Wendonside Catchment Group
A proactive farming community working together & investing in our future
Our total catchment area is 27,000 hectares and spans east to west between Dome Burn Creek and the Mataura River. The southern boundary is the confluence of the Waikaia River with the Mataura River. Properties in our group are mainly flat land to moderate rolling and we have several hill country properties included along our northern catchment boundary.
Group Chair
Rob Dinglewendonsidecg@gmail.com
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Group coordinator
Tania Clarke
For more info, or to join the catchment group contact Tania
021 399 343 or
tania@thrivingsouthland.co.nz
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Number of members in the CG
We have a growing membership that currently includes 46 properties. These properties cover 82% of the total area of our catchment.
Date the Catchment Group started
June 2019
Types of people in the group
Properties in our group are mainly flat land to moderate rolling and we have several hill country properties included along our northern catchment boundary.
Projects
We aim to undertake initiatives that will provide our members with sound technical
information and give them opportunities to increase our knowledge of water quality and wider environmental topics.
Our Current and Proposed Initiatives:
- Quarterly sampling of over 25 wells at various depths and 15 surface water bodies across our catchment for specific water quality information such as nitrate and E.coli (underway).
- Explore the use of portable sampling equipment for real time monitoring of surface water quality (underway).
- Field day with technical specialists to learn about Rapid Habitat Assessments within our farm waterways.
- Provide regular, local opportunities for our members to access resources and technical advice to encourage and support farming best practice.
Recently held:
- Macroinvertebrate sampling at 14 sites throughout the catchment - samples at the lab March 2022
- Understanding the landscape project
Hosted events / meetings
The committee meets regularly, and there are many public meetings and an AGM
About us
Our group formed in June 2019 when our community came together with a combined desire to further understand groundwater and surface water quality in our catchment.
We are an incorporated society that has established a funding model to collect funds from its members to finance approved initiatives.
Our Purpose
As a catchment group we have many purposes. We wish to promote the role of farming in managing local water quality. We want to provide support to ensure good environmental farm management practices are in place. It is our intent to demonstrate, support and promote sound environmental stewardship amongst our members. We aim to undertake initiatives that will provide our members with sound technical information and give them opportunities to increase our knowledge of water quality and wider environmental topics. Ultimately, we want to ensure the ability of our members to farm sustainably, in a community which thrives and is not socially divided on the basis of nutrient allocation.
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.
CONTACT US
25 Don Street,
Invercargill 9810
