2022 Environment Southland Community Awards

Environmental Action in the Community

Sponsored by WM Environmental

This award recognises groups that are working collaboratively within their community to enhance Southland’s environment. Judges are looking for enduring or completed projects that have clear aims and successes. Groups, societies, not-for-profit organisations, youth movements and service clubs are all eligible for this category.

Winner - Waiau Rivercare Group

The Waiau Rivercare Group is facing a challenge like no other when it comes to trying to restore the hauora of the Waiau River. Formed in 2017 with strong community support and incorporated it in 2019, the group is working hard to restore the health of the Waiau River. Their goal is to get back the river the community once had.

The group has 425 members – the oldest member is 94 and still active and the youngest members are new entrants at the local primary schools. Working with these schools, the Children’s Kaitiaki Project was established, and the group has campaigned effectively to give the Waiau River a voice on not only a regional platform, but also a national platform. For the group, water quality and water quantity cannot be separated, with the vast majority of the Waiau River’s water being diverted through a large hydro scheme.

The group continues to advocate for the river through various means and working with many groups and organisations.

Environmental Leadership in Farming

Sponsored by Wynn Williams

This award recognises whole-farm approaches to environmental issues and innovations in farm practices, water management and land management in Southland. Judges are looking for clear leadership/innovation and action that has wins for the environment. All farmers/farms are eligible for this award.

Winner - Freedom Acres

Dylan and Sheree Ditchfield have farmed in Murihiku Southland since 1997. The couple has progressed from sharemilking, to equity partnerships, to sole farm ownership and now regard themselves as being guardians of the whenua they are responsible for, which is their 176ha farm they call ‘Freedom Acres’.

Freedom Acres is currently involved in a wintering trial around bale grazing, which is seeing a great reduction in nitrogen leaching, improved soil health and pasture regeneration. The process takes about five years and the paddocks effectively regenerate themselves, which is playing a part in their overall focus of lowering the farm’s environmental footprint. The farm team very much operate as a collective with son Blake, Tika Ram Rai and Jack and Megan Bennett all invested in the farm’s purpose and goals.

The Ditchfields also founded and run a farming to freedom course, which is a business, life and leadership course.

Environmental Action in Biodiversity and Biosecurity

Sponsored by Invercargill Licensing Trust

This award recognises projects/actions that support biodiversity and/or biosecurity in Southland. Judges are looking for projects/actions with a clear aim/s that demonstrate progress. Individuals and groups are eligible for this award.

Winner - Aparima Pestbusters

Aparima Pestbusters is a volunteer group that undertakes pest control in the Riverton area, particularly in Mores Scenic Reserve. The group’s mission is to maintain habitats of native and endemic flora and fauna in the Aparima area to protect them from introduced pests.

The group has been operating since 2008. Today, the core focus is on possum, rat and feral cat control with a network of 500 bait stations. This year, 430 bait stations have been replaced and the group has adopted the use of the TrapNZ app to manage the bait stations. Aparima Pestbusters has 20 active volunteers involved in managing bait stations.

Last year, they developed and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Southland District Council, which sets out the respective responsibilities of the parties.

Environmental Action in Education

Sponsored by Department of Conservation

This award recognises environmentally-focused projects in education. Judges are looking for projects/action that engage students in environmental learning and empower them to make a difference. This award is specific to schools, kura kaupapa Māori, early childhood centres or tertiary institutions. Whole schools/learning centres, groups or individuals are eligible for this award.

Winner - Waiau Rivercare Group's Children's Kaitiaki Project

What started as a t-shirt design competition for the tamariki of the Waiau catchment to increase awareness about the unique regulatory circumstances impacting the Waiau River, quickly grew into something much more. Tamariki from the two local schools, Hauroko Valley Primary and Waiau Area School, as well as tamariki from the wider community have been supported by the Waiau Rivercare Group to share the story of their river, taking it as far as the Environment Select Committee in Wellington. The project had the group present on behalf of the community’s petition to save the Waiau River and remove the hydro exemption from the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020. For the tamariki involved in the project, it is simple – they want to be able to swim and fish in the river. “If we make a difference now, the next generation will come along and make a difference too.”

Environmental Action in Water Quality Improvement

Sponsored by Fish & Game

This award recognises individuals, groups, businesses or farms that are taking action to improve water quality within Southland. Judges are looking for action resulting in enduring improvements to water quality that relate to wetlands, estuaries, rivers, streams or lakes. Projects/actions in the early stages of environmental action or established projects and those in either urban or rural settings are eligible for this award.

Winner - Between the Domes Catchment Group

Established in 2017, the Between the Domes Catchment Group covers Mossburn, Five Rivers, Lumsden, Lintley, Castlerock and everywhere in between.

Uniquely, the group operates with three chairs – Jim Andrew, Laurie Selbie and Daniel Jones. Jim is a dairy farmer in the catchment, Laurie a sheep and beef farmer and Daniel owns the nursery in Lumsden.

The group has been leading four major projects in the catchment, supported by Thriving Southland – a bale wrap recovery scheme, a catchment-wide survey on farm data, a mental wellness focus through various events, and lastly the construction of three major wetlands in the catchment.

Individual Environmental Action or Leadership

Sponsored by ANZ

This award recognises an individual whose leadership, action, support of others and effectiveness to collaborate and influence others is making a significant contribution to Southland’s environment.

Winner - John Whitehead

John Whitehead has dedicated more than 30 years of his life to improving our region’s environment. His love of the environment came from studying at Massey University and being a part of the Alpine Club. He remains invested in the area, a member of Nga Tamariki a Tane Society Inc, which owns a block of land in the Ruahine Range in the Manawatu. A member of the Waiau Working Party since 1990, he was a part of consent negotiations around the power scheme. John has also been a trustee of the Waiau Fisheries and Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Trust since its inception in 1997 and chair of the Pomona Island Charitable Trust since its inception in 2005. Most recently, he has been a member of the Southland Conservation Board from 2011 until retirement this year and in his spare time – he farmed in the Te Anau basin for 40 years. John’s passion for biodiversity saw him put in place the first QEII covenant in the basin. Pomona Island, though, is what John describes as his biggest challenge, sometimes spending 20 hours per week completing trust work.