Mayor John Leggett has welcomed today’s announcement by the Prime Minister of $600,000 in funding for Marlborough’s Catchment Care Programme, part of the national Jobs for Nature programme.

Jobs for Nature seeks to address major environmental needs and create jobs to stimulate New Zealand’s post-Covid economy.

“This new money will enable the Council to scale up our Catchment Care Programme over the next five years to deliver better freshwater quality outcomes through stream bank planting, fencing and collaborative catchment enhancement planning.”

“It will mean regional-scale water quality benefits and also the creation of 15 local jobs.”

The Council’s Environmental Science and Monitoring Manager Alan Johnson says the work will be focused on degraded catchments identified in the Marlborough Environment Plan, such as Tuamarina, Are Are Creek and the Flaxbourne River.

“Working closely with local landowners and communities in the river catchments, we will restore streambanks through planting and improved fencing to exclude stock.”

“The many environmental benefits of this programme include reductions in soil runoff, improved river and stream habitat, better water quality, the removal of pest weeds and increased carbon sequestration.”

“We’re very pleased to be able to fast-track this work through the extra Government funding.”

The work is expected to get underway this Spring, following people recruitment and local community consultation.

ENDS.

© Scoop Media