Greater Dipton Catchment Group
Covers the area from Josephville Hill to Kauana, the Taringatura Hills to the Bastion.
Read our Catchment Group Summary
Your Catchment Group Coordinator
Ginny Kennedy
021914765
ginny@thrivingsouthland.co.nz
Catchment Group Contact
Greater Dipton Catchment Group email: diptoncg@gmail.com
Watch this video to learn more about the Catchment Group
Thanks to Ballance Farm Environment Awards for creating this
Read the Carbon Neutral Dipton Project Report
About Us
We started in October 2020 and are all about community – both Dipton based and rural. We are made up of a wide variety of people from the Dipton area, covering lots of different farming types, as well as strong links with Dipton School, Dipton Social Committee, Castlerock Wetland Restoration Team, and the Dipton Fire Brigade.
It’s a real team effort - everyone is welcome. We like to put on practical and useful field days, workshops and events, which look after our community and our special part of the world. We really enjoy helping out other Catchment Groups too and are very happy to share what we have learned.
Catchment Area
Our catchment stretches from Josephville Hill down to Kauana, and from the Taringatura Hills to the Bastion. It is a mix of farmland, forestry, rolling hills and river flats. Our local waterways are Spirit Burn, Dipton Stream, Okaiterua Stream, Stag Stream and Winton Stream, and they flow into the Oreti River. At the heart of our local community is Dipton; one of the earliest European settlements in Southland, spanning both sides of the Oreti River.
Recent Events
We just had our second 1 Km Each Way – a Community Roadside Rubbish Clean Up. The idea is simple: grab your family and head 1 km each way from your mailbox (it could be smaller or longer) or head to your local beach, stream or park, and pick up the rubbish.
It is a great annual family event to look after our special part of Southland. This year we were joined again by Makarewa Headwaters (our neighbouring Catchment Group), and we hope to work with local community waste organisations to make it Southland wide next year.
Our big message is - please put your rubbish in a bin – super easy and a great thing you can do to keep Southland beautiful.
Projects
Carbon Neutral Dipton has been our biggest project to date. Started in 2022, it is all about exploring what practical steps local farms can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon while staying productive and resilient.
Five case-study farms took part (covering different farming types and terrains), supported by “buddy” groups (neighbours and community members who shared and learned at the farm sessions), and consultants to model and evaluate the different ideas.
Together they came up with and looked at realistic ways to cut greenhouse gases, improve soil health, and increase biodiversity - from tree planting and livestock changes, to retiring or intensifying different parts of the farm.
The aim wasn’t to find a one-size-fits-all answer, but to come up with ideas that could work for Dipton and other parts of the country, and to share what we found with others.
The project sparked great conversations, new ideas, and a sense of pride in tackling a difficult topic and leading the way through this project. There were lots of field days to share learnings, and once it was done we did many interviews and presentations too.
All information on the project – reports, videos, progress – can be found here.
Our next step is looking at a project on local solar opportunities – both on farm and community. We are currently in the research and thinking phase - contact us if you are keen to know more or be involved!
Other Projects:
On farm field days – Know Your Issues, Native Seed Collection, and Utilising Unproductive Land (focus on native regeneration)
Community Wellbeing Events, including guest speakers YOLO farmers Wayne & Tyler Langford, aspiring Paralympian Bailley Unahi, and international netball umpire Kristie Simpson
Trish Rankin Reducing Waste Workshop – on your farm, in your household, and in your community
Mid & Lower Oreti Bus Trip
Thriving Southland is a community-led group with a vision to create a prosperous Southland, healthy people, healthy environment from the mountains to the sea.
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CONTACT US
25 Don Street,
Invercargill 9810
