Planting has kicked off on a new resilience project aimed at protecting rural roads by strengthening vulnerable roadside land. The first site to get underway was on Mangatuna Road, with another 65 sites around the district scheduled for planting this winter.

A planting team of three, supervised by Taiao Ora Contracting with support from Horizons Regional Council, is busy putting around 1,500 willows and poplars into the ground.

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Photo: The planting team at one of the 100 sites being planted

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Tararua Alliance Network Manager Andrew Desmond says a test site on Route 52, planted last year, is holding up well, however only time will tell how effective each intervention is, as these trees take time to establish.

“We’ve identified around 100 spots across the district for stability planting, so it’s exciting to see this rolling out.”

This project is a collaboration between Horizons Regional Council, the Ministry of Social Development, and Tararua Alliance. Its goal is to boost roadside resilience and cut down on costly roading repairs.

“The team will also be tackling other resilience work, like removing wilding pines, that if left to grow will turn into hazardous roadside trees, and planting low-height natives along the roadside,”

Andrew adds; “By identifying vulnerable road sections and carrying out low-cost improvements, we’re aiming to reduce the risk of expensive storm damage for future generations.”

Tararua’s roading network is particularly vulnerable to damage from heavy rainfall. After Cyclone Gabrielle, the Tararua Alliance recorded 435 dropouts. The planting initiative was developed in response to this, aiming to lessen the impact of future storms and minimise disruption to local communities.

The project also supports social and economic outcomes by partnering with the Ministry of Social Development to provide planting work opportunities for locals who aren’t currently in employment, education, or training.

To find out more about the project, visit our Projects section.