Environmental leadership at its best in South Head

When Craig Ross and Nettie Nasmith, alongside their business partners, linked up with Kaipara Moana Remediation, they were clear on one thing – do the job right.

In what seems like the blink of an eye, Omana Trees Limited, has seemingly smothered sizeable chunks of its 263ha farm holding near the shores of the Kaipara Moana with natives.

In the winter of 2025, more than 90,000 native trees and grasses were planted across 20-hectares, while 2km of KMR specific fencing has been completed to protect many of the planted areas. KMR funded over 60,000 natives and Omana Trees Limited the other 30,000.

Being the playground in which Craig grew up on his folk’s neighbouring South Head sheep and beef farm, looking after the Kaipara Harbour is important.

We are future proofing the place for our kids and we have plans for more planting,” says Craig.

“Kaipara Moana Remediation is awesome to deal with and I have already recommended KMR to lots of landowners.

An interesting observation made my Craig is around areas of the farm which had previously been planted in pine trees.

One big dam that had been dry for decades is now coming to life and filling with water. Craig wants to keep it that way and so will plant a substantial native buffer around the dam to ensure it does not dry up again because he says that is so important for the environment.

Working alongside KMR Field Advisor Angela Parkin, Craig is also keen to progress more plans to plant other areas of the farm in natives to help reduce sedimentation into the Kaipara Moana – just as his parents have been doing of their own accord next door for years.

Those maturing plantations look great and are giving Craig and his business partners in a mixed beef and forestry venture plenty of encouragement. They can see their land will soon be flourishing with established stands of healthy native bush blocks which will not only improve water quality but also stabilise land.

When Cyclone Gabrielle struck in 2023, numerous steeper hillsides on the property simply fell away, despite never slipping in all the years Craig had been hunting on the property.

Keeping cattle out of those now erodible slopes makes sense, so new plantings have added to the native regeneration already occurring naturally.

To look after the grazable areas of the farm, the stocking rate is low with around 60 Angus breeding cattle and their offspring on the property, along with some nearby leased grazing blocks.

When Craig is not busy planning for positive environmental impacts with KMR, his summers are frantic cutting and baling around 30,000 conventional hay bales throughout the wider South Head and Helensville catchment. All are sold locally to long-term, loyal clients, giving Craig plenty of opportunity to yarn about the benefits of KMR!