The owner of an Oxford foothills wetland native restoration project has been awarded the top grant from this year’s MainPower Waimakariri Biodiversity Fund.
Rebecca Pocock’s Sladdens Farm Road property in Oxford, was awarded $2200 from the $10,000 fund with five other applications also awarded grants for their native restoration projects.
A record 12 applications were received for grants from the annually-awarded contestable fund which is jointly sponsored by the Waimakariri District Council and MainPower North Canterbury and managed by the Waimakariri Biodiversity Trust (WBT).
The successful applications were chosen by a panel of five judges representing MainPower and the WBT.
Ecologist and chief judge Dr Judith Roper-Lindsay said the quality of the applications, district-wide spread,
and the number was impressive this year.
Applicants were thinking beyond just planting to longer-term outcomes for increased insect, lizard and bird life, she said.
"Next year it would be great to see some applications from urban areas too," Dr Roper-Lindsay said.
Fellow judge, ecologist, and Waimakariri Biodiversity Trust co-ordinator Dr Noah Davis said the Sladdens Farm property stood out for its clear ecological purpose and direct contribution to the protection of a nationally significant species, the Canterbury mudfish/ Kōwaro.
The project built on an already-fenced and actively managed wetland, expanding the buffer zone and improving habitat resilience through targeted vegetation clearance, eco-sourced native planting, and ongoing pest control, he said.
The staged plan was also practical, achievable, and supported by substantial in-kind (voluntary) labour, machinery use, and on-site propagation, demonstrating genuine long-term commitment from the landowner, Dr Davis said.
Existing work such as seedling production, possum and hare control, and previous successful restoration on adjacent blocks also provided confidence in the landowner’s capacity to deliver.
The project would achieve meaningful biodiversity gains, enhanced water-holding capacity during dry periods, and laid the groundwork for future covenant protection, making it a well-prepared and high-value restoration initiative, he said.
Other fund winners were: Daniel and Cassandra Prickett ($1800), Chris and Donna Kerr ($1500), Hamish and Chauntel Moir ($1500), Andreas and Sarah Jaegar Chamberlain ($1500) and Richard Stalker ($1500).