
Waituna Lagoon/Te pūroto o Waituna

About the area/Mō te wāhi
Waituna Lagoon/Te pūroto o Waituna 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

Waituna catchment
Projects in Progress



Whakamana Te Waituna
Whakamana Te Waituna is a five-year, multi-partner project aimed at improving the health of Waituna Lagoon in Southland.

Waituna Catchment Nutrient Reduction Project
Reduce the rate of sediment and nutrients originating from on-farm and off-farm activities

Reducing Contaminants Using Peak Run Off Control Structures
Using simple structures to manage peak flows

Lower Waituna Creek Transformation Project
A multi-phase restoration, wetland reconnection and water management project

Waituna Lagoon – Monitoring & Evaluation Approach
A tool to help ensure all the partners are aligned and working collectively toward our agreed outcomes

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

Fine Particle Fertiliser Application Demonstration Project
Can nitrogen fertiliser use be reduced without compromising pasture growth?

Nitrogen and Phosphorous Filter Trials
Are nutrient filters a practical solution for farmers to reduce their impact on water quality?

Planting Biodiversity Corridors
Reconnecting fragmented wetlands through riparian planting
Our team/Tō mātou rōpū

Cain Duncan

Pat Hoffmann

John McCarroll

Aaron Fleming
Our farmers/Ō mātou kaiahuwhenua

Reza and Sylvia Abdul-Jabbar

Monnc and Ruth Bruinsma

Raewyn and Tony Van Gool

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 Runanga o Awarua

Michael Tither

Jade Parry

Brett Emeny
