Restoring land and community in Hurunui

When John first took on the block in 2016, the riverbank wasn’t something he saw as special. It was grazed, weedy, and difficult to manage; like many parts of working farms across the country. Through his involvement in the Hurunui Zone Committee, John had started to hear different perspectives — from iwi, environmental groups, and local community members — about what the landscape once was, and what it could be again. Restoring the riverbank has never been just about plants or compliance. It’s about honouring relationships; with the land, with people, and with the history of the place. That shift in perspective became the starting point.

The broader farm was running a winter kale and outdoor grazing system that left the land looking bare and beaten by September each year. The Hurunui braided river reaches the farm borders, which had been degraded over decades: willows had colonised the banks, endangered bird populations had declined, and a loss of cultural connection to the area for Ngāi Tahu. The composting barn John had been planning for years was not yet built, meaning cows were still spending winter on the land in conditions John found increasingly difficult.

Getting started

John began planting on the site independently in 2016–17, drawing on a contact from the zone committee, a wetland ecologist, who helped with initial planning. The project took a significant step forward when the Shane Jones One Billion Trees Fund opened. John applied both personally and through the Hurunui District Landcare Group (of which he'd been invited to join the governance board). The Landcare Group secured approximately $900,000 for a 65-hectare programme across multiple properties; John's project received $50,000 in direct funding plus an ongoing contribution of around $25,000. With that funding secured, he engaged a native plant specialist to conduct a full site assessment and design the planting plan.

Patience provides benefits

• Native plant establishment is now largely self-sustaining, weed management intensity has dropped significantly after six years.
• Bird populations are increasing: South Island pied oystercatchers and terns are nesting on the farm in growing numbers; a white heron (kōtuku) was spotted on site for the first time.
• Rare skink and gecko habitat is established; Canterbury gecko confirmed on site.
• Ngai Tahu engagement has deepened over time; two senior representatives have now walked the site; one felt strong mauri in a particular spot; another identified a cabbage tree likely used as a trail marker over 400 years ago.
• The composting barn (nearing completion) will remove cows from the support block in winter, allowing the restoration area to be shown to visitors year-round without the visual and practical issues of pugged land.
• Community engagement via student planting groups worked well; 140 students came through, many urban, many leaving with a changed view of farming — and six with Māori heritage reconnecting with cultural knowledge.
• The project has given John a credible platform as an ECan councillor: a physical demonstration of his values, not just words.

What’s next for John

John’s long-term vision goes beyond planting. He sees the site becoming a place where people can reconnect with the land and with each other. That could include walking access, cultural interpretation, and links to a wider network of landscapes with shared history. The goal is simple: To create a place where someone can arrive — whether they’re a farmer, a student, or a visitor from the city — and feel a stronger connection to the land and the story it holds.