Piopio's Rukuhia Domain gets upgrade

Birdtalk Magazine Oct/Nov 2023

AS MANY of you will have seen if passing the Piopio Domain recently, it has an upgrade with the fencing looking very sharp from the clearing of invasive trees in and along the river, the cleaning of drains, the river fencing and river bank plantings.

Matt Buckley has been the driving force behind the upgrade where he worked hard to secure funding from King Country River Care and many hours labouring himself with the fencing. Eight Mile farms supplied machinery and staff member Murray Mortensen to clear trees and drains to enable the fencing to start.

All the work completed was carried out by local contractors. The fencing by Kevin Hall Fencing with assistance from local volunteers Marley Pirika-Sargison, Phil Brodie, Shane Neill, Jenelle Coxall, Tony Schrafft and Ed Buckley.

The river bank plants were brought from Wai Ora River Care based in Piopio and completed most of the planting. Piopio College year 9 and 10 Ag class students completed the planting and received some education from Wai Ora River Care on the benefits of the plantings.

Chris Clapcott spent two days carting away the trees removed from the river banks. Members of the local equestrian groups spent half a day in the rain picking up branches and sticks left behind from the tree removal with the use of tractors from Bradcock contracting and DR Drainage. DR Drainage supplied a tractor to complete metalling of gateways and levelling.

A shout out to King Country River Care for their financial assistance in making this upgrade possible. The Piopio Domain Board greatly appreciated the donations and assistance from local contractors and individuals donating machinery/product/time to enable the completion of the upgrade
namely:
King Country River Care.
Matt and Olivia Buckley – Eight Mile
Farms.
Murray Mortensen.
Roy and Kelly Williams – DR Drainage.
Aaron and Maree Bradcock – Bradcock contracting.
Wai Ora River Care.
Richard and Chris Clapcott.
Kevin Hall Fencing.
Jude Arnold.
Roy Simpson tree felling.
Magnum Industries.
Value Building Supplies.
Farmlands.