30 August 2013

Stock grazing update: HBRC-owned and administered land

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council already excludes stock from entering the water along some 212 kilometres of river channel on land that it owns or administers, associated with flood control schemes in the region.

HBRC is also making steady progress to exclude stock from access to waterways along the remaining 4.5 kilometres of river channel and along the Karamu Stream.

The 28 August Council meeting received a report outlining the current programme to exclude stock grazing on HBRC owned and administered land from accessing waterways. It included the cost implications of the work.

The report highlighted that the work will result in Council meeting the requirements of Proposed Plan Change 6 across the whole region. Plan change 6 will require farmers in the Tukituki Catchment to exclude their stock from waterways by 2017.

It showed that areas currently grazed and unfenced, with water access in the lower Ngaruroro River, will be secured in stages during the next 3 years, with areas of easy access for stock dealt with this summer. The work will be financed within existing budgets.

It also noted that the areas needing attention along the Karamu Stream will be addressed on a case-by-case basis, with a priority on excluding cattle from entering the waterway. All grazing licences will include a provision to exclude cattle from the waterway. In some cases this may result in areas not being grazed, in which case alternative approaches will need to be put in place to control vegetation growth and protect the flood channel.

ENDS

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