint venture agreement is required with the Regional Council.
A joint venture agreement is also required if the total area planted over two or more years, using Regional Landcare Scheme grants, is more than five hectares. This agreement covers all areas of planting, which have received grants since 1995.
The Regional Council’s grant only covers the establishment phase, and runs over two years to allow for any blanking or replanting, which may be needed.
All work to manage and maintain the Erosion Control Forestry - including all the landowner’s input - will be taken into account when calculating the financial outcome at harvesting.
The Regional Council’s objective is to be part of the management decisions made for planting and harvesting on this very sensitive land.
Council will only approve projects where no other lender is prepared to be involved.
The Regional Council has prepared a standard joint venture agreement, with associated guidelines. While the Regional Council is prepared to discuss any alterations to this document, the cost of these will be borne by the landowner. The Council, however, will pay for all costs associated with registering the agreement.
Permanently retiring native bush areas will enable regeneration and will encourage native fauna.
Covenants will be with:
- the QEII National Trust
- Department of Conservation
- Nga Whenua Rahui, or
- with Hawke's Bay Regional Council (in special circumstances)
A covenant is a legal agreement to protect an area in perpetuity, and is registered on the title of the land. Covenants must be approved and signed by the landowner before the Regional Council will approve its grant for fencing.
As well as paying for a third of the cost of fencing upgrades and new fencing, the Council also pays a third of the cost of survey of the covenanted area.
Assistance for pest control may be available from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Biosecurity section.
Note:
Carbon Options: Both of the above categories may well qualify for carbon credits from the new Government Carbon Trading Scheme. Your Land Management Advisor will assist you with the latest information.
Riparian protection is to improve the ecological and aesthetic values of waterways.
Grants are available for the following:
Up to 90% grant for protection in three priority waterways: the Huatokitoki, the Puhokio and the Maraetotara.
Up to 50%
- Protecting riparian areas where there are existing indigenous vegetation values
- Establishing riparian areas where there are existing wetland values
- Establishing adjoining riparian areas if there is an opportunity to link existing protected areas
- Establishing riparian areas where there is poor water quality, with waterways used for contact recreation
- Establishing riparian protection areas for the purposes of nutrient stripping.
Covenants must be approved and signed before the Regional Council will approve its grant.
Covenants will be with:
- The QEII National Trust
- Department of Conservation
- Nga Whenua Rahui, or
- An esplanade strip with the Regional Council.
Nutrient Stripping
Although covenants will not be required for areas being retired for nutrient stripping they will be subject to the following conditions:
- The length enclosed will have only minor biodiversity and aesthetic values
- The project will have a maximum of $5,000 grant
- Only one riparian protection project of this type per farm in any three year period will be grant assisted
- The fences will be made of permanent materials and have no fewer than two electric wires
- The length will not be subject to grazing other than as follows
- to maintain the quality of the grassland for nutrient stipping
- no more than two grazings per year shall occur
- grazing shall be no more than four hours duration,and
- grazing will only occur when ground is dry.
How much funding is available?
- A minimum grant of $1000 applies
- Up to a 90% grant for permanent riparian fencing and alternative water supplies in the Huatokitoki, Puhokio and Maraetotara streams where a covenant is agreed to
- Up to a 50% grant for permanent riparian fencing and alternative stock water supplies anywhere else in the region where a covenant is agreed to The Ruataniwha Plains is a priority area for action
- Up to a 50% grant for riparian planting where a covenant is agreed to, and planting is consistent with the above policies and priorities.
A wetland on private property is defined as “natural or induced wet areas, which contain permanent wetland plants, whether these be remnant or dominant”.
The Wetland protection and Enhancement Scheme has been separated into two grant options: the “ Significant Wetland” and the “On Farm Wetland” grant schemes.
“Significant Wetlands*” Protection and Enhancement Grant
*Significant Wetlands are those, which require more than one year’s work to protect and enhance, more than $5,000 grant and require a covenant
What makes a ‘significant’ wetland eligible?
