A project to revitalise Marlborough’s Te Hoiere/Pelorus river catchment from the mountains into the sea has had its funding extended to June 2026.

Te Hoiere/Pelorus is one of twelve priority river catchments in the Department of Conservation’s Ngā Awa River Restoration Programme and an ‘exemplar catchment’ in the Ministry for the Environment's At Risk Catchments Programme.

Initiated in 2019 and regarded as a leading example of community-driven environmental restoration, Te Hoiere Project’s vision is “to work together to restore the mauri of Te Hoiere land, waters, and coast which flourish, along with peoples’ wellbeing and livelihoods”.

Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor welcomed the news saying it was excellent to have this funding extension confirmed and to know that the Te Hoiere/Pelorus team could get on and deliver a fourth year of restoration and freshwater improvements. “This project, and many of the farmers involved with it, were hit hard by the same weather events that did so much damage to our Sounds roads. I’m grateful to the Ministry for the Environment for recognising the impact of that weather event on the project and for agreeing to extend the funding,” she said.

Te Hoiere Kaitiaki Charitable Trust co-chairs Waihaere Mason and Barbara Faulls say there has been an incredible amount of work by the Trust, Mayor Nadine Taylor and the Project team with significant support from the Ministry for the Environment to get the one-year funding extension “over the line.”

“The Government’s At-Risk Catchment Programme was initially a $12 million four-year fund to improve freshwater health nationwide. Our funding was reduced to three years when the deed was signed in 2022 so it’s fantastic we now have certainty for this important fourth year. It is not additional funding; just a time extension to spend the money that was originally earmarked for Te Hoiere. It will give us an opportunity to continue work within the catchment while focusing in on strategic planning and investigation of other funding opportunities for when this source of funding ultimately ends,” Co-chairs Mason and Faulls said.

Te Hoiere Programme Manager Rachel Russell said the Project’s achievements spoke for themselves with more than 74km of riparian margins/wetland now fenced in the catchment and more than 200,000 plants in the ground over a restoration area of 60ha.

“There have also been several significant and meaningful work streams supported by the Project including the development of geospatial layers to understand erosion risk, geomorphological modelling to understand river processes which have been used to develop a Riverbank Erosion Plan due out soon as well as monitoring work,” she said. “Te Hoiere Project could not achieve all of this without the combined effort, help and support of Te Hoiere/Pelorus community, iwi, funders and stakeholders and we thank them for their continued partnership and support.”

Testament to the excellent work and ongoing achievements of Project Partners was the number of entrants in the recent Port Marlborough – Marlborough Environment Awards with several associated with Te Hoiere Project. Top of the South Wood Council (TOTSWC) - Te Hoiere Forestry Projects won the Forestry section on the night.

All involved with Te Hoiere Project will have an opportunity to celebrate the great news about the funding at the Te Hoiere Project Celebration on 19 June beginning at the Havelock Hall where work on the initiative began several years ago. The day will include key speakers and stakeholders involved with the Project and an ‘expo-style’ set up allowing invited guests and members of the public to circulate and chat informally with organisations involved in Te Hoiere Project. There will also be a field trip to two project sites.

“This will be a great chance to consider how far we have come – to both reflect on the past and look to the future,” Rachel said.

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