100 projects
Trying things out, costing them, and planning how to take them to scale
Living Water: Dairy and freshwater thriving together
Living Water is a partnership between the Department of Conservation and Fonterra. Our focus is finding game-changing and scalable solutions that will enable farming, freshwater and healthy ecosystems to thrive side-by-side.
We are working with farmers, scientists, councils, mana whenua and communities to design and test solutions, and then develop a plan to implement regionally and nationally.
Our mission
5 regions
Demonstrating dairying and freshwater ecosystems thriving together
1 mission
To build connections which can drive better outcomes for the environment, the economy and New Zealanders
Who are we
With nearly 40% of New Zealand’s land under their care, Fonterra and the Department of Conservation have joined forces to work on the farming and freshwater challenge.
We work on the ground, side by side. We share our expertise and use our collective strengths.
Where we’re working
How we’re working
1
Working towards a common vision of dairy and freshwater thriving together
2
Designing and trialling solutions in five catchments
3
Measuring the impact across 10 years
4
Scaling implementation — the process and cost per farm, per region and for New Zealand
5
Championing change — to mindsets, approaches, systems and aspirations
What we’re up to
We are doers, with the big picture in mind. Check out what we have been up to around New Zealand.
What is hydro-seeding?
Is hydroseeding a viable alternative to native planting? Watch Matt Highway - Fonterra Sustainable Dairying Manager talk it through from our trial site in the Waikato Peat Lakes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivJIW9iB6PU
What happens after you restore a creek in a Ramsar Wetland?
Catch up with what's been happening in Waituna since undertaking the restoration project at Waituna Creek https://www.livingwater.net.nz/our-progress/im:1432/waituna-creek-fish-survey Whakamana te Waituna Cawthron Institute Studio Jubb
Spotting spotless crake
Two of our team members have spent three weeks based at our Waikato Peat Lake sites monitoring Pūweto (Spotless Crakes) with call-playback surveys. Not a lot is known about these cryptic birds but we know their population has declined due to habitat loss and predation. Presence/ absence data is gathered from all times of day meaning a lot of late nights and early starts, but worth it for the view and the chance to see one of these elusive birds.
What requires no rain, extra people and very high spec equipment?
It's one of the biggest events in our Southland team's calendar! Requiring no rain, extra people power and some high spec equipment, the Waituna fish survey is an important part of our goal to see freshwater and dairying working side by side. We want to see if adding back in the habitat that's been lost from modification and straightening will bring more freshwater species back to the creek. Check it out and watch the full video 👇 https://www.livingwater.net.nz/our-progress/im:1432/waituna-creek-fish-survey/?fbclid=IwAR1159ZJaePWkkz17EBkOdGv4KBCXJ22gr66mE3GrNu31eACqu6tw5QC_iA
Our progress
Our plans, projects, case studies, and reports.
