Projects | Tukipo Catchment Care Group

BEL Group riparian planting, Ashley Clinton

Projects at a Glance

Projects across the catchment reflect a wide range of practical on-farm projects, from riparian planting and fencing to wetland creation, dam development, agroforestry and trapping. Each one contributes to improving land and water outcomes in ways that make sense for individual properties.

White Wetland

Wetland creation
XX native plants
XX km fencing

To view wetland monitoring head to www.tukitukilandcare.org/wetlandmonitoring

A celebration of collaboration: constructed wetland in Ashley Clinton enhances waterway health and biodiversity - November 2024

Local farmers, scientists, and environmental enthusiasts gathered in Ashley Clinton on Tuesday to celebrate a landmark achievement in waterway health and conservation in the Tukipo catchment: the unveiling of a cutting-edge 1.6 hectare constructed wetland designed to reduce farm runoff contaminants and enhance local biodiversity.

Funded by Fonterra and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) in partnership with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and the Tukipo Catchment Care Group (TCCG), this ambitious project aims to improve water quality and biodiversity in the catchment while also providing scientists with valuable data on how effective constructed wetlands are in removing nitrogen and other contaminants from farm runoff.

“This project is proof of what can happen when local farmers and visionary partners unite for a shared purpose,” said Colin Tyler, Chair of TCCG. “The collaboration here has been simply amazing. It’s inspiring to see farmers, eager to protect and enhance their environment, work with partners who share their vision.”

The site, once a marginal paddock generously set aside by the White family of Ashley Clinton, now features a thriving wetland with 24,000 native plants, adjacent to a seven-hectare remnant bush teeming with biodiversity.

Using NIWA’s innovative modular design, the wetland captures and treats water from around 180 hectares of the catchment. It features a series of cells that hold water for specific periods, allowing natural bacterial processes to reduce nitrogen and other contaminants from farm runoff.

A shallow planted zone occupies 50 - 60 percent of the wetland, with deep open-water zones at the inlets and outlets of each cell to disperse inflows and re-collect outflows before they pass to the next cell. A high flow bypass channel routes storm flows around the wetland to the main waterway downstream of the wetland outlet.

Philippa Fourie from Fonterra, who has been involved with the project from its inception, noted the value of the collaboration. “This project demonstrates the power of community beyond dairy, with diverse stakeholders coming together for a common purpose”, said Fourie. “One thing we’ve seen consistently across the country is that nobody knows or loves the land quite like farmers. Their commitment to passing on a better landscape is truly inspiring”.

Annabel Beattie, HBRC’s catchment lead for biodiversity, spoke passionately about the importance of wetlands for biodiversity. “Wetlands as a whole are incredibly special,” Beattie remarked. “They not only help with water quality and potentially help with some flood attenuation by slowing flows, but they also provide a unique habitat for a number of breeding species that rely entirely on wetlands.” A wetland of this size is expected to provide habitat for several native birds, including the nationally critically threatened bittern.

TCCG, founded in 2018 by local farmer Rob Barry, has already achieved impressive environmental gains across the Tukipo catchment. Local farmers and landowners have embraced the initiative, resulting in 49 kilometres of waterway fencing, 75,000 riparian plants, and 40 small-scale wetlands - all funded through a 50/50 matching grant under the Ministry for the Environment’s Freshwater Improvement Fund.

Fourie concluded by thanking local farmers for their dedication, adding, “I just want to thank every landowner that has participated for every bit of planting that you've done, for every weed that you've pulled out. Thank you for your contribution because it really does make our country an amazing place to be”.

