The stories of seven Bay of Plenty farmers and families “leading the way” in restoring wetlands, protecting waterways and building a more resilient future for local communities have been made into a short film.

Recloaking the Bay - a 30-minute film funded by BayTrust and the Wai Kōkopu catchment group - will be screened in Rotorua next week.

A Wai Kōkopu catchment group press release said while restoration could be expensive, these farmers had adopted methods that could achieve native plantations for about a third of the conventional cost of planting.

It said the Bay of Plenty had about 25,000 hectares of marginal land near waterways or on steep aspects likely unsuitable for plantation forestry.

This meant adopting forestry techniques for planting natives provided a more cost-effective and sustainable way to establish native bush. .

This could save $10,000 to $15,000 per hectare when compared to conventional approaches, it said.

Forestry-grade planting approaches cost about $4000 to $8000 per hectare.

“When extrapolated across the region, that is a saving of up to $250 million that could be better spent on pest and weed control,” the statement said.

The film showed the journeys of seven farmers from Upper Pongakawa to Lake Ōkaro, uncovering local ingenuity.

The Birchall whānau in Rerewhakaaitu talked about the importance of succession and ensuring the land was looked after intergenerationally.

For them, farming was more than a business - it was a legacy that spanned four generations.

From creating a wetland that protected Lake Ōkaro to embracing innovative tools such as artificial intelligence, Megan and Shane Birchall were showing how future-focused farming could protect land and whānau.

A farm at Ngongotahā on the Waiteti Stream. Photo / Hannah Fromont, Rose and Co

The film also showed farm systems around Lake Rotorua, where farmers were trying to adapt to a sinking lid of nitrogen allowance.

Doug Dibley was the fifth generation to farm his family’s land. He had seen the challenges of balancing productivity with protecting the lake he grew up fishing in.

From planting thousands of natives to reducing herd size, Dibley’s story was described by filmmakers as one of adaptation, resilience and a deep sense of responsibility to land and legacy.

At Lake Ōkāreka, Taiaora Royal’s wish was to protect the lakes around his farm. This led him to “recloak the land” straddling Lake Rotorua and Ōkāreka into native bush.

More than 160,000 trees were planted in three to four days after pest and weed control was carried out.

Royal, a dancer and choreographer, returned to his whānau land “determined to do things differently”.

Together, they had transformed their block into native mānuka, protecting surrounding lakes and creating a place for future generations to reconnect.

Other locals featured in the film are Trish Hosking, Will and Ann Nettleingham, Stef Kincheff and Rob Tiopira.

The details

What: Recloaking the Bay film screening

When: September 19 at 5.30pm

Where: Prince’s Gate Hotel, Rotorua

Entry: Free but there are limited seats

Register: On the Humanitix website