All available seats for Wanaka’s first high country forum have already been reserved ahead of the gathering this evening (Thursday, August 26).

In an eleventh hour change of venue, the forum is being held at the Wanaka Bowling Club but, due to alert level two restrictions, the limitation of 100 seats means a full house has already been achieved.

The forum will also be live streamed from 6:00pm for those unable to attend. Click here for the link.

The forum is the initiative of local high country farmer Tim Scurr. He says it’s an opportunity to bring farmers together who are facing the same challenges, to talk about new ideas and ways of working together, and to share information on various subjects, including the latest science on healthy soils and regenerative farming.

“This initially started as a conversation around the kitchen table, then to a few people coming to our house for a discussion; now [it’s] an event with 100 people and it’s being live streamed,” he said. 

WAI Wanaka chair Dr Mandy Bell is one of four guest speakers at the Wanaka High Country Forum today. PHOTO: WAI Wanaka

“Level two did put a spanner in the works in terms of numbers, and we have now closed off RSVPs due to the level of interest but we feel we have managed to solve that with the live streaming option,” Tim said. 

“The more people involved in these conversations, the better.” 

Tim said he initially anticipated the audience for such a forum would be farmers, “but we have been surprised at the level of interest from other sectors, particularly those with an interest in the environment”.

The quality and variety of guest speakers might have something to do with that. The evening kicks off with Jonathan Wallis, the chair of the High Country Accord, presenting the Accord’s latest report on Crown pastoral leases; followed by WAI (Water Action Initiative) Wanaka chair Dr Mandy Bell speaking about local farmers caring for their environment with a variety of solutions.

Maniototo farmer and Provenance Meat company director David Crutchley will speak on regenerative agriculture; followed by research scientist Dr Peter Espie, who works for AgScience and has specialised in the terrestrial ecology and management of the South Island high country tussock grasslands, talking about the latest new science and how it will affect high country profitability. 

The evening will finish with a question and answer session.

WAI Wanaka catchment group organiser Sarah Jamieson, who helped arrange the event, said the forum was organised long before the re-introduction of alert level two and people from all over the South Island had committed to attending.

The Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor has been invited, she said, but has yet to confirm.