Land management
Greater Wellington’s land management role has two main functions: biosecurity and soil conservation.
Controlling plant and animal pests is a huge task but one we’re tackling in a systematic way, with considerable success.
This year the Wellington region has recorded its lowest ever level of bovine Tb, with 22 infected deer and cattle herds. This means the region is well on track to achieve its goal of only six infected herds by mid-2013. In 2003/04, Greater Wellington controlled possums on more than 360,000 hectares of land.
The Key Native Ecosystem programme (KNE) is designed to reduce and maintain introduced pests to levels that give remnant native habitats a fighting chance of allowing natural ecosystem processes to thrive. Last year we worked on 65 KNEs throughout the region, helping out with possum and other pest control. The condition of the bush is improving as a result of these efforts and native birds are returning, spreading out into neighbouring areas.
We worked with landowners on soil conservation activities, such as planting, to protect the region’s soils from erosion or degradation. Last year, 191,000 seedlings and 21,600 poles were planted.
We were involved in running the Ballance Farm Environment Awards for the third year in the Wellington region. The farm environment awards aim to showcase good role models for sustainable farming that is practical, achievable and profitable. Martinborough farmers Richard and Karen Kershaw won the supreme award for their diversification of land use.