OUR LAND & SOIL TŌ TĀTAU WHENUA, ONE HOKI OUR LAND & SOIL TŌ TĀTAU WHENUA, ONE HOKI HIGHLIGHTS Tairāwhiti has varied land types with 71% of the region classified as steep hill country. Our gentle rolling land is very fertile - the Poverty Bay Flats is the single largest area of high-quality fertile soils in New Zealand. Maize and sweetcorn are the most abundant crop types, making up 42% of crops recorded in the region. On the Poverty Bay Flats there has been a 110% increase in irrigated high-value crops such as apples, kiwifruit and persimmons over the last ten years. There has been an increase in commercial vegetables grown in winter. In 2019, there were 320ha of these vegetables (mainly lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli). Our region is susceptible to erosion due to our geology, heavy rainfall and previous removal of forest cover. Council is working with landowners to protect our most vulnerable land. 42,946ha (86%) of our land requiring treatment for erosion (Land Overlay 3A) now has effective tree cover, with a further OUR LAND 7,223ha (14%) still requiring action Gisborne is a region with a young soil and climate means horticulture – 3,207ha of this is in the Waiapu geology, located on an actively rising and cropping are more economically catchment. fold of the earth’s crust, the crest of attractive land uses than dairy farming. which is the bush-covered Raukumara Forestry is important economically Steep hill country makes up 596,000ha Range. The high rate of uplift (4mm a to Tairāwhiti. In 2018 the total (71%) of the district, the heartland of year), tectonic crushing, soft rocks, harvest was 10,707ha. This included mixed sheep and beef farming and 20% frequency of heavy rainfall and removal 9,451ha consented for harvest and of the district’s forestry. of much of the original forest cover 1,177ha as a permitted activity. 2018 means Gisborne has significant erosion was the first year that harvest was problems. Twenty-five per cent of the allocated as a permitted activity North Island’s most severely eroding Two sides of under the National Environmental land is found in Gisborne. This presents Standard for Forestry. erosion a big challenge for sustainable land use. 25% of the North A positive result of the erosion is A huge landslide in February 2018 Island’s most severely formed a new lake – the largest in that our flat and gently rolling land – our district – on the Mangapoike 71,000ha – is incredibly fertile. In fact, eroding land is found River. the Poverty Bay Flats are the single here, yet the Poverty largest area of high-quality fertile soils Bay Flats is the A new mud volcano erupted in the in New Zealand. Other fertile flats can single largest area of Waimata Valley in December 2018 be found at Tolaga Bay, Takamore and high-quality fertile soils covering an area of 2.1ha. Tikitiki. The combination of fertile in New Zealand. 6 TŌ TĀTAU WHENUA, ONE HOKI OUR LAND & SOIL CROPPING — Horticulture trends on the Poverty Bay Flats As the single largest area of horticultural are displacing lower value crops which Gisborne region (excluding pasture and land in our region, with approximately do not require irrigation, such as grapes tilled land), covering 6,408ha. Maize and 10,200ha out of a possible 18,000ha and older apple varieties. Overall there sweetcorn were grouped together for cropped, Council has been monitoring has been a 110% increase in high-value analysis as they were difficult to identify the highly diverse crop trends on permanent crops over the last ten separately in some instances and have the Poverty Bay Flats since summer years. similar impacts on the environment and 2007-08. Over this period there have water use. been significant changes to crop types. Maize and sweetcorn Overall, maize and sweetcorn is There has been a steady increase in the Maize and sweetcorn were the most decreasing, with a major drop from number of crops requiring irrigation abundant crop types in the Gisborne 2015 to 2016. The trend appears to be such as modern apples, kiwifruit and region. Maize and sweetcorn account plateauing at around approximately persimmons. These “high-value” crops for 42% of all crops recorded in the 6,400ha. This could be attributed to a large proportion of crop land Total area (ha) of crop types identified in the 2018/19 transitioning to citrus and kiwifruit Summer Crop Survey orchards and also leafy greens such Pasture/Unused as lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower and Maize/Sweetcorn broccoli, particularly around the Squash Poverty Bay Flats. Citrus Grapes Chicory Five year trend of the major Kiwifruit crops in the Gisborne region To Be Planted (2014/15 – 2018/19) Other 9000 Apples and Pears Leafy Turnip Plantain/Chicory 8000 Clover Tomatoes Lettuce/Cabbage 7000 Persimmon Stock Feed/Baleage Lucerne 6000 Cauliflower/Broccoli Pasture/unused Plantain Maize/sweetcorn Avocados 