Catchment Group Coordination

With funding assistance from RMPP Action Network, WAI Wānaka has supported Upper Clutha landowners and helped to establish 6 of the 7 catchment groups and 4 small landholder groups operating in the Central Lakes District.

These groups determine their own priorities for each catchment, receiving a pool of funding to help with group facilitation and to provide access to experts, tools and resources. The science behind how the groups operate is based on a three year research project involving more than 75 farm businesses around NZ.

Related: Article about catchment groups.

Small Landholder Groups

Following the success of the Action Groups formed between larger properties of the Upper Clutha, WAI Wānaka is facilitating similar groups within small landholders (properties greater than 20 hectares).

This small group framework assists landholders to work together to achieve shared goals, such as: 

• Developing Farm Environment Plans  
• Accessing experts to understand GHG emissions
• Carrying out activities such as pest and weed control, biodiversity and freshwater monitoring, and native planting 

Four small landholder groups have been established to date, with more being formed.

Business Environmental Plans

WAI Wānaka supports the development of Business Environmental Plans for all businesses and industries. Similar to Land Environment Plans, Business Environmental Plans help all businesses to get started on the sustainability journey by understanding their own impacts, such as:

• Water use
• Discharges (including those into Council wastewater and stormwater networks)
• Carbon footprint and mitigations 
• On and off-site practices (e.g. sediment management on construction sites, storage of hazardous substances)

Agricultural Emissions

WAI Wānaka is supporting farmers in the Upper Clutha region to develop understanding about agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. A series of workshops about agricultural emissions, calculating emissions and mitigations has been developed to increase ability of landowners to adapt to regulatory and reporting requirements as they become clear.

Through He Waka Eke Noa, the primary sector has signed up the following targets: 

• By the end of 2021: 25% of farms must ‘know their number’ for greenhouse gas emissions and have a written plan to manage emissions – ideally in their Farm Environment Plans. 
• By the end of 2022: every farm must know their number. 
• In 2025: All farms have a written plan to measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions (usually in their Farm Environment Plans). A nationwide farm-level pricing system will be in place.