Riparian planting and wetland restoration in Taranaki
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4 min read
Paul Kuriger has shaped a profitable dairy farm in Taranaki by working with the landscape rather than trying to force it into something it's not. His experience shows that biodiversity, waterway protection and farm profitability can go hand in hand when decisions are grounded in what the land can realistically deliver.
Since purchasing the farm in 2017, Paul has fenced off waterways, planted riparian margins, restored a wetland, and tackled pests, all while maintaining a low-input, low-stocking-rate system suited to the high-altitude, high-rainfall environment. He's proof that biodiversity and a strong farm business can work together seamlessly.
When Paul took over the farm, it bore the marks of past attempted land development. Previous owners had run up to six bulldozers at a time, clearing bush, pushing in hollows, and burying them under soil to create new paddocks. Streams had been straightened, fences ran right to the stream edge, and the wetland area had been grazed to the water's edge.
A large possum population, estimated at over 1,000, had been left unchecked for years. The farm had real production potential but also real problems; high rainfall, significant erosion risk, effluent system gaps, and landscapes that had been pushed harder than it could sustainably handle.
Paul in front of his wetland, which has become a real farm asset.
Farm description
Location:
Taranaki hill country, high edge of Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki – Mt Taranaki National Park
Farm details:
Low stocking rate, barn wintering, 250 cows, 196 ha total, 37 ha in permanent bush
Key landscape features:
Kapuni River, multiple streams and creeks, wetland/lake, steep gullies, pine areas transitioning to native bush
You can farm a farm and make it profitable with biodiversity. The two can work in the same place — we can live together with the animals and the land.
Getting started
In the first winter of ownership, Paul approached the Taranaki Regional Council for a riparian planting map and support. Having farmed in Taranaki previously, he already understood how the council worked and what was available. From there, the work started quickly — fencing five meters back from waterways, planting natives in riparian margins, and identifying areas across the farm that would benefit from retirement. Council support included assistance with possum control and guidance on riparian planting species and layouts. These are some key actions that Paul took:
- Fenced all streams and waterways, moving fences to the top of creek banks to reduce erosion and exclude stock.
- Retired 37 ha of existing native bush permanently from grazing.
- Planted riparian margins with native species from year one, now fully established and self-sustaining.
- Selected native riparian species with guidance from Taranaki Regional Council.
- Trialled a six-metre buffer strip of oats, plantain, and chicory above riparian margins to trap nutrients before they reach waterways.
- Fenced, planted and allowed an existing wetland/lake to naturalise, creating habitat now full of waterfowl.
- Supported native bush expansion by selectively removing residual pines and chipping them for barn bedding.
- Built a barn built for wintering to retain nutrients on farm.
- Implemented on-off grazing system.
- Developed a high-risk paddock map for adverse weather events.
- Upgraded the effluent system, with hydrants being installed to expand effluent reach.
What’s working well?
The farm runs profitably at a lower stocking rate — no chasing marginal milk, and a much more manageable system.
The native plantings have established fully and are now self-sustaining. "The bush has simply taken over in many areas without further intervention,” says Paul. “The barn has transformed our wintering – nutrients stay on the farm, animal health is better, calving is easier, and the farm can respond quickly to sudden weather events.
The wetland is also thriving, it’s regularly full of ducks and wildlife and naturally self-managing since fencing and planting. The possum population has been eliminated over four years – the sustained effort has been worth it seeing birdsong and wildlife return.”
Some of the remnant riparian margins on the farm, showing what the future holds for the rest of the farm's riparian margins.
I'm quite happy to drink a cup of water at the bottom end of the farm. That's what it's about — what comes in and what leaves the farm.
Challenges
- Getting the fence setback right from the start — some early fences were too close to creek banks and had to be repositioned.
- Pest control is ongoing and requires consistent commitment — stoats remain active and feral cats are being dumped near the bush boundary.
- Managing sediment and race runoff in high-rainfall events — the farm can receive 360 mm in 24 hours, making sediment control a constant focus.
- Shifting mindset in the wider farming community — some neighbours still see wet areas and gullies as something to fill in rather than fence off.
Paul’s tips for other farmers
- Start by farming the farm for what it is — don't spend money trying to develop land that will never perform. The cost of bulldozing steep or wet areas almost never pays back.
- Get your fences off the creek bank and up to the top of the slope. You'll feel like you're losing ground but you're actually gaining stability — and with good planting it fills in fast.
- Tackle pests early and keep going. One round of possum control isn't enough — it took four years of sustained effort to get to zero.
What’s next
Paul is planning to trial a six-metre buffer strip of oats, plantain, and chicory above the riparian plantings on paddocks that border waterways, these are crops that the cows will happily graze as part of the rotation while also intercepting nutrients before they reach streams. He's also working to complete the farm's effluent system by extending its reach and is developing a settling basin system to manage race and sediment runoff during heavy rainfall events.
Longer term, he sees potential for a motorhome site near the soon to be developed new wetland area, offering tourists a view of the farm's biodiversity in action; a community and commercial dimension that fits naturally with the landscape he's already built.
Additional resources
Biodiversity
/environment/land-and-soil/biodiversity/
Riparian planting
/environment/waterbodies-and-wetlands/riparian-planting/
Fencing waterways
/environment/waterbodies-and-wetlands/fencing-waterways/
Wetlands
/environment/waterbodies-and-wetlands/wetlands/
Fish passage
/environment/waterbodies-and-wetlands/fish-passage/
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