5000 Squash Feijoa Grapes Plantain/Clover Citrus Baleage (ha) Area 4000 Kiwifruit Pine Nursery To be planted Stonefruit Apples/pears 3000 Grape Nursery Leafy turnip Forage rape Poplar/illow Nursery Tamarillo 2000 Olives Melons Pomegranate 1000 Pinenuts Potatoes Flowers 0 0 1700 3400 5100 6800 8500 2016-17 2015-16 2018-19 Area (ha) 2014-15 6 7 OUR LAND & SOIL TŌ TĀTAU WHENUA, ONE HOKI ± SummerLEGEND crops 2018-19 SquareSu mPasturised/Unusedmer Crops 2018/19 Square Maize/SweetcornPasture/Unused Maize/Sweetcorn Square Citrus Waipaoa Square GrapesCitrus Grapes Kaitaratahi Square Squash Squash Square Other Other Ormond Ngatapa Waiherere Waituhi Waerengaahika Hexton Patutahi Makauri Mangapapa Makaraka Te Hapara Matawhero Elgin GISBORNE Awapuni Manutuke Muriwai Name: Summer Crops 2020 Contains Crown Copyright Data - 8 Path: C:\GIS\Summer Crops 2020.mxd Sourced from Land Information NZ. Date: 26/05/2020 Aerial Imagery - AAM NZ Ltd. Scale 1:75,000 Land Information User: old Gisborne District Council TŌ TĀTAU WHENUA, ONE HOKI OUR LAND & SOIL Summer crops Crop types in the East Cape/ Ruatoria area (ha) Over the last four years there has been a decline in the area planted – with crops in Tolaga Bay, Tokomaru Bay, Ruatoria and Maize/sweetcorn East Cape. Generally there has been an Plantain/chicory increase in crops for animal feed, partly Chicory Clover offsetting a decrease in maize plantings Stock feed/baleage which may have been trucked out of the Plantain district. Leafy turnip The most abundant crop in the East Cape Plantain/clover Various and Ruatoria areas is maize and sweetcorn with 228ha, closely followed by plaintain/ chicory mix with 222ha. Chicory is the third most abundant crop with 182ha. The remaining crops — including baleage, citrus, clover, fodder beet, leafy turnip, Crop types recorded in the East/Tolaga/Tokomaru area (ha) lucerne, olives, plantain, plantain/cover, poplar/willow nurseries, other, and stock feed/baleage — were found in much lower quantities. The major crop type found in the Tolaga Maize/sweetcorn and Tokomaru areas was maize and Other sweetcorn with a total area of 1,224ha. Squash Chicory Clover Citrus Leafy turnip Various 8 9 OUR LAND & SOIL TŌ TĀTAU WHENUA, ONE HOKI LEGEND ± Taruheru Catchment Winter Crops 2019 Winter crops Winter crops within the Poverty Bay Flats (Taruheru catchment) MINUS The 2019 Winter Crop Survey is the fifth Ormond Taruheru consecutive survey to be conducted in catchment the Gisborne region. The crop survey Square Winter crops identifies the type, location and total area of different winter crops. Waiherere In previous years the survey was conducted over the Gisborne region, and in 2019 there was a specific focus Waerengaahika on the Taruheru catchment in response to the growing land use intensification in this area. Hexton The 2019 Winter Crop Survey outlines how the land use trends within the Makauri Poverty Bay Flats may influence water quality in the Taruheru River. A total of 1,202ha within the Taruheru Mangapapa catchment was surveyed, with the total Makaraka Te Hapara winter crops recorded covering 447ha Whataupoko Matawhero (excluding maize stubble, tilled land and Elgin pasture). The main crop types included Awapuni lettuce/cabbage, cauliflower/broccoli, unidentified, clover, kale and other. Kaiti Outer Kaiti The Taruheru catchment area surveyed Tamarau in 2019 (1,201.9ha) was smaller than 2018 2019 winter crops (excluding pasture, tilled and maize stubble) Name: Winter Crops 2020 Contains Crown Copyright Data - (1,286.5ha) but more than 2017 (751.2ha) Sourced from Land Information NZ. Path: C:\GIS\Winter Crops 2020.mxd Date: 26/05/2020 Aerial Imagery - AAM NZ Ltd. Scale 1:45,000 Land Information User: old Gisborne District Council and 2016 (733.8ha). The decrease 250 from 2018 is due to more areas being converted to high-value permanent 200 horticulture, for example kiwifruit, which are excluded from the Winter Crop Survey. The increase from 2017 150 reflects the horticultural intensification of the wider Poverty Bay Flats area. (ha) Area 100 The area of winter crops excluding pasture, tilled land and maize stalk was 304ha. The total area surveyed 50 and recorded was 1,201ha. The areas of pasture (328ha), tilled land (469ha) 0 and maize stalk (99ha) were excluded to Lettuce/ Cauliflower/ Other Unknown Fodder crops Clover Kale Lucerne Cabbage Broccoli calculate the total area of winter crops. Pasture is not cropped for winter fodder Winter tilled land trends in the Taruheru catchment (2016-19) and was therefore excluded from the 600 total number of winter crops surveyed. On the Poverty Bay Flats there is an 500 increasing trend in the production of commercial winter vegetables with 400 311.9ha planted in winter 2018. The winter vegetables are lettuce, cabbage, 300 cauliflower and broccoli. (ha) Area Winter cropping is also undertaken 200 as feed to support sheep and beef farms.