Healthy Taieri: Supporting Farmers, Strengthening the Catchment
Taieri / Taiari Catchment
Healthy Taieri is one of our key long-term initiatives, project managed and technically supported by Sally Dicey and our team on behalf of Upper Taieri Wai - a catchment group working to protect and enhance the upper Taieri in Otago. Funded by MPI’s Integrated Farm Planning fund, Healthy Taieri helps farmers throughout the entire catchment stay ahead of changing regulations with practical guidance and resources - taking a catchment scale approach to farm planning .
Originally responding to regulatory drivers like freshwater farm plans and potential inclusion in the emissions trading scheme, Healthy Taieri has adapted as government priorities shift. Its ‘no regrets’ approach empowers farmers to lead sustainable, productive, and resilient farming, regardless of future regulatory changes.
At its core, Healthy Taieri empowers farmers to lead, combining local knowledge with tailored resources to support productive, sustainable, and resilient farming. Here’s a look into some of the recent work undertaken as part of the project:
Recent Work:
Water Quality: Comprehensive water quality assessments have been completed across the Taieri catchment. The Healthy Taieri Project is now turning this data into action through free site visits, helping farmers understand what the results mean for their own land and how to apply the findings in their day-to-day management. More info here.
Biodiversity: To support landowner engagement, a user-friendly biodiversity guide was created to highlight the unique ecological values of the Taieri catchment and inspire practical on-farm action. Hardcopies of these are available on request through the website. Additionally, a catchment-scale biodiversity map has been developed to inform land managers on some of the natural values that may be present on or near their land, and to support an understanding of how or where to prioritise management. These resources are available online at https://taiariwai.nz/biodiversity/.
Pest Management: Pests pose a growing threat to both farm productivity and environmental health. To support more coordinated action, a pest management survey was developed with input from the Maniototo Pest Board, local catchment groups, MPI, and OSPRI. The survey builds on the work of existing groups and aims to identify opportunities for expanding collaborative pest control efforts. Results will be published soon.
Other Resources: The projects work doesn’t stop there. Dairy shed energy efficiency workshops facilitated by the project, have provided free on-farm audits for dairy operations on the Taieri Plains. Additionally, the project has linked up with the development of a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for freshwater ecosystems in the catchment undertaken by the Department of Conservation through the Te Mana o Taiari project. This outlined how climate change may impact local water systems and proposes a range of management actions. This work was accompanied by a video series that brings these climate findings to life for local audiences.
If you are interested in learning more about the project please visit the TaieriWai website, or get in touch with the Healthy Taieri project manager, Sally Dicey.