The Hill Country Erosion Programme helps landowners manage and protect erosion-prone hill country land with practical tools like planting guides and best practice advice.

This programme is a partnership between MPI/Te Uru Rākau-NZ Forest Service, Otago Regional Council and landowners, encouraging sustainable management practices to protect vulnerable hill country. 

The three-year project fits alongside other work being carried out across Otago, particularly catchment programmes, the draft Strategic Climate Action Plan and Nature-based Solutions study.

• We’re collating and analysing existing data and mapping to determine where our focus should be
• We have developed a strategic plan to guide our actions through the three years of project funding (up until June 2027).  Mana whenua advice will continue to inform our planning for how and where we work on this project
• Tools are being developed to assist landowners in making land use decisions, including a planting guide for erosion control
• Site visits are underway to assess current landowner led erosion control strategies and concerns
• Pilot project sites will be identified to trial and showcase erosion control tools and techniques

Prevention is a key part of the program, and there are several options available to help stop erosion in coastal Otago. However, we need more research. We are working with landowners and experts so that we can better understand the changes to the environment in coastal Otago, including changes in soil types. The aim being to boost water quality, reduce sediment going into our waterways, and improve the quality of the land.

Alison Turner spoke with erosion expert Murray Harris about the Hill Country Erosion projects.

We are wanting to learn from, and support landowners who are managing their land in ways that are effectively addressing and controlling hill country erosion.  If you are interested in being part of our pilot project sites, please get in touch.  

There is some funding to support landowner initiatives, such as stock exclusion fencing and planting.  We invite landowners who wish to take part to register their interest, by emailing alison.turner@orc.govt.nz.