Fencing subsidy fast-tracks conservation efforts

Rai Valley beef farmer Glyn Jones says support from Marlborough’s Te Hoiere/Pelorus River catchment initiative has put him five years ahead in fencing and planting work on his 120-hectare property.

“Our 120-hectare property has more than half in native bush, with a beautiful creek running through it,” Glyn explains.

“We’ve only been here six years, and I enjoy the flora and fauna—the birdlife, frogs and falcons—so we started putting in the effort to fence off the waterways and protect what’s here.”

While focused on fencing, Glyn was already thinking ahead to future plantings. “Back on our block in Canterbury, we planted thousands of trees, and I knew I wanted to do the same here,” he says.

“Without planting, I could see the risk of erosion and what I call a ‘green drought’—just pine trees and nothing else. The native bush is vital for the birds, lizards, and the wider ecosystem, including the native falcons that return to nest here.”

With on-farm costs like fertiliser rising sharply, Glyn says everyone, including him, has been rethinking how they spend their money. As fencing supplies also became more expensive, he was weighing up whether to continue with fencing or shift focus to planting. That’s when he came across the Marlborough Te Hoiere Project stand at the Rai Valley A & P Show.

The Te Hoiere Project focuses on improving freshwater health through a range of initiatives, including a fencing subsidy for landowners who meet its criteria. Fortunately, Glyn did.

“Through Te Hoiere, we’ve been able to fence around one kilometre of waterway, and the savings on fencing costs meant we could start planting sooner,” Glyn says. He explains that the Te Hoiere team visited the property to assess the project’s suitability and took before-and-after photos.

“Thanks to the subsidy, we’ve essentially fast-tracked our progress by about five years—it’s allowed us to move on to planting much earlier than we expected.”
Glyn says some of their country is pretty steep and the fencing and plantings have stopped stock getting into waterways as well as protecting natives such as  Rimu, Kahikatea and Beech trees.

Marlborough’s Te Hoiere Project has had its funding extended until June 2026 through the Ministry for the Environment’s At Risk Catchments Programme and they still have 50 per cent subsidies available for riparian and wetland fencing.
Programme manager Rachel Russell says: “With the current funding now extended there is another year of support for landowners who are keen to fence waterways and wetlands.

“The Project has a long-term vision and aspirations with support from a range of partners who will help to bring longevity to the project. There has been significant work on all land tenures including DOC and Council, but importantly also with landowners and land managers on private land who live and work in the catchment.

“We have increased our understanding of land processes, species and the wider environment through workshops, talks and field days and through our education programme as well.”

Information about the fencing subsidy is available on the Te Hoiere Project website: www.tehoiere.org.nz