Tyler Property

Dam construction
Riparian planting
XX km fencing

Connecting Land, Water and Wildlife - June 2025

Environmental improvements are becoming part of good farm management in Central Hawke’s Bay, with many farmers seeing the value of projects that protect waterways, build biodiversity, and improve the function and resilience of their land. These efforts are delivering practical gains on-farm while also contributing to wider environmental outcomes.
Colin Tyler is seeing the results first-hand on his 80-hectare cattle property in the Tukipo sub-catchment. “Most of the environmental projects we do on-farm aren’t solving just one issue, they’re doing a bit of everything,” he says. “Whether it’s improving grazing management, reducing nutrient loss, or building biodiversity, they’re delivering real, multi-benefit outcomes.”
As Principal Consultant – Environmental at Ravensdown, chair of the Tukipo Catchment Care Group, and a member of the executive committee of Central Hawke’s Bay’s farmer-led catchment collective Tukituki Land Care, Colin is well placed to lead by example. On his own farm, he’s steadily working through projects that improve water quality, reduce sediment loss, and create valuable habitat for native plants and wildlife.
One of his main efforts over the past three years has been restoring an intermittent stream that runs through the property. This is part of a four-year wetland project, and so far about 400 metres of stream have been fenced and planted to create a thriving riparian corridor. The work links into similar projects on neighbouring farms, helping build a connected landscape for native birds, insects, and aquatic life.
“We can see the area from the house, which is pretty satisfying,” says Colin. “It’s taken out some unproductive country where the cattle used to get stuck and cause a mess — and now it’s a beautiful area with native birds popping up and ducks nesting.”
The project is part-funded by the Ministry for the Environment through the Tukipo Catchment Care Group, with farmers matching the funding 50:50. “That co-investment makes you really think about what you’re doing, but having the catchment group involved gives you momentum to get the job done.”
Around 3,000 natives have gone in so far, planted by family and a local crew. Carex and flax line the stream edges, with karamū, mānuka, and cabbage trees further back. Plant guards have made a noticeable difference. “They’ve been a game-changer. Protection from hares, wind and weeds really helps.”
His second major project focused on fencing and planting around a farm dam, which doubles as a duck shooting spot and water source for stock. Support came via the catchment group, with advice from the NZ Game Bird Habitat Trust. Mini ponds were added for better duck habitat. A digger raised the dam wall to increase capacity, and natives, willows and poplars now stabilise the area.
Well-planned environmental projects can boost farm productivity while enhancing local ecosystems. With strong support from catchment groups like Tukituki Land Care, these efforts are building a healthier, more resilient landscape for the future.

XX native plants

Black Road Trapping

150 ha site
XX traps
XX properties

Trapping project to boost biodiversity and native birdlife - November 2023

On a rainy morning in Ashley Clinton, 80 predator traps were making their way to new homes as part of an exciting new trapping project in the area.

The project aims to improve biodiversity and increase native birdlife in the Tukipo catchment by designing, planning and implementing an intensive trapping programme.

Traps have now been placed in a 150 hectare site close to the Monckton Scenic Reserve with the aim of creating a predator free area which will allow existing native species to flourish and maybe one day even allow for the reintroduction of new species to the area.

“Landowners in the catchment are passionate about protecting and improving biodiversity on their farms”, says Colin Tyler, chair of the Tukipo Catchment Care Group. “Through a strategic trapping program, our primary aim is to create a predator-free environment in the catchment, allowing native species to thrive”.

The project is funded by Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay, the Ministry for Environment, HBRC and the Tukipo Catchment Care Group (TCCG). “This project is a great example of how community groups can make a real difference in enhancing our biodiversity”, says Debbie Monahan, General Manager at Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay. “It is great that Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay, in partnership with HBRC, could support such valuable work. We look forward to supporting more community initiatives in the future”.

In 2022, TCCG won the East Coast Catchment Group Award at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards. Part of the prize money from this award went towards funding a workshop run by NZ Landcare’s Sam Gibson, AKA Sam the Trap Man.

Sam encouraged the catchment to consider effective trapping solutions on a catchment wide scale and sparked excitement when he told the group that he believed that the reintroduction of native birds, including kiwi, kaka and whio, into this landscape in the future was indeed possible.

Kay Griffiths of The Conservation Company has worked on numerous projects with this catchment and was employed to design the trapping programme. “In the long term we would love to see the reintroduction of bird species such as the Pōpokotea, or whitehead, which have gone from this area now but still exist in small pockets in the Ruahines”, says Kay.

