32 | Laura is forth generation to farm the 735ha sheep and beef breeding and finishing unit at Waimata. Catchment group ‘invaluable’ in cyclone recovery Karen Phelps The sound of rain on the roof is comforting for many but not for Laura Watson. After Cyclone Gabrielle and the wet winter that’s followed, hearing rain can be a traumatic reminder. “You hear the rain on the roof at night and think what damage will it do? People ask how we can stand to look out the window and see the damage every day. You get used to it and have to carry on and do your best to recover,” she says. Laura is forth generation to farm the 735ha sheep and beef breeding and finishing unit at Waimata. The farm has a Romney breeding flock and a commercial terminal composite stud of around 2000 ewes along with185 mixed age Angus Hereford cross cows plus progeny – around 500 cattle total. Husband Jeremy takes on the main to day-to-day running of the farm. Laura is kept busy being mum to the couple’s children, George, 6 and Blake who is almost three,anda lso works on the farm as needed and completes the accounts. Additionally she is on the executive committee for Federated Farmers for the Gisborne/Wairoa region and project manager for the Waimata Catchment Restoration Project group, which has been an integral part of the region’s recovery. The catchment covers around 22,000 hectares comprising 10,000 of farmland, 10,000 of forestry and the rest lifestyle blocks. There are more than 70 members including farmers, foresters, lifestyle block owners and urban residents. “Catchment groups aren’t common in our region and I had previously worked at Gisborne District Council in land management so I could see the incredible work being done by other catchment groups around the country. “We can’t believe the uptake we’ve had. Every single sheep and beef farm in our catchment is a part of the group. It shows farmers are wanting to do right by the environment and it’s been really humbling for us to be able to support them and see the new projects they’ve come up with.” RURAL PEOPLE » Laura Watson Laura says that after the cyclone having a catchment group already established proved invaluable for the recovery of the region. For example, Sam Gibson, from New Zealand Landcare Trust, who had been assisting the group, helped to fund raise and suddenly the catchment had people with diggers turn up from outside the region, baleage trucked in and a multitude of other help. It was deeply appreciated as many had lost so much, says Laura. For example, the Watsons had fenced off and planted the Waimata River boundary with 10,000 natives as part of the catchment group and half of the plants and fences were wiped out by the cyclone. They have stopped planting by the river this year and chosen safer sites to plant including three ponds and wetlands. They will plant 15,000 natives this year assisted by forestry company Aratu Forests, which offered its planting crew to plant the final 10,000 trees. “The area is on one of their forestry boundaries so they jumped at the chance to help. They are really keen to be a part of our catchment group as well.” She says wetland restoration is a critical way to help filter the run off from the property but for the Watsons it’s also because they want to create habitats for wildlife on the farm. The whole property has a trap network set out across it to target mustelids and rats. They also catch wild cats and hedgehogs. “There are so many benefits to planting trees – they provide food for birds and bees, shelter for other native wildlife like bats and geckos and are good for erosion control and stock shelter. We’re trying to retire more erosion prone and less productive areas on the farm into natives to build resilience into our landscape. After this season we will have planted 30,000 natives, fenced wetlands, mud volcano and waterways on our property.” She says it will take another year at least for the region to recover and says a group called Here4U has been providing mental health services to landowners in the region. “Some people lost wool sheds, yards, access roads etc so it will take time. One road was buried in over two metres of sediment and the main river was running higher than the road. It’s still hard to process what happened.” After a “pretty heavy year” Laura says the recent emergence of the sun has made a big difference. “We feel like we can get out there and achieve something now.” SECOND ANNUAL Monday 24 June 2024, 9am Laura’s husband Jeremy, sons Blake and George planting natives.
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