Dipton Lime quarry’s forest project was the first of a series of native wetland and forestry projects based around Ravensdown’s extensive estate, often located in ecologically significant areas. Such projects are designed to promote biodiversity, sequester carbon, enhance the landscape and have a positive impact on the local community.
At Dipton, 7.2 hectares of the site have been voluntarily planted as part of the quarry's remediation work. The native planting will not only improve the look and environmental impact of the quarry and provide biodiversity and ecological benefits to the area but also absorb 90 tonnes of carbon every year. The project is stage one of a ten-year plan to establish native bush at many of our quarry sites, which are located in notably remote and ecologically valuable pockets of New Zealand.
Ngarua Quarry has developed a close partnership with the Takaka Hill Biodiversity Group, a great example of collaboration between industry, farmers and community to protect a valuable natural area. Ravensdown’s contribution includes active management of Ravensdown-owned land within the Trust’s management area, financial support to monitoring plots of powelliphanta (giant land snail), a nursery area for ongoing propagation of native seedlings in the unique micro-climate that exists, and establishment of a recycling depot for Takaka Hill residents.
Sustainable limestone quarrying at Ravensdown’s Supreme Lime operation in the King Country has restored wetland, found a way to reprocess waste and formed a partnership with local iwi. More on that story here.
In partnership with mana whenua and the wider community, we’ve committed to restoring a two-hectare wetland ecosystem in Waitangi Regional Park, the environmentally significant site on the southern boundary of our Napier manufacturing site.
Covering an area of 300 hectares, the park estuary is a habitat for white heron, royal spoonbill, godwits and gannets, plus numerous fish species, providing abundant recreational and mahinga kai value.