More New Zealand farmers will receive extra support to clean up and sustainably manage freshwater ecosystems, following the Ministry of Primary Industries $3 million dollar boost to New Zealand Landcare Trust’s budget on Tuesday.

However, none of the funding is coming to Southland, where the trust is winding up a successful three-year catchment support project on June 30.

Waiting in the wings is Thriving Southland, a farmer-led team that will drive catchment management programmes forward from July 1.

Tuesday’s new funding announcement was greeted enthusiastically by the trust and Federated Farmers.

The trust will be using the money to employ seven regional coordinators – in effect doubling its regional coordinator workforce - to provide services across the country to clean up waterways and promote more sustainable practices. 

The trust’s chief executive Dr Nick Edgar said government support for economically and environmentally sustainable farming practices was “very encouraging and a strong endorsement of our work with the primary sector”.

“This is a critical time for farmers to up their game and have a lasting positive impact on our freshwater ecosystems,” Dr Edgar said in a media release on Tuesday.

The New Zealand Landcare Trust is an independent charitable organisation and supports about 75 catchment groups nationwide.

Landcare staff will be deployed to assist with Ministry of Primary Industries regional extension services projects and contribute to catchment work already under way through the ministry’s Productive and Sustainable Land Use programme.

That programme also supports Thriving Southland and 300 King Country farmers through King Country River Care. More partnerships are now in the pipeline.

Federated Farmers water spokesman Chris Allen said on Tuesday the $3 million boost for the Landcare Trust was “money well spent”.

“If you’re looking for ‘bang for buck’ investment with high environmental returns, this is it.”

Farmer-led catchment groups had proven to be great platforms to address water quality challenges, he said.

“This is what has been missing in the past in some districts. Regional coordinators will bring local knowledge and understanding of individual communities. Other farmers without a dedicated catchment programme have been seeking this kind of support... It’s great to see MPI supporting the good work underway at the catchment scale. This is where we’ll get real, lasting improvement in rural water quality,” Mr Allen said.

Meanwhile, Thriving Southland has a $6 million budget, also from by the Ministry of Primary Industries and is employing four new catchment coordinators and additional support staff to begin work straight away.

The network of about 1000 Southland farmers and growers will drive change in the local primary sector by supporting catchment groups and wider communities as agents of change.

Its work begins with a round of “Post-Covid’’ social events, beginning on Thursday in Tuatapere, with the Waiau River Care Group, and continuing at various locations until late July (see schedule at end of story). 

Thriving Southland Chairman Ewen Mathieson said the network was keen to hear and share ideas.

“One of the key things we’re mindful of is that this is not just about farming – it speaks to everyone living in the Southland region – and a sense of reconnecting as a community.”

The global, national and local circumstances people found themselves in had changed markedly since Thriving Southland was launched in December, he said.

“While we all recognise the damaging impact Covid-19 has had across many communities and industries, it has reasserted the importance of farming and food production... Our food production story is going to be more important than ever,” Mr Mathieson said.

NZ Landcare Trust’s successful work with Southland’s community catchment groups has been documented in a booklet printed by the trust this week.

The independent trust helped broker, coordinate, facilitate and support the groups’ projects and assisted with grant applications.

Thriving Southland was developed by a collective of Southland farmers and catchment group members and in December successfully won a bid for the $6 million Ministry of Primary Industries funding to build upon the groups’ work.

Thriving Southland Catchment group meetings (all 7pm – 9pm):

June 25: Between the Domes Catchment Group, Mossburn Community Hall, 9 Holmes Street, Mossburn

June 29: Waiau River Care Group, Waiau T&C Club, 41 King Street, Tuatapere

June 29: Otamita, Waikaka Stream and Gore/Waimumu, Longford Tavern, 29 Hamilton Street, East Gore

July 1: Wendonside and Balfour/Waimea Upper Mataura, Balfour Tavern, 84 Queen Street, Balfour

July 1: Lower Aparima, Waimatuki, Orepuki and Pourakino, Riverton Rugby Club, 45 Leader Street, Riverton

July 2: Hedgehope-Makarewa and Waihopai, Woodlands Tavern, 3 Wyeth Road, Woodlands

July 2: Lower Mataura and Waikawa, Gorge Road Country Club, 1242 Seaward Downs-Gorge Road

July 20: Three Rivers and Mimihau, Wyndham T&C Club, 53 Redan Street, Wyndham

July 20: Upper Aparima and Mid Aparima, Takitimu Tavern, 71 Main Street, Wairio

July 21: Makarewa Headwaters, Mid Oreti and Lower Oreti, Middle Pub, 232 Great North Road, Winton