Two major ORC initiatives funded through the Government’s Jobs for Nature programme have wrapped up with outstanding results — leaving a lasting legacy for the region’s waterways, biodiversity, and communities. These projects have only been successful due to the effort of mana whenua, East Otago Catchment Group and landowners in the area.

The Toitū Te Hakapupu/Pleasant River Catchment Restoration Project, a $5 million partnership with Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, was primarily funded by the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) with additional funding from ORC and landowners.

The project has exceeded its targets for delivering actions to improve water quality in East Otago.

ORC’s Team Leader Integrated Catchment Management, Melanie White, says “collaboration was the cornerstone of its success.”

Over four years, the project has delivered:

• 92,000 native plants established along waterways and wetlands
• 39 km of fencing to exclude stock from waterways.
• Sediment traps, erosion planting, and willow removal to protect stream health
• Significant gains in fish passage, opening up 95% of the catchment for migration

Ms White says the project has also strengthened cultural and community connections, with mana whenua leading ecological and cultural monitoring, producing 40,000 plants from their nursery, and producing a Restoration Plan for Owhakaoho (Hakapupu Sandspit) and a landscape plan for Hikaroroa / Mt Watkin.

“Toitū Te Hakapupu has shown what’s possible when mana whenua, council, landowners, and the wider community work together. We’ve not only improved water quality, but reconnected people to the awa and created a strong foundation for ongoing restoration,” Ms White says.

The Ministry for the Environment has extended funding by one year, adding $80,000 for the East Otago Catchment Group to develop a Pest Management Strategy for Te Hakapupu / Pleasant River Catchment — to support the momentum continuing.

The second initiative, Maintaining the Gains, was a Department of Conservation-funded partnership between ORC, QEII National Trust, and Aukaha to tackle pest plants in priority QEII covenants. The project’s achievements include:

• 2,525 hectares of high-value biodiversity protected
• Pest plant control completed in 36 covenants — more than double the original target
• The development of a skilled Aukaha Field Team trained in weed control, planting, and environmental monitoring
• Strong partnerships formed between landowners, community groups, and partner organisations

The project has also delivered unexpected benefits, from improved wellbeing for landowners to increased confidence and skills for the Field Team.

ORC’s Ms White says the model has set a new benchmark for collaborative conservation.

“Maintaining the Gains has proven that when you invest in people as well as the environment, the benefits multiply. The upskilling of people means that this good work can carry on well beyond the project’s funding.”

Both projects reflect ORC’s commitment to working with partners to deliver tangible environmental gains while building community relationships.

“We’ve restored habitats, improved water quality, supported biodiversity, and built skills and relationships that will sustain this work into the future. It’s been a privilege to see these changes happen on the ground,” Melanie White says.

Further information

You can find out more about these projects on ORC’s website:

orc.govt.nz/toitūtehakapupu

orc.govt.nz/maintainingthegains

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