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.
How DoC and Fonterra really work together
Can the Department of Conservation and Fonterra really work together? It's a valid question and one that's asked reasonably regularly, so now Fonterra and DOC are halfway through their 10-year partnership, just how are things working on the ground? Robin Smith, DOC Living Water Site Lead and Libby Sutherland, Fonterra Sustainable Dairying Advisor, share their views.
Budding scientists testing the water
Students from Kokopu School investigated the health of their local waterways at Poroti Springs and a nearby farm. The older students also got to trial the new SHMAK (Stream Health Monitoring and Assessment) Kit, and found many macroinvertebrates from Amphipods to Dobsonflies, Mayflies and Kewai (Freshwater Crayfish). They also assessed clarity, Nitrate and Phosphate.
DairyNZ working with Living Water
Scientist, Dr Tom Stephens from #DairyNZ is one of our partners involved with designing and monitoring Living Water trials. Here he shares what it's like working on the partnership.
Fonterra staff Living Water works with
Meet one of our team members, Doug Dibley, helping Fonterra farmers accelerate sustainable farming in Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions. How is he doing it, and why?
Our progress
Our plans, projects, case studies, and reports.
