Brockley Restoration Project.
Native Planting.
Biodiversity Restoration on Lowland Farm.
Brockley Deer Farm in Windwhistle has embarked on a five-stage wetland and riparian restoration programme – driven by clear production and environmental goals to restore, protect and enhance natural habitats, supported by multi-year Environmental Management Fund (EMF) partnership.
Through careful planning and management, the family have retired 17 hectares of farmland, installed strategic fencing and replanted native vegetation to minimise impact and ensure the farm operates with minimal environmental impact, while safeguarding water quality.
As part of the restoration works, the team enhanced a low-point wetland that collects surface runoff from steep slopes on both sides. The wetland channels the captured water through a purpose-built catchment pond and then discharges those flows into the main drain. To protect this habitat, they extended perimeter fencing to fully exclude stock; established swamp-tolerant plants to intercept nitrogen and other nutrients from emerging groundwater; planted canopy trees to shade the water, keeping temperatures cooler and dissolving-oxygen levels higher; and introduced deep-rooted native shrubs and sedges to bind the soil, stabilise the banks and reduce erosion.
Impact.
Short term.
- Fencing and restoration of 1.5-hectare wetland habitat.
- Measurable reduction in sediment and nutrient runoff to neighbouring land.
- Cooler, oxygen-rich water supporting local aquatic plants and invertebrates.
- Banks stabilised against high-flow erosion.
Long term.
- Strengthened flood resilience through reinforced riparian buffers.
- Expanded native corridors for local bird and insect populations.
- Improved overall water quality.
- Improved water quality within the Selwyn/Waihora catchment.
- Ongoing biodiversity benefits through protected riparian and wetland corridors.
- Environmental legacy secured under the Brockley Family Trust for future generations