“Whilst there are a small number of animals that we may never catch, the trapping programme will reduce the number of predators within the landscape significantly which is usually enough to allow native species to thrive and that is exactly what we are trying to achieve”, says Kay.

Seven different types of traps are being used in this project to target different predators including cats, possums, rats and mustelids (ferrets, stoats and weasels) which all pose a threat to the survival of New Zealand’s native birds and other vulnerable native species including lizards and bats.

The team at Mauri Oho, Jobs for Nature, have been employed to check and re-bait many of the traps including a number of traps on land owned by BEL Group. This will complement the existing trapping work that they are already carrying out inside the Monckton Scenic Reserve.

Nina de Malmanche, Ashley Clinton landowner, is taking part in the trapping programme with 30 traps now placed over her farm. “We are thrilled to be involved in this project”, says Nina. “We are looking forward to getting the kids involved too. They will help us check and bait the traps and I am sure it will open up some interesting discussions about biodiversity”.

All the trap locations have been entered onto the Trap.NZ site and data including catches will be recorded so that results can be monitored and analysed.

Through groups such as Biodiversity Hawke’s Bay and Tukituki Land Care, the results of this project will be shared with landowners across the wider Tukituki region and beyond to show the benefits of a well designed and managed trapping project.

In September, Tukituki Land Care awarded a Demonstration grant to TCCG for a project to deal with Old Mans Beard in this same area of the catchment. This invasive weed is a prolific climber that smothers trees and native forest. The project will commence shortly and knowledge gain will again be shared.

Tennent Property

Riparian planting
XX km fencing
XX native plants

Locals Backing Locals: Where Farming, Environment and Community Connect - May 2026

Over the past eight years, Tom and Anna Tennent have reshaped parts of their Ashley Clinton farm, planting around 20,000 native trees and plants and fencing 9 kilometres of waterways. What began as a single wetland project has evolved into a practical, long-term approach that strengthens both the farm and its surrounding environment.
“We started out fencing and planting a wetland we created with some help from the Game Bird Habitat Trust,” says Tom. “It looked great, we could see the benefits, so we decided to keep going.”
From there, planting expanded along waterways, building momentum year by year. That momentum stepped up again when the Tukipo Catchment Care Group secured $2.2 million through the Ministry for the Environment’s Freshwater Improvement Fund.
Through the wider catchment programme, the Tennents accessed matched funding, extending their work by a further 5 kilometres of fencing and establishing around 13,000 native plants. “It made a big difference to what we could get done,” says Tom. “The worry now is what happens next, because there are plenty of farmers keen to do more, but it’s hard to keep that momentum going without a bit of support.”
With 16 hectares of waterways and wetlands now protected with 7-wire fencing and 13 hectares established in natives, Tom says the work has changed how parts of the farm function day to day. “We have fenced off areas that used to be a real headache with boggy ground where stock would get stuck. Those same places are now some of the best parts of the farm. They provide shelter and habitat, and they just work better for everything we’re trying to do.”
As the project scaled up, so did the need for extra hands. Tom approached Takapau-based family business Kintail Honey to see if they could help get plants in the ground. Damien Ward of Kintail says the timing worked well during a quieter period. “It was our downtime, and we were more than happy to help. We had eight to ten workers helping for a couple of weeks over two winters.” The team planted thousands of natives, laid weed mats, installed plant guards and matched species carefully to site conditions. “Bees like trees, and we were happy to get plants in the ground for the bees,” Damien says.
The connection took an unexpected turn when Tom paid Kintail Honey’s $14,000 invoice for the work and the company chose to donate the full amount to the Takapau Health Centre. “The health centre had a big fundraising push underway, so it felt like a good way to contribute,” Damien says.
It is a clear example of locals backing locals. A farm-based environmental project supported by a local business, with that effort then redirected into a community facility. What started as a wetland has become something wider, a reminder that when farmers, businesses and communities pull in the same direction, the impact reaches well beyond the farm gate.

