The Manuherekia Voice: Autumn - Thomsons Catchment
We celebrated World Wetland Day on Sunday 1st February and enjoyed chatting with the 30+ attendees on what the wetland means to them. Jo Wakelin of Koinga Consulting was there to run through a workshop on planting carex seedlings - six people took away kits to grow plants for later planting at the wetland. ...
April 28, 2026The Manuherekia Voice: Autumn - Waiora Manuherekia
We were fortunate a poor weather forecast did not eventuate and enjoyed a lovely afternoon on 27th February visiting Hills Creek Station and Merino Ridges to showcase their wetlands as part of our wetland restoration project field day. It was great to hear from Tiff and Bevan McKnight on future plans at the current wetland but also looking at other areas across the property. We were pleased to have a small funding reallocation approved withi...
April 28, 2026The Manuherekia Voice: Autumn - Manuherekia Catchment Group
Clare Hadley attended the Catchment Emergency Preparedness workshop, hosted by NZ Landcare Trust and supported by MPI’s OnFarm Support team. She has a farm emergency plan template available for anyone who would like to work on their own plan. If there are small groups that would like to work through a plan together, give her a shout. Four small things you can do today: make sure your RAPID numbers are clearly visible&nbs...
April 28, 2026The Manuherekia Voice: Summer - Thomsons Catchment
We’ll take some time to observe World Wetland Day a day early this year - Sunday 1st February 2-4pm. Take a leisurely walk or bike ride along the rail trail and help us celebrate World Wetlands Day at Orkney Wetland. The wetland will be open to view from the platform, with committee members and volunteers on site to share what’s been happening since construction wrapped up. We’ll also have Jo Wakelin running a hands-on seed-...
January 29, 2026The Manuherekia Voice: Summer - Waiora Manuherekia
Got a piece of land you are always arguing with? Perhaps it’s a wetland! Come along to our practical workshop on Friday 27th February 1 – 5pm to hear how to approach restoring a wetland. You’ll get the opportunity to hear and see from farmers who participated in our wetland restoration projects last year. Plus, we’ll have experts on hand to give you the advice needed to get started on p...
January 29, 2026The Manuherekia Voice: Summer - Manuherekia Catchment Group
You may have heard, the Government has extended resource consents set to expire before a new system is in place. The detail of this can be found in the message from ORC below: Key updates: All consents due to expire before 31 December 2027 will automatically be extended to this date. The exceptions to this are: water permits and consents to discharge to water or discharge to land where contaminants may enter water that already have a 35-year consent term. These w...
January 29, 2026The Manuherekia Voice: Spring – Waiora Manuherekia Project
This hands-on event will showcase a wide range of practical innovations, including drones, tractors, electric utes, renewable energy solutions, and other tools designed to help farmers adapt, save time, and work smarter. Alongside live demonstrations, exhibitors will be on site to answer questions and share how Agritech can support farming businesses across Central Otago. This is about seeing technology in action, not just talking about it. We want local farmers and landowners to have the c...
September 30, 2025The Manuherekia Voice: Spring – Thomsons Project
The project continues at Orkney wetland and we’ve got around 200 carex plants to get in the ground – these all help crowd out the weeds. We’d love to see you there and appreciate any time you can give:Event Details: 📅 Saturday 11 October 🕐 1:30pm start 📍 Orkney Wetland 🎟 Bring gumboots or sturdy footwear, spade, gloves and a water bottle ...
September 30, 2025The Manuherekia Voice: Spring – Manuherekia Catchment Group
The land and soil science team at ORC are looking for local sites to join their soil health monitoring programme this spring. It involves taking samples along a single 50m transect for chemical, physical and biological soil properties, with repeat sampling every five years. The data compares land uses, soil types and areas, and contributes to council and national reporting. All data is anonymous and only reported in aggregated or non-identifiable ways. Results are shared with individual lan...
September 30, 2025The Manuherekia Voice: Winter – Manuherekia Catchment Group
Our AGM is coming up on 18 September, and we’d love to see you there. If you’re interested in being part of the Manuherekia Catchment Group’s decision-making body, we’d love to hear from you. What we’re doing at MCG matters; and it’s already having a lasting impact on our land and water, with benefits for generations to come. Do you have a strong understanding of the catchment, the needs of irrigators, and the aspirations of our communities? Committee members attend monthly...
July 22, 2025The Manuherekia Voice: Winter – Waiora Manuherekia Project
It’s been a busy few months for the Waiora Manuherekia Project, with restoration work, community events, and plenty of behind-the-scenes planning all coming together to support a healthier catchment. Launched in July last year with funding from the Ministry for the Environment, Waiora Manuherekia set out with an ambitious goal: to deliver a meaningful, community-led environmental project in just 12 months. That meant hitting the ground running, building partnerships, and getting peo...
