Waituna Lagoon/Waipārera

Waituna Lagoon/Waipārera

About the area/Mō te wāhi 

Waituna Lagoon/Waipārera is 40km east of Invercargill and is part of the 20,000 hectare Awarua Waituna Wetland catchment. This coastal lagoon and surrounding wetland (an area of 3,500 hectares) was designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 1976. The cultural significance to the local Ngāi Tahu people was recognised under a Statutory Acknowledgement with the Ngāi Tahu claims Settlement Act 1998. The lagoon and wetland have also been a source of food and recreation for the wider community including fishermen, hunters and trampers over many generations.

The wetlands provide habitats for a rich array of native wildlife and are a nationally important site for migrating wading birds. They are also home to a range of threatened species such as the Australasian bittern and are an important area for mahinga kai.

The challenge/Te wero

In Awarua Waituna there has been a significant loss of wetland, freshwater ecosystems and lowland habitat. Water quality is poor due to high levels of suspended sediment and nutrients (phosphorous and nitrogen). Much of this has been caused by various productive land uses in the catchment and the modification of the waterway, wetland and lagoon hydrology for drainage purposes.

Working in partnership

Living Water is working within the Whakamana Te Waituna Partnership to improve the health of Waituna lagoon - ensuring the wellbeing of the people, the land, the waters, the ecosystems and the life-force of Waituna.

Living Water’s key focus is designing and implementing a catchment-wide nutrient and sediment management approach, with the main goal of slowing the flow of water to decrease contaminants and build freshwater habitat.

  • 70% of the catchment converted from wetland and native bush to agricultural land over the past 150 years
  • 80+ different species of bird in the wetland complex
  • 130 properties in the catchment
  • 5 main types of farming (arable, forestry, sheep, beef and dairy)
  • 2000+ 'angler days' per year
Peat lakes within the Waituna lagoon

Waituna catchment

Projects in Progress

Physiographics Project

Physiographics Project

Helping landowners to better understand where to put contaminant management interventions to improve water quality leaving farms

Our team/Tō mātou rōpū

Cain Duncan

Cain Duncan

Otago/Southland Sustainable Dairying Manager for Fonterra
Pat Hoffmann

Pat Hoffmann

DOC Site Lead, Waituna, Southland
John McCarroll

John McCarroll

DOC Operations Manager
Aaron Fleming

Aaron Fleming

DOC Director Operations, Southern South Island

Our farmers/Ō mātou kaiahuwhenua

Monnc and Ruth Bruinsma

Monnc and Ruth Bruinsma

Raewyn and Tony Van Gool

Raewyn and Tony Van Gool

Fonterra Farmers
Are you part of Living Water?

Are you part of Living Water?

Contact us to have your farm acknowledged and your photo added

Our partners & friends/Ō mātou hoa ngātahi, ō mātou hoa

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

Te Runanga o Awarua

Te Runanga o Awarua

Michael Tither

Michael Tither

The Plant Store
Jade Parry

Jade Parry

The Plant Store
Chris Crossley

Chris Crossley

Agricultural Consultant

Supporting documents/Ngā tuhinga tautoko