Greater Wellington Catchment Group Award Winners 2022 – Wainuioru Community River Care Group

The Wainuioru Community River Care Group (WCRCG) was formed in September 2017. A well attended community meeting led to the formation of a group, aimed at addressing regional and national policy in relation to management of the natural resources in their catchment.

Their vision is for a healthy river, thriving community, farms, forests and ecosystems with the aim to:

• Monitor the water quality and condition of the upper Wainuioru River;
• Develop and implement plans to improve and restore the water quality and condition of the upper Wainuioru River for future generations; and
• Foster education and community spirit in the upper Wainuioru River catchment area, including the local school and Iwi.

With around 30 properties from the catchment involved, the group includes a cross-section of the community – farming families, commercial forest entities, lifestyle block holders, urban professionals, Forest and Bird members, Fish and Game members, and the support of a recently established advisory group that consists of Greater Wellington Regional Council, Masterton and Carterton District Councils, Wainuioru School, Wainuioru School and Community Nursery, MPI, DoC, Beef and Lamb, WaiP2K, Federated Farmers, Kahungunu Wairarapa Iwi and Rangitane Iwi.

WCRCG has established a range of monitoring sites located in the upper section of the Wainuioru catchment with some positive water quality trends emerging. A catchment plan has been developed that includes a total of 150 hectares of restoration, riparian planting and native afforestation, and the removal of the invasive crack willow from 20 kms of the main river. A native nursery has been established at the local School where they have had a successful first year of winter plants and are currently growing 35,000 plants for winter 2022.

The group entered the Ballance Farm Environment Awards award to showcase how far they have come on their journey and to raise awareness of their work in the community, hoping to inspire others.