Throughout 2022 we’ve been working hard to implement a communications action plan. This plan was developed in response to the findings of the Living Water survey of stakeholders conducted in January and February of 2021.

Stakeholders said they wanted to know more about the results of our projects taking place in catchments around New Zealand. You specifically asked for:

• Regular communications and updates on progress with trials and projects;
• A programme of media releasing to promote trials and projects to a wider audience; and
• Hosting catchment activities and events and attending field days to promote Living Water’s work.

Here’s what we’ve done to ensure you knew what was going on in Living Water in 2022.

One, two, three. Annually, we send out three newsletters to our stakeholders and promote them on our social media channels (see us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn). If you’ve missed past newsletters, you can check them out here.

Online all the time. The website was revised and a colour-coded system was introduced to identify the completed trials and projects. When trials are completed, the webpages are updated, and all the relevant reports are posted to the website.

Since we revised the tools and solutions webpages the number of visitors has almost doubled (up from 1190 page views to 2069) and people are spending longer on each page (up from 1 minute 47 seconds to 2 minutes and 42 seconds). People are also spending longer on the Case Studies and resources page (up from 2 minutes and 27 seconds to 3 minutes and 54 seconds) than they were a year ago.

Taking it to the people. We continued our media releasing campaign, with stories and photos being released to local and national media, and farming publications. Our stories were picked up by:

• Southland Times / Stuff website story about the Waituna Fish survey 
• Dairy News story about Farming with Native Biodiversity 
• Stuff website story about Yarr’s Lagoon
• National Tribune story about kids into conservation
• NZ Herald Adroit Water Quality Monitoring story
• Te Awamutu News story about recovery of Lake Ngā Roto’s water quality

You’ve got to have friends. We’re grateful to our partners and friends who shared our stories through their networks.

• Cawthron Institute fish isotope report and video
• NZ Association of Resource Management story about the Living Water partnership 
• Selwyn District Council story about the Reimagining the Ararira drains project

Spread the word. We’ve attended conferences and shared our insights.

• Presented at the International Wetlands Virtual Conference (INTECOL) 10-15 October. View the presentation here
• Shared the Farming with Native Biodiversity pilot at the Bioheritage Science Challenge conference 24-27 May
• Presented the work of Living Water from a partnership perspective of Government and Industry working together to the RAMSAR Convention
• Had a strong presence sharing our catchment and partnerships work at the New Zealand Landcare Trust Catchments Forum
• Presented the Ararira reimagining lowland waterway networks project to the New Zealand Association of Resource Managers Conference (NZARM) 
• Hosted a field visit to the Ararira-LII to share the lessons learnt with Irish dairy industry representatives
• Shared the Living Water partnering story and lessons learnt, and how it has helped Fonterra with biodiversity outcomes on-farm with the Global Dairy Sustainability Framework Group - Biodiversity Community of Interest

On the ground. Despite the challenges of covid and the weather we were able to continue catchment work involving stakeholders and communities.

• Fonterra-Ngā Kaitiaki o Ngā Wai Māori hui
• Kaipara Moana Remediation Programme ($300 million programme established 2021 to reduce sediment reaching the Kaipara Harbour by 50%)
• Whakakōhanga Kōrero (Lincoln)

We know there’s more to do!

We’re looking forward to bringing you more updates and stories about our mahi in 2023, as we start to wind up the Living Water programme of work and share our lessons.

• Please let us know if you’re not receiving the newsletter and want to be added to the mailing list.
• If there’s different information, photos, and videos you’d like to see on our social media channels please let us know so we can give you more of what you want.
• If there are other aspects of our communication programme you think we could improve, please contact us with your feedback. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
• Click here to send us an email