Marine farmers support Stream Care’s clean water success with cash funding
Robyn Jones (nursery manager, centre) collects the first cheque for $5,000 from Golden Bay marine farmers Kris Solly (left) and Jason McKay (right). Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh.
When Bill Wallace heard that Aorere Stream Care’s funding had been axed, he thought it appropriate that the 13-member Golden Bay Marine Farmers Consortium (of which he is managing director) should pitch in and help make up some of the shortfall.
Last Thursday (21 Jan) consortium members Kris Solly and Jason McKay handed over the first cheque of $5,000 to Robyn Jones, manager of the Aorere Stream Care nursery behind Collingwood Area School. The consortium intends to provide a similar amount next year as well.
Bill Wallace explains: “It’s seemed only appropriate that us marine farmers give Stream Care some money when they need it now because we have actually fiscally benefited from the planting out of streams in Golden Bay. Basically we’ve gone from only being able to harvest 28 per cent of the time four years ago, due to high faecal coliform counts in the Bay, to being closed just 28 per cent of the time now. That’s a fantastic result for us.”
Bill is keen to point out that other measures of the Fonterra Accord, such as ensuring effluent is disposed of in ponds and keeping cows out of waterways, have all contributed greatly to the cleaning up of aquatic Golden Bay.
“Some farmers have spent huge amounts of money on improving effluent disposal, keeping stock out of streams with bridges and underpasses, and fencing off stream margins, but much of the planting done by Stream Care after the fencing gets put in by the farmer is all done with volunteers, and we appreciate that enough to put some money towards it.”
Golden Bay Marine Farmer’s Consortium Ltd currently spends around $100,000 each year on water testing offshore from Collingwood. This has to be done weekly by MAF Qual contractors for the New Zealand Food Safety Authority. In general, increased levels of faecal coliforms in aquatic environments generally indicate that the water has been contaminated with the faecal material of livestock or other animals that has been washed out through stormwater runoff after flooding. Swans, geese, seagulls and other waterfowl can also elevate bacterial counts.
Says Bill: “We would always expect some contamination after rain, even from all the animals in the hills like pigs and deer. But a few years back we became extremely concerned because the contamination was continuing even during long fine weather. According to our testing, the water in Golden Bay is in a lot healthier state now than it was a few years back. We’re just grateful for all the effort going in to achieve that.”
Robyn Jones says her Stream Care nursery, which she manages with John Gilardi, currently has about 3,000 trees that will soon be ready for planting out. These are mostly cabbage trees, flaxes, ribbonwoods, pittosporums, lacebarks and Carex secta. “Once these get established, the rest of the bush follows and stream quality is fairly assured. It’s a gratifying process to be involved in.”
Gerard Hindmarsh
