Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
Through funding and hands-on support, farmers are installing poplar poles to stabilise fragile slopes, fencing off unproductive land to allow native vegetation to return, and establishing on‑farm poplar nurseries to supply future planting. The programme also funds Land Use Capability (LUC) mapping, giving farmers clearer information to guide long-term land use decisions.
Since 2019, SCAR has supported work on more than 160 farms, with over 30,000 poplar poles planted and more than 1,100 hectares of erosion‑prone land retired to allow native reversion. These changes are improving land stability farm by farm, catchment by catchment.
In northeast Canterbury, Mt Palm, a 1,918‑hectare hill country sheep and beef farm in the Amuri Basin, is another example of place‑based funding delivering real benefits. A $10,000 grant in 2025 supported the fencing of waterways and the staged planting of spring‑fed streams, improving water quality and nutrient management while supporting efficient farm operations.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/06/18/how-biodiversity-funding-is-improving-canterburys-environment/