Southland Catchment Group Award Winners 2022 – Pourakino Catchment Conservation Trust

Founded in 2014, Pourakino Catchment Conservation Trust is one of the longest standing catchment groups in Southland, and was formed after a group of farmers joined together to have a meaningful voice and address sediment issues in the Riverton Estuary.  

The group’s immediate focus is on the four key areas of minimising sediment runoff, improving waterway management, improving nutrient management, and improving the public perception of agriculture. A longer-term goal is to ensure that local farmers are well informed and able to make the best management decisions based on good data.  

Pourakino has involvement from nearly all farmers in the catchment. One of their major achievements has been ensuring 85% of landholders in the Pourakino Catchment Group area have farm environment management plans. The group were proud winners of the 2016 Environment Southland Councillors Special Award. 

They have also hosted popular field days on the use of soil mapping programmes as well as holding a field day at Oraka Aparima Runaka Marae where they viewed their nursery and discussed how the two groups would work together to grow and plant trees in the catchment. 

The group was inspired to enter the Ballance Farm Environment Awards to demonstrate what a group of farmers working together collaboratively can achieve. They hope to inspire other groups with ideas and to gain valuable feedback from the judges.