04-02-10: Marine Farmers support Stream Care.

The Golden Bay Marine Farmers Consortium have stepped in to help the Aorere Stream Care Group following a cut in their funding.

Consortium members Kris Solly and Jason McKay presented the first cheque of $5,000 to Robyn Jones, manager of the Aorere Stream Care nursery. A similar sum will be made available next year.

Managing Director of the Consortium, Bill Wallace explains:“It’s seemed 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."

The riparian planting has made a significant contribution to improving water quality, which in turn has increased the harvesting opportunities for marine farmers. Bill is keen to point out that other measures such as ensuring effluent is disposed of in ponds and keeping cows out of waterways, have all contributed greatly to the cleaning up 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.

Nursery Manager Robyn Jones (centre), collects the first cheque for $5,000 from Golden Bay marine farmers Kris Solly (left) and Jason McKay (right). Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh. 

Increased levels of faecal coliforms in aquatic environments generally indicate that the water has been contaminated with livestock faecal material.

Bill states: “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.” 

Article based on material originally written by Gerard Hindmarsh.