Sustainable Land Management

Te Uranga B2 Incorporation - Physical Overview

• Soils - Yellow brown earth, yellow brown loam, yellow brown pumice 
• Rock Types -Jointed and banded mudstone, pumice, greywacke, limestone, ignimbrite
• Prevailing Wind - North westerly 
• Rain Bearing Wind - Easterly
• Altitude:
• Summit of Mt Hikurangi - 514 above sea level (a.s.l)
• Steeper hill country - 350 - 460 a.s.l
• Top flats - 365 a.s.l
• Flats on Koromiko - 258 a.s.l c
• Total area - 2,369 ha

Nga Whenua 

Nga Whenua Rahui was established by the government in 1991 to provide funding for the protection of indigenous ecosystems on Maori land. Its scope covers the full range of natural diversity originally present in the landscape.

Cultural use of these natural areas - access to harvest for carving and medicinal use - is blended with the acceptance of public access within the agreements. The objective is long-term protection with inter-generational reviews of conditions.            

Te Uranga B2's introduction to, what is today termed "sustainable land management", was in effect its 1994 endorsement of a Nga Whenua Rahui Kawenata over 105 hectares of regenerating native forest. Since then a further 4 ecosystems have been withdrawn from farming including 35 ha of wetland known as Te Wharepapa. 16 ha of Te Wharepapa is planted in harakeke (flax) in grid pattern for ease of general maintenance and future harvesting

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Manuka

Approximately 7 hectares of pine trees growing beside the Piaua and Ongarue Ngakonui Roads were harvested in 2014 and a small portion of the revenue has been used to replant the land where the pines were, Classes 7 & 8 of dairy farm land, waterways and gullies with manuka seedlings. Some of these are near maturity and the nectar will be gathered by bees from 6 hive sites scattered strategically around the farm. 

Tweeddale Apiarists currently pay the Incorporation $1,000 per site and as the manuka matures the payment will be based on the UMF (unique manuka factor) and the amount of honey in each hive. It is estimated that income from the hives will increase 6-fold.

Shareholders attending annual general meetings have for some years been given litre jars of honey supplied by Tweeddales to take home.   

Horizons

The environmental works programme adopted by the Incorporation was to be enhanced by an approach from Horizons Regional Council to participate in its Whole Farm Plan. This partnership has provided for an assesment of land and water resources, identification of environmental issues and recommendation of tailored best practices, planning integrated business/environmental plans and procedures to monitor responsibilities, maintenance and support.

Marae 2002

This story screened on 'Marae', TVNZ on Sunday 5 July 2002. Derek Fox was the programme's presenter with Derek Wooster producing 'Marae' as well as directing this clip about environmental work on Hikurangi Station (Te Uranga B2 Inc. Taumarunui). Potaka Maipi was the reporter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOKyU_a7nMg

Ballance Farm Environment Awards 2013 - Horizons Region

'The Ballance Farm Environment Awards celebrates role models who show how sustainable farming practices can be part of a profitable farm business and can inspire, motivate and educate others.'

Te Uranga B2 was invited to enter the Horizons region of these prestigious awards. At the awards evening in Palmerston North on 8 March Te Uranga B2 won two Specialist Regional Awards:- The Margaret Matthews Trophy for Commitment to Sustainabilty presented to Vonda Houpapa and Horizons Regional Council Award (for the integration of trees) presented to Jack Valois, Upoko Sheep & Beef farm manager. In the Open Section of the awards Dean and Lucy Marshall, sharemilkers on Paatara Dairy farm were presented the LIC Dairy Farm Award.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU6Im3UtK9c

Paatara LIC Ballance Environment Farm Award Video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2_nHkHYthU

 Upoko given award for integration of trees on its sheep & beef farm by

 Horizons in the 2013 Ballance farm Environmental Awards 2013. 

 Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) on Māori-owned Farms

Scion, in partnership with AgFirst, are undertaking a research programme funded by the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC) looking at GHG mitigation options for Māori-owned pastoral farms.

The research programme is led by Dr Tanira Kingi (Scion) based in Rotorua, and managed by Phil Journeaux (AgFirst) out of their Hamilton office. In December 2017, the new government outlined the process to introduce the Zero Carbon Bill to Parliament in 2018.

The Bill will lay the framework for New Zealand to meet its 2050 target to be carbon neutral (zero net carbon emissions). The consequence of this legislation is that agricultural producers will need to reduce their GHG emissions or face heavy carbon tax penalties. Farmers can do this by improving their farming practices e.g. lower stocking rates and lower fertiliser inputs, but they will also need to diversify into land uses that produce lower carbon emissions or that store carbon e.g. forestry.

This research is aimed at understanding how diversified Māori farms like Te Uranga B2 can improve their carbon profile further with changes to the management system and land use diversification. The programme will develop a carbon and economic profile of the current operation of the incorporation’s dairy, sheep & beef and forestry operations and then model hypothetical changes that the Committee of Management want to explore, to see the affect on carbon emissions and profitability.

The programme is collaborating with DairyNZ, B+LNZ, Federation of Māori Authorities and Te Tumu Paeroa to share the findings with the wider agribusiness community.

While this study is carried out on Māori-owned farms, it is the first research programme in the country that is modelling both farm management mitigation options and land use changes and is therefore relevant to New Zealand’s entire agricultural industry.

Click here to read the final report that includes Unoko Maori Lands Trust.