Award Nominee

Lindsay Hamilton and Graham Nairn are two key people on the ground behind the work of the Tramway Reserve Trust, Leeston, Canterbury. The Trust was set up in 2004 as part of a resource consent the Selwyn District Council sought to discharge excess treated wastewater into a stream locally known as the Leeston Drain. This stream flows into the south western edge of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere. Part of the mitigation process involved revegetating a strip of land on the streamside and associated weed control.

The aim of the project fitted in well with the (Mahaanui Area Office) Dept of Conservation s application for Weedbusters funding to undertake restoration in Harts Creek Wildlife Management Reserve, which includes the Leeston Drain.

In 2005 the Tramway Trust removed a significant area of crack and grey willow, had a species planting plan drawn up and ordered ecosourced native species from the Motukarara DOC nursery to kickstart a process that would not have got off the ground without their input.

The main focus since has been maintaining the plantings and replacing invasive willow species with local natives and attempting to reduce the spread of grey willow in particular.

The majority of the Trust members are locals who have an intimate knowledge of the area and Lindsay and Graham will hopefully not mind me saying that they have decades of remarkable observations of the changes in the vegetation on the lakeshore, much of it detrimental. They are quite driven in their own quiet way to help turn the tide and put in considerable hours planting, staking, releasing, spraying, drilling and poisoning willow, identifying female grey willow, ordering plants, liaising with community groups and dealing with the Department!

Planting has continued each year since 2005. The number of species planted has been simplified, in part due to local drainage issues which led to water inundation for many months.

Toitoi, lowland flax, manuka and Carex secta form the basis of planting effort now along with kahikatea in existing willow forest. Natural regeneration of rushes has been spectacular.

New techniques have been trialled with regard to willow control in particular. Felling has been abandoned in favour of drilling and basal control. A marked 20m X 20m plot of willow has had 100% control to observe subsequent growth of any species. Lindsay in particular makes regular observations of the local birdlife.

Groups as diverse as the Lions, International Student Volunteers (IVS), Waihora-Ellesmere Trust, HM Prison labour, local school children have all been involved on-site over the years and the Trust itself has representation from the local runanga and Fish and Game. The site has hosted field trips from time to time but perhaps the most pleasing development has been a neighbouring landowner fencing half a kilometre of streamsides and initiating riparian planting, partly spurred on by the Tramway Trust successes.

The co-operation between the Trust and the Department (DOC) is a good example of local initiatives combining with public land needing a helping hand and it is my pleasure to nominate Tramway Reserve Trust for a Weedbusters award

Nominated by: Ian Hankin, Biodiversity Range, Department of Conservation.