A group set up to “stop the chop” in Marlborough 20 years ago has been disestablished.

The Marlborough Landscape Group was set up by the Marlborough District Council in 2002 after community concerns about the “rapidly changing landscape” of the Wairau Plains.

On November 16, that advisory group was officially disestablished, with $20,000 in annual funding from the council redirected to the Working for Nature/Mahi mō te Taiao grant scheme.

Group co-chair Tim Newsham, a founding member, reflected on his “personal view” of the group’s 20 years at the council’s environment and planning committee meeting on November 16.

“Our group that came together became known as ‘stop the chop’, it’s obvious what this title represents,” Newsham said.

“The group brought together a desperate group of individuals … all brought together from different backgrounds and outlooks, who rapidly fused into a common ideology and that was maintaining and enhancing Marlborough’s landscape.”

Newsham said next to his involvement with the Marlborough Environment Awards, the landscape group was the most “interesting, stimulating and produced the greatest list of worthwhile accomplishments” of the various council committees he had served on in the past 30 years.

“It was so rewarding witnessing [us] putting aside our ideological differences, and gaining respect for one another,” he said.

Over the years, the group of volunteers comprised experts in Te Ao Māori, primary industries, resource management, landscape design and environmental protection.

It had early input into policy for the Marlborough Environment Plan and was a driver for the Wairau River Regional Park proposal.

“Most of the time the Marlborough Landscape Group was involved in advocating for planting and landscape changes and worked with council staff to take a whole lot of action.

“The other one miracle that I witnessed at the time the landscape group was established, there had been a rather toxic relationship between the council’s rivers department … and the parks and reserves department.

“These two groups were sent away to Christchurch to a reform school to do some bonding, and it worked.

“It started to break down the walls that had prevented cooperation from these groups in achieving positive landscape results. This was a pleasure to witness.”

He said he had “deep reservations” about the disestablishment.

“But upon reflection, I think we served the purpose in a time when there was less awareness and less protection of landscape issues,” he said.

Blenheim ward councillor Jamie Arbuckle, who previously chaired the group, said it had been a “journey”.

“It hasn’t always been well received, the Landscape Group, around the political table,” Arbuckle said.

The disestablishment came out of a review in September which highlighted “recent outputs” from the group now had “less relevance” to some of the council’s “strategic direction”, according to a report that went to the committee.

Council environmental scientist Alan Johnson clarified it had been “superseded” by other community groups.

Landscape Group key achievements

• Extensive planting along the Taylor River Reserve and Ralph Ballinger Arboretum
• The greening Marlborough grant scheme which dollar-matched grants for native plantings on vineyards
• Plantings in Kahikatea Reserve in Spring Creek, Grove Road business frontage plantings, Blenheim School landscaping
• Engaged with the Council policy team to help develop Marlborough Environment Plan Landscape and Notable Trees chapters/policy
• 2022 field day at The Throne
• Working with Rivers and Environmental Science staff, Marlborough Landscape Group was the initial driver behind the council’s Wairau River Regional Park