The Transition Advisory Group is a cross-sector group set up to develop guidelines to transition vulnerable land to permanent vegetative cover.
The group consists of local experts from a diverse range of stakeholders including forestry owners, Māori landowners, people with farming interests and experts from Gisborne District Council and Ministry for Primary Industries.
The group is using their local knowledge and experiences to create high-level guidelines for changing unstable farming and forestry land into permanent vegetation cover. These guidelines will help farmers and foresters manage their land better.
Timeline
Formed in September 2024, the group meets monthly to develop the transition guidelines by April 2025.
Our why
Tairāwhiti region suffers the most severe soft rock soil erosion in New Zealand. Over the past decade, extreme weather events have increased environmental damage, showing the urgent need for better risk management.
Since the region relies on forestry, farming, and horticulture, we must ensure these activities take place on land that can sustain them. The first step is identifying areas that require permanent vegetation for protection, which will involve significant land use changes.
Shifting from our current land use to permanent vegetation will be challenging but it's necessary to prevent future damage.
Photos below show various land scenarios: treated farmland, woodlots and soil conservation plantings, plantation forestry with indigenous vegetation in gullies, and areas where indigenous vegetation is regenerating.
Role of the group
TAG is using local expertise and knowledge to develop guidelines that support a wide range of transition opportunities across all land uses. As part of this, the group are working on:
- a series of options based on existing examples and case studies across Tairāwhiti and Aotearoa that align with our vulnerable land.
- a transition guide that outlines transition steps for specific sites while making sure it works well with adjoining land.
4 transition scenarios
TAG is developing guidelines for 4 different scenarios, recognising that every site is different and unique.
- Pastoral land use transition in the presence of stock
- Pastoral land use transition involving stock exclusion
- Forestry land use transition involving harvest
- Forestry land use transition without harvesting
- Nedine Thatcher-Swann
- Kerry Hudson
- John Hutchings
- Sheldon Drummond
- Mike Marden
- Hilton Collier
- Matene Blandford
- Graeme Atkins
- Bryan McKinlay
- Mark Lumsden
- Richard Powell
- Kees Weytmans
- Jason Blair
- Nigel/Lana Hope
- Phil Hope
- Alan Haronga
- Gene Takurua
- Dean Evans
- Nicki Davies
- Amy England
- Sandy Butler
- Willie Wetere
- Daniel Williams
- Bryce McLoughlin
- Kerry Worsnop
- Richard Clark
- Charlie Reynolds
- Tim Rhodes
- Laura Watson
- Julian Kohn
- Manu Caddie
- Renee Raroa
- Daniel Fraser
- Rob Daunton
- Dan Jex-Blake
- Henare Walker
How to get involved
- Check for our open engagements - kōrero mai via our engagement portal
- Sign up for Council News | He Pānui - using this form.