CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT WORKING TOGETHER Rather than working in isolation on individual elements, a catchment level approach provides the best COMMUNITY opportunity to find enduring solutions. But for this to work it is essential to get people together. Everyone with a stake in the catchment should have the opportunity CATCHMENT to get involved in creating a vision for ‘their catchment’. What should the rivers and lakes look like? What activities should be safe to engage in? How much water is needed MANAGEMENT? for business and agriculture? What are the costs of delivering change? These are just a few of the questions Water quality issues do not respect property that will need answering. boundaries. If a creek running through your property has problems, then you can be sure that your While the process can be challenging the outcomes are neighbours will be impacted too. The best way to worth the investment. Communities feel connected to improve quality water in the creek is to get everyone their catchment and a sense of ownership is generated. who lives along it together, identify problems and come Ownership extends to the problems, the solutions and up with collective solutions. This simple philosophy is at delivery of outcomes. In addition to environmental the very core of community catchment management. benefits the increased connections within the community can also bring social and economic benefits too. On a larger scale, river catchments can be made up of many interconnected elements. The land acts as a This publication takes the form of a series of information collector, directing water into creeks, ponds, drains, sheets with a focus on case studies. The four examples wetlands, lakes and rivers. Due to the linkage between provide an introduction to the potentially complex waterways, any negative impacts will be shared subject of community catchment management, giving downstream. Some catchments need to cope with a brief insight into a variety of projects while briefly the pressure imposed by large towns and cities, but exploring the challenges and successes: in many New Zealand examples land use will revolve • Case Study01 - Volcano to Sea primarily around farming, forestry, native bush and smaller urban settlements. Issues can take many forms • Case study02 - Manawatu River including reducing or changed levels of water in the • Case study03 - Sherry River catchment system, physical changes to waterways and • Case study04 - Lake Brunner river courses, declining water quality through point source contamination and loss of native biodiversity. For those who wish to dig deeper NZ Landcare Trust has two further publications that will provide additional information. Designed initially for catchment and resource management professionals ‘Community-owned Rural Catchment Management’ explores the subject in considerable detail, looking at local ownership, strategic People must be engaged if we want approaches, collaborative planning, incentives and environmental change. Communities much more. ‘Landcare: A Practical Guide’ considers the the issue if we want effective must own benefits of sustainable land and water management with sustained change. a practical focus for farmers and landowners. It includes useful case studies and provides details on how to set up a landcare group. The challenge is to maintain profitable production levels without undermining the capacity of the land to recover and regenerate. Community-owned Rural Landcare: A Practical Guide Catchment Management Aimed at farmers and landowners, as the name This publication is aimed at people with an suggests the emphasis is on practical, useful interest in the detailed management of catchment information that can make a big difference to the scale projects. It offers a realistic account of the long term sustainability of a farm. A large section is opportunities and challenges associated with devoted to a series of case studies where farmers and engaging communities in this work. landowners share their motivations, challenges and successes. NZ Landcare Trust has a proven track record working alongside farmers, landowners and community It also highlights 10 key areas that farmers and groups, delivering change where it really matters... landowners can focus on when seeking sustainability on the ground. This guide takes a broad perspective, improvements including the benefits of farm examining common themes that run through a planning. Finally the publication outlines the process number of successful community catchment projects. involved in setting up a landcare group and the factors that help maintain long term success. Chapters Chapters 1. Rural Catchment Management in New Zealand 2. Local Ownership 1. Aims 3. Being Strategic 2. What is Landcare 4. Collaborative Planning and Management 3. Landcare in Action 5. Well Designed Incentives 4. Landcare Opportunities 6. Regulation Backed by Effective Compliance 5. Larger Commercial Operations 7. Further Information 6. How to Set Up a Landcare Group 7. Further Information A digital version of the publication can be downloaded from the NZ Landcare Trust website: A digital copy is available from the NZ Landcare Trust website: www.landcare.org.nz/catchmentguide www.landcare.org.nz/landcare-guide Volcano to Sea: Innovative Urban Catchment Project CASE STUDY Catchment Project Profile 01 • Name of Project: Volcano To Sea • Location: Whakaaranga creek and Pakuranga stream, flowing into the Tamaki Estuary, Auckland. Pigeon Mountain • Catchment size: 500ha A dormant ‘castle and moat’ volcano situated in • Main objectives: innovative Half Moon Bay, Pigeon Mountain overlooks the urban catchment-scale initiative Tamaki Estuary, the Waitemata Harbour and the linking communities, remnant Manukau Harbour. The mountain is the site of a natural features and the sea. former pa, also known as Ohuiarangi and forms Project will engage with schools the heart of the Volcano to Sea project. and community members, to make positive changes in their local environment. • Funding and investment: MfE Community Environment Fund provided $240,000 over 3 years. Additional funding from NZ Landcare Trust and Auckland Council. • NZ Landcare Trust Project Coordinators: Trudy Rankin and Heidi Clark. • The Trust’s role: Working with various sectors of the local community to increase awareness and engagement with biodiversity restoration work, and hault decline in water quality. Half Moon Bay Pakuranga Domain Howick Wakaaranga Creek Res Lloyd Elsmore Park Pakuranga Background The term catchment management often brings to mind to Volcano to Sea; building awareness of the issues large rural landscapes where challenges include dealing through education and encouraging people to get with multiple land uses and working with different involved in practical activities such as planting events. interest groups including farmers, environmentalists and However the methods used for engagement shifted to recreational users. NZ Landcare Trust has considerable reflect the needs of this specific urban audience, such experience working with such rural communities but as greater use of social media and translating articles for what sets this innovative project apart is the fact that non English news outlets. this catchment is located in one of New Zealand’s most heavily populated urban areas; Howick, South Auckland. The catchment area is very multicultural with diverse religious beliefs and a broad socioeconomic range. A The Volcano to Sea project aims to harness the energy large Chinese sector of the community has proven to and pride of the local community to create a native be keen supporters of the project, as have children and biodiversity corridor linking a dormant volcano named younger people through local schools and colleges. Pigeon Mountain with the Tamaki Estuary. It also sets out to address declining water quality in both the Pakaranga Most people who live in cities are broadly aware of New Stream and the Whakaaranga Creek, which flow from the Zealand’s environmental issues particularly around higher volcanic slopes down to the Tamaki Estuary, and water quality but often feel that they have little power in turn enters the Hauraki Gulf. The catchment contains to do anything about it. Volcano to Sea presented an a broad mixture of housing, business premises, sports opportunity for people to better understand what was facilities, recreation reserves, and industrial zones, so happening on their own doorstep. What special native pollution risks are many and varied. plants and animals make their home in the city? What habitat do they need to thrive? What can local people As with all catchment projects, a key aspect here is do to help? This final point resonated with the public, community participation and many of the philosophies providing a focal point for community effort - they that underpin successful rural projects were applied really can make a difference. The Volcano To Sea project could not have been With important initial partnerships in place NZ delivered without partnerships. Right from the Landcare Trust Project Coordinators were able to focus beginning Auckland Council were supportive on delivering the key project objectives: and others such as Sustainable Coastlines, The Enviroschools Foundation, Ngai Tai ki Tamaki Tribal • Encourage stewardship of the environment by Trust and the Howick Local Board were keen to lend schools and the local community a hand. Underpinned by strong community interest • Enhance local biodiversity, contribute towards an application