Read our Catchment Group Summary
Read our Factsheet
Your Catchment Group Coordinator
Katie Alderton
021 399 343
katie@thrivingsouthland.co.nz
Catchment Group Contact
Alison Thomas
027 211 4923
lonefarm@outlook.com
About the Group
The Waikawa Catchment Group has been going strong since 2009. It’s one of the longest-running community catchment groups in Southland and a great example of what can be achieved when locals lead the way. The group’s vision is simple, a healthy river and environment that everyone can be proud of. There’s a real sense of pride and long-term commitment among members, who come from across the catchment’s farms, bush areas, and coastal communities.
Catchment Area
The Waikawa Catchment covers around 18,000 hectares in Southland’s Catlins region. It includes the Waikawa River and estuary, with waterways such as Mill Creek and Stinking Creek, and coastal streams like Cook Creek and Falls Creek. The catchment encompasses the settlements of Waikawa, Curio Bay and Niagara, and rural areas including Fortification, Waikawa Valley, Quarry Hills, Scrubby Hill and Progress Valley. The land use is a mix of sheep and beef, limited dairy, forestry, and conservation areas.
Current Projects
Waikawa Catchment Group involvement with the Waikawa Integrated Catchment Management Plan
Environment Southland and the Ministry for the Environment have invested in the Waikawa catchment, to create a Waikawa Integrated Catchment Management Plan (ICMP).
The ICMP is a non-statutory, engagement-led plan that will capture the community’s aspirations for the Waikawa catchment and will identify initiatives and activities to help achieve those aspirations. When complete, the ICMP will be a publicly available web-based ArcGIS StoryMap that will summarise and display information data, images and stories connected to locations. It will invite continual engagement and input by the wider community long after this project is complete to continue to inform future pieces of work.
Waikawa River restoration plan.
Previous events
Previous events include an Introduction to MCI, Stream Habitat Assessments, Pest control event and On Farm Management Discussion Groups.
Future Plans
Future plans include surveying Pest control with their catchment members, establishing a base of existing traps, pest issues, people interest in helping with their own pest control and then hopefully growing this and recording success.
The group has a desire to continue to learn about their catchment, what's happening in the water, bush and on farm, growing this knowledge base and continuing to learn.
Vision/Values
Vision: To have a catchment we are proud of, to have a river with the highest of water quality and a community which is committed to its environment.
Values: Long-term community commitment to care for our catchment. To maintain and enhance all the elements in our environment. To work together to lead by example.
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
