Floodplain Grazing Phase-out On Cards

Monday, 24 March 2025, 8:42 pm
Article: Emily Ireland - Local Democracy Reporter

Grazing on 576 hectares of regional-council owned flood protection land in Wairarapa could be heavily reduced in favour of emissions-friendly activities.

The Greater Wellington Regional Council has investigated reducing and sequestering emissions on flood protection land including nature-based solutions.

A report to the regional council’s Climate Committee, set to meet on Thursday, said the council was trying to reduce its carbon emissions.

The total annual revenue from grazing was $158,000, but the grazing related emissions represented a carbon cost of $264,000.

Agricultural activities have been removed from the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, so this cost was used for internal tracking purposes only.

The Government intended to implement a pricing system outside the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme for on-farm emissions by 2030.

The report suggested grazing licence agreements could be transitioned to nature-based land management approaches including flood plain meadows and wetland and native bush restoration.

It was recommended that 115ha of flood protection land be transitioned to a “floodplain meadows” which would provide habitat for birds, pollinators, and invertebrates, and would also help with floodwater flow dissipation and sediment filtration and capture.

It could also create $85,000 a year from the sale of baleage, haylage, and silage.

The report also recommended about 210ha could become passively restored wetlands (allowing time for areas to naturally return to wetland vegetation and habitats), 60ha could become actively restored wetlands, and 60ha could be used for native bush restoration.

The report also suggested solar farming applying an agrivoltaics approach may also be considered in areas with the least flooding risk.

Agrivoltaics involved integrating solar panels into agricultural landscapes, allowing for solar energy generation alongside agricultural activities.

Two grazing licence areas had been identified for this as they were outside of the primary flood risk.

The Te Pare (Oporua) site, near Kahutara, has had a feasibility assessment completed and agrivoltaics was deemed viable.

The other area identified for agrivoltaics was near the Tauwharenīkau River bridge southeast of Featherston.

In total, eight grazing agreements had been identified as priorities for change as they made up 85 percent of the total grazing emissions, and 80 percent of the land area, however one was a 33-year long-term lease agreement with a perpetual right of renewal.

Most of the grazing agreements were within the Lower Wairarapa Valley Development Scheme area with their primary purpose being to maintain low vegetation levels for the provision of flood water passage and removal.

The report said managing the land via sole purpose grazing agreements may be missing opportunities for cross beneficial land management and mana whenua partnership and participation.

– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

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