TLC TACKLING EROSION - LAND FOR LIFE PROJECT

SUMMARY

In August 2025, TLC was chosen as one of two community catchment groups in Hawke’s Bay to partner with Land for Life - a collaboration between Hawke's Bay Regional Council, (HBRC) Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and The Nature Conservancy Aotearoa New Zealand (TNC NZ).

Through the project, TLC will receive $75,000 to create and deliver a High Risk Erosion Action Plan targeting erosion-prone hill country across four key sub-catchments: Mangamahaki, Mangarara, Makara and Hāwea. By June 2026, TLC will move from planning to demonstration, establishing showcase sites.

PARTNERS

Land for Life, Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Ministry for Primary Industries, The Nature Conservancy Aotearoa.

Catchment Co-ordinator Pixie Seligman

Email tukicoordinator@gmail.com

Phone 0277212423

BACKGROUND

This work builds on TLC’s 2024 Big Picture project, which produced independent, science-based plans for all 17 Tukituki sub-catchments. See the plans here.

With those plans in hand - and strong landowner engagement - TLC will now develop a High-Risk Erosion Action Plan spanning four priority sub-catchments: Mangamahaki, Mangarara, Makara and Hāwea.

Identified in the Big Picture as erosion-prone, these areas will be assessed using a cross-catchment priority matrix to set a clear hierarchy of focus. The plan will outline practical, erosion-specific actions - such as targeted planting, riparian protection and ecological corridors - to help landowners stabilise hillsides, boost biodiversity, and improve water quality by reducing sediment.

TLC LAND FOR LIFE
PROJECT LAUNCH

In October 2025, TLC launched the Land for Life project at an event in Elsthorpe with farmers from four priority erosion-prone sub-catchments - Mangamahaki, Mangarara, Makara and Hāwea.

Together we talked through the erosion challenges on farm and shared ideas for where and how demonstration projects could have the most impact.

A big thank you to Rachel Agnew (Land for Life) and Matt Highway (EIS) for their presentations. Matt worked closely with TLC on The Big Picture Project, which identified these priority erosion areas.

Thank you also to all those farmers who took time off the farm to help us shape the project. Next, we’ll be reviewing the information gathered from landowners at the launch - including expressions of interest to be involved - and shaping our action plan from there.