Tylee / Bishop Property

QE11 Protection
XX km fencing
XX native plants

Collaboration sees beech podocarp forest protected - November 2023

When Rosie Bishop and John Tylee purchased their farm nineteen years ago, they were drawn to the indigenous forest on it. They knew they wanted to protect what bush they could and now, with help from a number of groups, they have done just that.
A collaboration between QEII National Trust, HBRC, Tukipo Catchment Care Group (TCCG), and the Ministry for the Environment has enabled Rosie and John to fully protect and preserve a very special 14.5 hectare beech-podocarp remnant forest on their farm near Norsewood, between the Makaretu and Mangatewai rivers.
“We don’t really think of this place as ours, rather we are just looking after it for a short time, while we are here” says Rosie.
“The farm is only about 50 per cent effective, but it was the ineffective that was the drawcard for us”, adds John. “We farm the front to make a living, but we really enjoy the bush and scrub out the back.”
Soon after buying the farm, Rosie and John knew they wanted to protect a significant bush area and they began looking at various possibilities. With the farm nestled into the foothills of the Ruahine Range and home to large numbers of wild deer, Forest Ecologist Adam Forbes advised that the forest fence had to exclude deer. Anything less would just make the bush a magnet to deer. “That is when we realised that we could not protect this bush without a lot of help”, says Rosie.
“We are so appreciative of the assistance we received. Collectively we are all wanting the same things- to reduce erosion, enhance water quality and protect and enhance biodiversity”.
Funding support for the project came from QEII National Trust, HBRC, Tukipo Catchment Care Group (TCCG), Ministry for the Environment and John and Rosie themselves. As well as financial support, QEII National Trust were able to offer protection for the site in the form of a covenant which protects the land in perpetuity.
“The way the different agencies worked together is a fantastic example of how it can happen and make a big job achievable”, says Troy Duncan, HB representative at QEII National Trust. “Having the area deer fenced to a high standard and the legal protection of a QEII National Trust covenant will allow the native vegetation to regenerate uninterrupted and long term will be a good example of what can happen. John and Rosie’s commitment and determination to their vision and the ongoing work they intend to put into the area is inspiring.”
The forest is home to a number of native trees including red beech, rimu, totara and kahikatea. Native birds including the threatened (nationally vulnerable) New Zealand falcon are present too. Seed source is abundant both inside the block and on the adjacent land and with the 1.7 km of deer fence now up, seedlings will naturally come through. This will be supplemented by some planting inside the block. In September, Rosie and John were delighted to accept 3000 mānuka seedlings gifted from Comvita, and they were planted inside the block using a grant from TCCG.
“Without permanent forest cover, land and waterways within the covenant area would be vulnerable to severe erosion”, says Warwick Hesketh, principal advisor catchment management at HBRC. “It’s great to be able to partner with landowners like John and Rosie and the QEII Trust to get these sustainable land management and biodiversity outcomes”.
To celebrate the completion of this project, locals and representatives from the groups involved recently walked together to the forest entrance where they had the privilege of a special karakia and blessing from Jo Heperi and Tipene Heperi of Ngai Tahu ki Takapau.
This is a really great example of the power of community and collaboration”, says Colin Tyler, chair of TCCG. “When you can get a whole lot of people and groups with similar goals to all work in the same direction, it is amazing what you can achieve”.
This newly protected podocarp forest sits within the Tukipo subcatchment which is part of the wider Tukituki catchment. Tukituki Land Care is a farmer-led catchment collective which supports sub-catchment groups of the Tukituki River, enabling funding and action to benefit the region.
This newly protected podocarp forest sits within the Tukipo subcatchment which is part of the wider Tukituki catchment. Tukituki Land Care is a farmer-led catchment collective which supports sub-catchment groups of the Tukituki River, enabling funding and action to benefit the region.

White Wetland

This ambitious project aims to improve water quality and biodiversity in the catchment while also providing scientists with valuable data on how effective constructed wetlands are in removing nitrogen and other contaminants from farm runoff.