TIROA Station manager Wayne Fraser
Tiroa E and Te Hape B Trusts have a vision of protecting their land for current and future generations who whakapapa to Rereahu iwi. To ensure the quality of the waterways on the land, the two Māori land trusts established Waiatara Native Nursery to eco-source native seeds; germinating and maintaining them ready for riparian planting on their four farms.
Located in the Maniaiti/Benneydale and Pureora areas are Tiroa Station, Wharekiri Station, Te Hape Station and Tiroa E and Te Hape B Limited Partnership, trading as Te Awa Rua.
The farms are sheep and beef breeding and finishing units which collectively have approximately 8000 hectares of effective land running up to 130,000 stock units. The land also has around 4000ha of native bushland.
What makes these farms unique are the protected waterways travelling through them including Waimiha, Waipa, Ongarue, Okahukura and Mangaokewa which feed into the Mōkau, Whanganui and Waikato rivers.
Waiatara Native Nursery was established in 2021 on Te Hape Station. With 150 kilometres of protected waterways across the farms, the decade-long goal is to riparian plant along them.
Nursery supervisor Hiki Nathan shares the process of raising the seedlings ready for planting.
“The nursery helps acclimatise the seedlings to meet the cold conditions on the farms, which include plenty of frosts. We pick the seeds from the native bush we have on the four farms and bring them to the nursery to germinate and raise them. It takes up to 18 months for the seedlings to be ready for planting.”
Preparing the land is important in readiness for planting and includes fencing the waterway from stock.
The nursery team eradicates pests such as rabbits and possums using bait stations and sprays for weeds. Once these tasks are completed, the area is ready for planting.
“This year, we have planted on Tiroa, Te Hape and Wharekiri Stations covering 11km. The seedlings were collected from the farms, while a portion was donated by PGG Wrightson and Nufarm. We are planting natives such as harakeke, manuka, tāwhiri karo, karamu and tī kōuka,” Hiki said.
Securing $1.25 million in funding for the fencing and planting, the first round of funding saw 18km of waterways riparian planted. From next year until the project’s completion, the nursery team aims to plant 22ha of waterways each year.
If any of the native seedlings become surplus to the nursery’s requirements, they will be sold to local marae, environmental projects and other farms.
Hiki points out that along with protecting the whenua for future generations, Tiroa E and Te Hape B trusts are always looking to provide opportunities for beneficiaries to get involved.
“We want our beneficiaries to have somewhere to come and feel a sense of connection to the land. This includes giving those who whakapapa to this whenua work on the farms as opportunities arise, including in our kaimahi team.”
Tiroa Station farm manager Wayne Fraser feels a deep connection to the whenua.
“My association with the trusts has been a long one, including time as a trustee,” Wayne said. “I whakapapa to Rereahu through my mother’s side. I came here as a young fellow, then moved away. The opportunity to come back and do what I love – farming – on my own whenua was important to me. The trust allows for tamariki to come and work on the farms.”
Wayne has managed Tiroa Station for the past 13 years. The farm has 3150ha of effective land with 36,000 stock units; 70/30 sheep to cattle.
“This is mainly a breeding block with predominantly Angus cows and Romney sheep. Lambing every year, we aim to get our first pick away by Christmas through to late March. With the challenging conditions on the farm, with cold weather and exposed paddocks, the grass growth takes a bit to get the lambs to carcass weight. This year, I estimate we’ll have around 24,000 lambs.”
Wayne works alongside PGG Wrightson technical field representative Russell Smith to implement the farm’s cropping and grassing programme, which is delivering good results.
“Our heifers are 30 to 40 kilograms heavier than this time last year and that’s just through our cropping programme. It gives us an edge.
“The farms need to be a viable income source for whānau, and as there is a financial outlay in sowing a crop, we need to find the best fit for the animals we’re carrying to ensure we make a financial return,” Wayne said.
Carlos Cressy, store manager of PGG Wrightson Te Kūiti, also has strong connections to the farms, including working with the trusts for over 12 years. This has seen him involved in sourcing and supplying products and offering support for the riparian planting programme.
“I grew up around here. When I finished school, I started shearing and have shorn on these farms for many years. I have an affinity with the land as my wife and children whakapapa back to this whenua,” Carlos said.
Written by PGG Wrightson
PGG Wrightson Ltd (PGW) does not warrant the information’s accuracy, quality, outcome or fitness for any purpose.
