Local farmers have welcomed significant government support in their ongoing work to protect the water quality of Lake Wānaka and its catchment.

The Wanaka Catchment Group (WCG) will receive over a million dollars as part of a three year $1.9M project focusing on improving water quality flowing through high country stations and farms throughout the catchment. 

The funding will be used to fence more than 40km of waterways and plant tens of thousands of native plants at priority riparian sites throughout the catchment. 

Environment Minister David Parker announced the funding, which comes from the Freshwater Improvement fund. It is part of the government’s $1.245 billion Jobs for Nature package that aims to create environmental benefits and employ thousands of people in the regions to help accelerate the recovery from the impact of COVID-19.

“This is an exciting moment for the group. While many of the stations have already begun projects to fence and plant critical source areas themselves, this funding can act as a stimulus to speed up actions on all the properties involved,” WCG member Randall Aspinall, of Mount Aspiring Station, said. 

The funding will be used for riparian planting and fencing waterways. PHOTO: Supplied

The group was established in 2017 in response to a community interest in Lake Wānaka's water quality, the effect farming has upon it, and to respond to an increase in regional council and governmental scrutiny of farming practices.

The group includes 15 out of the 17 large farm properties (greater than 50ha) and a vineyard in the catchment, all of whom have signed up to a farmer-funded collective approach to catchment management. This means approximately 90 per cent of the farmed catchment by area is being managed under one consistent environment plan. 

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Farmers' group committed to water quality

The farmers have funded their own activities during the past three years, with previous work prioritising locations for fencing or wetland restoration through using advanced farm plans to identify problem sites. 

“Our primary focus was on educating our group, learning more about how farming affects water and then implementing actions on-farm through the use of our environmental plans,” WCG chair Grant Ruddenklau said.

The group has also worked closely with the Otago Regional Council (ORC) via a Good Water Project sampling water quality at locations throughout the catchment.

The ORC supported the WCG’s application for funding, and chair Andrew Noone said the group has shown self-initiative over the past few years to implement the intent of the Regions Water Policy. 

“This project has been driven by farmers who are responding proactively to what their community holds dear, excellent water quality and the protection of a lake with immense intrinsic value,” Andrew said.

The funding will also support an environmental education project where the group will work closely with local Iwi and schools to build mātauranga Māori (traditional knowledge) into a community understanding of the local environment and farming, with the help of local Māori education leader Tania Brett.

The project will include cultural indicators in farm planning - a first for this area.

Environmental consultant Chris Arbuckle, who has worked with the group from its inception, said he was “overjoyed” central government is supporting the initiative.

“The farmers and others I have worked with over the past few years in Wanaka have welcomed learning about environmental issues and adopting actions on-farm. It’s great to get a boost to support their commitment to protecting Lake Wānaka,” he said.