WAI Wānaka has received funding from the Our Land & Water National Science Challenge to work with landowners, iwi and community in the Upper Clutha.

The group is one of three place-based pilots around the country to be selected for the $8M two-year ‘Knowledge into Action for Te Taiao’ programme.

The new project will build on the work already underway on farms throughout the basin, WAI chair Mandy Bell says.

She said key to the project was an emphasis on weaving knowledge together – mātauranga Māori, science, and local landowner knowledge – to inform land management that benefits the environment and identifies value chain and market opportunities.

“The regulatory environment is changing at an unprecedented rate in the rural sector, and with the rising cost of business it is extremely challenging for farmers to stay ahead at the moment,” Lake Hāwea farmer Richard Burdon said.

“Support to navigate how to implement and track changes on farm and identify potential market opportunities is a real positive for landowners in this area.”

Mandy said farmers in the Upper Clutha have been quick to address changes in the primary sector, with regular water testing to monitor water quality on farm, attendance at carbon workshops, and groups working to invest in coordinated control of weeds and pests.

Ash Rabel, WAI Wānaka, in Luggate Creek talking about monitoring freshwater health.

All these activities are already contributing to te Taiao – the interconnected system of land, water, climate and living beings, she said.

Farmers will be surveyed by Cinta Agri Research to identify their current land management practices and create a benchmark for measuring change throughout the two year project.

“The exciting part of this project is that it focuses on the opportunities to come from what is a rapidly evolving industry,” Mandy said. 

“This survey is critical to understanding how we evolve the project to deliver the best value for farmers, the environment and the community.”

WAI Wānaka recently won the Outstanding Not-for-profit award at the Ignite Business Awards in Wānaka and the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Award for a catchment group.

PHOTOS: Supplied