Carters Creek planting brings together community

Marking our two year anniversary with a planting project was an awesome way to celebrate.

Thirty five people joined catchment group members last month to dig in more than 1000 natives next to the railway line in Tinwald.

These natives will protect the creek from urban run-off, stabilise banks and cool the water through riparian shade.

A grant from Ashburton District Council supported planting costs and volunteers came from the Tinwald and Lake Hood communities.

Turn-out was greater than expected given we postponed the original date due to rain and then ended up hitting Mother’s Day!

Pupils from Longbeach School and members of the Rescue Warriers cycle team turned up, alongside Councillors Leen Braam, Richard Wilson and Deputy Mayor Liz McMillan. Leen is actually the architect of the planting plan and we are grateful to have him within the catchment group given his landscape and planting expertise.

Plants introduced include Kowhai, Lancewood, Cabbage Trees and Carex Secta.

As Leen said and we all agree. “I’d love to see the creek thrive and become a healthy and attractive part of Tinwald for future generations.”

Carters Creek also contributes to water quality problems being experienced by Lake Hood as the creek flows into one of the canals.

Its high eColi and phosphorous levels increase the risk of algae blooms in the lake.

The new riparian buffer in Tinwald will filter run-off contributed by the State Highway and railway line, and shade from plants will cool the water protecting fish.

Riparian plantings also reduce bank erosion which can introduce sediment to a waterway smothering instream life.

Someone asked us on the day don’t we need this kind of protection all the way down the waterway? And they are right.

It’s something we are trying to promote.

Bare banks without riparian protection expose a creek to problems.

We will keep working with our neighbours and the community to get this message out there.

As well as a water quality focus, the catchment group is concerned about drainage after a series of flooding events.

Stormwater contributions in Tinwald add to flows and culvert sizes are an issue.

We successfully lobbied Environment Canterbury last year for a flood investigation project which will start in 2027.

As the catchment grows and more subdivisions are built around Tinwald and Lake Hood, we need a serious look at whether the creek can handle the amount of water it carries as a drain.

The planting project was our attempt to show the community what protecting the creek could look like now and into the future.

It was brilliant to meet new people from Tinwald and Lake Hood who now know a lot more about the creek and are motivated to help us protect it.

A big thank you to Ashburton District Council for supplying the funds for the plants and to all that volunteered their time to help plant them on the right spot.

If you want to be part of Carters Creek Catchment Group, get in touch with myself (021796037) or our facilitator Janine Holland on [email protected] or 0274604940.

By Willy Leferink, Carters Creek Catchment Group chairperson