Hill Country Erosion Fund Programme

The Hill Country Erosion Fund is a targeted programme delivered by Nelson City Council with funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). The programme supports practical actions to reduce erosion on erosion‑prone hill country, helping protect productive land and reduce sediment entering waterways.

Rather than general guidance, this programme focuses on on‑the‑ground delivery, working directly with landowners to stabilise vulnerable areas and improve long‑term land resilience.

Hill Country Erosion in Nelson

Much of Nelson’s hill country is steep and geologically complex, making some areas highly susceptible to slips, surface erosion, and sediment loss during heavy rainfall. When erosion occurs on hill country, large volumes of sediment can move quickly into streams, rivers, estuaries, and coastal environments.

Targeting erosion control in hill country:

protects productive land
reduces sediment at the source
supports healthier catchments downstream
improves resilience to extreme weather and climate variability

Hill Country Erosion Fund

Nelson City Council has received funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Hill Country Erosion Fund to support erosion control and build knowledge across the region.

Programme highlights include:

2018 funding

$180,000 supported:
- land management workshops
- development of Land Environment Plans
- planting of 30,000 trees across private and public erosion‑prone land

2019–2023 funding

A further $1.2 million was received to:
- plant up to 50,000 trees per year on erosion‑prone sites
- work collaboratively with iwi forestry landowners across the Top of the South
- support small forest owners to develop Forestry Environment Plans

This funding focuses on practical, long‑term solutions that improve land resilience while reducing sediment entering waterways.

This Work Supports:

tree and shrub planting on erosion‑prone slopes
stabilisation of gullies and vulnerable landforms
improved vegetation cover for slope stability
reduced sediment loss into watercourses
better alignment between land use and land capability

We Work With:

farmers and rural landowners
iwi landowners
small and large forestry owners
community and catchment groups
environmental organisations

Support includes workshops, practical advice, and alignment with wider programmes such as Healthy Streams and Nelson Nature.

What Can You Do

If you have erosion‑prone hill country, the programme may be able to support practical solutions on your land.

Council’s Environmental Programmes Advisor can:

discuss erosion risks on your property
explain how the programme works
help identify appropriate projects
connect you to related funding and advice

Contact the Environmental Programmes Advisor to learn more - healthy.streams@ncc.govt.nz

For more information about how you can be involved in this programme contact Asita Langi, Sustainable Land Manager.

Watch: NZ Landcare Trust Video

Learn about the causes of slips and possible ways to reduce the landslip risk - Chris Phillips from Landcare Research - North Nelson landowners affected by the storm events in 2022.