Catchment groups

Council has encouraged and promoted the formation of catchment groups with an interest in environmental quality and worked with them to achieve their environmental goals. Common issues addressed by catchment groups include water quality, erosion, pest management and native vegetation decline. Council provides technical advice and information, and can offer fencing materials and trees for erosion control.

Catchment groups carry out a range of projects, including:

• Stream fencing and planting;
• Plant propagation;
• Water quality monitoring;
• Bush protection;
• Possum control;
• Walkway construction.

Council works with New Zealand Landcare Trust to provide support to catchment groups by helping them to get established and linking them to advice and support networks. Together the two organisations assist communities working towards more sustainable agricultural practices.

Visit the New Zealand Landcare Trust website for further details:

• NZ Landcare Trust - Catchment Groups

Some of the most successful catchment groups in Tasman include:

• Pearl Creek stream habitat restoration project
• Reservoir Creek stream habitat restoration project
• Sherry Catchment Group river water quality improvement project
• Aorere Catchment Group disease-causing organism and stream habitat improvement project
  • Aorere Catchment Landcare Group (2009).pdf (pdf 3.4 MB)
• Motupipi River water quality and stream habitat improvement project
• Tasman Valley Streamwater quality and stream habitat improvement project
• Motueka River water quality and stream habitat improvement project (part of Motueka Intergrated Catchment Management programme)
• Murchison Creek water quality and stream habitat improvement project

Think about starting your own group if there are no streamcare groups in your area already. The first step is to define the environmental issues in your area that need addressing, for example:

• Do local streams need to be protected from stock?
• Are waterways degrading in quality?
• Is the local bush in your area slowly dying from introduced browsing pests?

Find out if anyone else in your area feels the same way. Start talking to neighbours, friends and family. What would they like to see done to help the local environment? What do they think could be improved? And what skills and support could they each provide?

Think about who else needs to be involved in a local catchment group. Contact groups such as hunters, anglers, horse riding groups, farmers and your local marae.

How much support have you got out there? By gauging the level of interest you can determine whether it is worthwhile calling everyone together for a meeting. If you decide it is worthwhile, get in touch with the New Zealand Landcare Trust or Council.

• Email NZ Landcare Trust Nelson/Marlborough Co-ordinator 
• Contact Tasman District Council