Any medium to large sized wetland, private or multiple owned will be eligible for grant assistance, conditional on meeting the following criteria:
- The wetland contains native wetland plants, whether these are remnant or dominant
- Displays actual or potential ecological values for wildlife and
- Has the potential to interact with and contribute to the biodiversity of an area
- The owner(s) is willing to covenant
- The owner(s) agrees to a brief management plan being prepared and approved by Council
- The programme requires more than 1 year to complete and /or more than $5,000 of grant.
Activities to be Funded
- Establishment of retirement fencing
- Weed removal
- Deepening, either through building or raising an existing abutment or excavation
- Earthworks, weirs and fish passage devices to protect and enhance wetland biodiversity and water quantity
- The establishment of native plants
- The provision of an alternative stock water supply
How much funding is available?
- Projects will be approved according to the grant available in the annual plan
- Currently the total grant available is $45,000 per year, and this may change from year to year
- Priority will be given to those wetlands where the owner(s) are committed to undertake protection and enhancement works and have met all the approval process requirements
- A grant rate of up to 50% will apply to approved works
- Up to a 100% grant may be available for resource consent application costs.
Grants will be provided for protection works. While limited grants may be available for enhancement works, the ongoing maintenance of the protection and enhancement works will not be covered by this grant.
“On Farm Wetlands” Protection and Enhancement Grant
What makes an ‘on farm’ wetland eligible?
The wetland must be on private or multiple owned property and;
- It must contain native wetland plants
- It displays actual or potential ecological values for wildlife
- It must have the potential to interact with and contribute to the biodiversity of an area.
No covenant is required.
The grant is not generally for an existing water supply dam. (NB. The decision whether to provide grant assistance by exception in such cases is to be based on an assessment of the “ecological values” of the dam at the time of grant application.)
Activities to be Funded
- Establishment of retirement fencing
- Weed removal
- Deepening, either through building or raising an abutment or through excavation
- Earthworks, weirs and fish passage devices to protect and enhance wetland biodiversity and water quantity
- The establishment of native plants
- The provision of an alternative stock water supply – if necessary.
How much funding is available?
- Maximum grants for any one wetland will not exceed $5,000
- Only one wetland per farm is eligible for grant each year
- The grant rate is 50% of the cost of the restoration and protection works
- Currently the total grant available is $100,000 per year. This may change from year to year
- Wetlands are selected, based on their relative value, until the grant is used for that year
Dune, cliffs and estuaries protection projects aim to protect and improve the biodiversity values of the Hawke’s Bay coastal areas. Grants will be available to both community groups and private landowners.
What makes a coastal project eligible?
To be eligible for the scheme a dune area needs to meet the following conditions:
- It must have significant biodiversity values or have a high management priority
- A long term protection agreement has been agreed to (e.g. a covenant)
- The owner agrees to a brief management plan being prepared and approved by Council.
Where the above conditions are met grants up to 50% of the costs will be available for the following dune biodiversity protection and enhancement activities:
- Dune retirement fencing
- Weed control
- Native plant restoration
- Additional activities at the discretion of the Council’s officers.
Funding Availability
- The grant rate is 50% of the cost of the restoration and protection works
- Currently the total grant available is $35,000 per year for dune projects and $25,000 per year for cliff and estuary protection and enhancement projects - this may change from year to year
- Applications will be approved on the basis of date of receipt as long as they conform to the policy and the total value of the applications does not exceed the available grant.
Research projects must improve knowledge of sustainable land management practices in Hawke’s Bay and be undertaken by or on behalf of community groups.
What is eligible?
- Investigations and applied research projects which are not eligible for Foundation of Research, Science and Technology funding
- Projects which involve the community, for example focus farms
- Projects which apply to an area greater than one farm, or
- Projects which involve disseminating research results to the public.
The Regional Council welcomes alternative applications such as:
- Applications for projects from individuals or groups such as Landcare Groups
- Innovative erosion control works
- Promoting specific sustainable land management techniques, or
- Improving group, public or school awareness of environmental and sustainable land management practices.