July 22, 2025The Manuherekia Voice: Winter – Thomsons Catchment Project
What started back in 2020 as a bold vision – to improve water quality, support biodiversity, and empower our community to lead change – has grown into something far bigger than we imagined. Together, we’ve built a thriving wetland, protected vulnerable native species, completed extensive fencing and sediment plans with farmers, mapped biodiversity hotspots, and hosted school field trips, volunteer days, workshops and community events.The Thomsons Catchment Project was made possible by fund...
July 22, 2025A Remarkable Transformation at Lower Manorburn Reserve
The restoration of the area known as "the island" at Lower Manorburn Reserve is now complete, marking a major milestone in local conservation efforts. Led by the Lower Manorburn Reserve Working Group (LMRWG), the project has been a remarkable community effort, supported by volunteers, local groups and targeted environmental funding. What began as a bold vision to convert a wilding conifer-infested site into a thriving area of native vegetation has resulted in a rich, biodiverse planting zon...
July 14, 2025MCG GM Clare Hadley reflects on a successful first year of the Waiora Manuherekia project.
In this Otago Daily Times opinion piece, Clare Hadley, General Manager of the Manuherekia Catchment Group, shares insights from the first year of the Waiora Manuherekia project. From willow removal and native planting to sediment tracking and youth engagement, it’s been a year of collaboration and impact.The story highlights how landowners, councils, schools and the wider community are working together to restore the water quality and ecosystem health of the Manuherikia River....
June 19, 2025One year of catchment work marked
Read the article here...
May 30, 2025Minister’s second trip to view Manuherikia catchment environmental work
Read the article here...
May 30, 2025Ida Valley Catchment Group bringing biodiversity to Poolburn Gorge
Read the article here...
May 29, 2025Thomsons Catchment Project celebrated
Read the article HERE...
April 15, 2025Forward-thinkers take top prize - Otago Daily Times Online News
Congratulations to Omakau sheep and beef farmers Andrew and Tracy Paterson of Matakanui Station, who won the regional supreme title at the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards last week in Mosgiel. The awards, run by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust, champion sustainable farming and growing.According to the judges, Andrew, co-chair of the Manuherekia Catchment Group, and his wife Tracy have shown outstanding leadership, strategic planning, and forward-thinking use of technology. Their ha...
April 14, 2025RNZ Interview: From muddy paddock to thriving wetland
Thomsons Catchment Project Manager Nicola McGrouther joined Jesse Mulligan on RNZ to share how a farmer-led vision, backed by the community and volunteers, turned a struggling site into a flourishing wetland teeming with native species. A great listen if you’re curious about what’s possible when people come together for the environment....
April 11, 2025The Manuherekia Voice: Autumn – Thomsons Catchment Project
There’s been incredible progress at Orkney Wetland and throughout the catchment in recent months. From a fantastic turnout for World Wetlands Day (thanks Otago Regional Council for your support) to final construction touches and the installation of the new Orkney sign, it’s been an exciting time for both the team and the wider community. The wetland is now fully connected, with creeks flowing through nearly a kilometre of ponds, and Carex secta plantings thriving....
March 30, 2025The Manuherekia Voice: Autumn – Waiora Manuherekia Project
It’s been a busy few months for the Waiora Manuherekia Project, with exciting progress across our community initiatives. From celebrating creativity in the River of Dreams competition, to bringing science into schools with Lab-in-a-Box, and supporting farmers with wetland restoration funding, we’ve seen fantastic engagement from across the catchment.Our willow removal efforts are helping to restore key waterways, improving both biodiversity and access for the community. Meanwhile, the Alexan...
March 30, 2025The Manuherekia Voice: Autumn – Manuherekia Catchment Group
MCG has always been about farmers leading the way in creating sustainable solutions for our catchment, especially concerning water quantity and quality. While we began with a focus on sustainable water practices, our work now extends far beyond that. Together, as a community, we are working with New Zealand's experts to ensure that what we do benefits the environment, the river, and the community. Supported by government funding, our initiatives include the Thomsons Catchment Project and the Wai...
March 30, 2025Capturing River Memories: Waiora Manuherekia’s River of Dreams Winners Announced
The Waiora Manuherekia ‘River of Dreams’ competition has wrapped up, with 38 entries showcasing the community's deep connections to the Manuherekia River through art, poetry, photography and storytelling.Central Otago students from across the catchment got creative over the summer holidays and shared memories of their riverside adventures. Entries included photos, drawings, poems, stories, and even a diorama — bringing to life treasured moments spent by the water. Judge Shane Norton f...
March 12, 2025Thomsons Project – Autumn Newsletter 2025
There’s been a huge amount of progress at Orkney Wetland and across the catchment over the past few months, thanks to the dedication of our farmers, volunteers, and supporters. From celebrating World Wetlands Day with a fantastic turnout, to final construction touches on the wetland and the installation of the new Orkney sign, it’s been an exciting time. The wetland is now fully connected, with creeks flowing through nearly a kilometre of ponds and thriving Carex secta plantings. Bird m...
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