Waikawa Catchment Group

Since 2009, the Waikawa Catchment Group has been a cornerstone of Southland’s environmental landscape.

What began as a small group of neighbours wanting to enhance and protect their local river has matured into one of the region’s most enduring and effective community-led initiatives.

Today, the group’s work touches 18,000ha – representing about 80 percent of the catchment’s land area. A shared goal of establishing a healthier ecosystem unites farmers and other residents.

The group’s goal is to actively contribute to an environment that is enriched for the whole community. They’re doing this by fostering a river, wetlands, estuary and environment that enables native biodiversity to flourish within a profitable farming community.

The Waikawa Catchment Group, supported by Thriving Southland, played an active role as community stakeholders in the ICMP development, forming a digital plan blends scientific data with local knowledge. It was further strengthened by a detailed landscape investigation which mapped the unique characteristics of the terrain to ensure environmental work happens precisely where it will have the greatest impact.

Central to the group’s success is their Slow the Flow erosion mitigation project. Across seven local farms, the group has overseen the retirement of more than 50,000m2 of land.

By installing sediment traps, fencing off vulnerable margins and establishing thousands of native plants, the work is physically holding the soil in place and filtering runoff before it reaches the Waikawa River and its sensitive estuary.

The Waikawa Catchment Group has always had a strong focus on community engagement, with activities including such things as seed propagation workshops and hands-on planting days. The underlying theme is to build local resilience and technical expertise.

Their relaxed but highly organised approach, supported by Thriving Southland, ensures that small-scale actions on individual properties translate into catchment-wide change.

While continuing their current environmental protection and enhancement, the group is preparing to expand their guardianship into pest management within the Catlins.