Mangatangi and Maramarua Catchment Incorporated: Farmers committed to water quality

Members of the Mangatangi Maramarua Catchment Group, chairman Will Murphy (left), Alison Ratcliffe, Hamish Browne, Robyn Budd and Terry Withers. Photo / Catherine Fry

In 2019, a group of like-minded farmers and iwi in the Mangatangi Maramarua Catchment initially met to help each other understand the implication on their farming operations of the numerous regulations being proposed under the Waikato Healthy Rivers Plan Change 1.

“We are aware that there are water quality issues in our area and that they vary from farm to farm,” chairman of the group and beef farmer, Will Murphy said.

“There is not a one-size-fits-all approach and we all wanted to understand how our own farms affected the catchment and actually become authorities on what was happening in our own area,” committee member and organic beef farmer, Hamish Browne said.

“We all farm differently, but what we all do on a micro level, can be expanded to a macro level, collectively benefiting the whole area,” said committee member and beef farmer Alison Ratcliffe.

The momentum of the group grew and in May 2021, Mangatangi and Maramarua Catchment Incorporated (MMC) was formally formed with a vision and goals.

By 2024 they have 18 representatives on their committee.

Their vision is to protect and enhance the Mangatangi and Maramarua environment by involving the whole community.

“With such a diverse population base, MMC has worked from the onset to be all-inclusive, forging strong ties with the whole community,” committee member and organic beef farmer, Robyn Budd.

“Even though we are very close to the Firth of Thames, our surface water actually flows west into the Waikato River, which enters the Tasman Sea at Port Waikato,” Murphy said.

“We are one of seven catchments flowing into the Whangamarino wetland (an international Ramsar site) and one of 74 catchments flowing into the Waikato River.”

Environmental goals

Terry Withers, Hamish Browne and Alison Ratcliffe at one of Hamish Browne’s waterway plantings. Photo / Catherine Fry

The 19,500-hectare catchment is the most northern one that flows into the Waikato River and approximately 70% is farmland, and the remaining 30% is forest, mainly in the Hunua Ranges.

“As a catchment group, we like to think of the catchment as one big farm, with everyone taking responsibility for their own land,” Budd said.

“As a group, we are gathering information to show the health of our local waterways.”

“We feel we are best placed to investigate and solve our problems,” Murphy said.

“Data collection shows trends and we share the information, so everyone becomes part of the solution,” committee member and sheep and beef farmer, Terry Withers said.

MMC has three primary interconnected objectives.

1. To facilitate positive change in respect of improving the water, biodiversity, soil, air, stewardship, kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and standards that the community has set.

2. To facilitate and promote “on-farm good practice” using sustainable land management principles.

3. To provide a platform for sharing information and support with the community, engaging with other stakeholders, receiving feedback and being a collective voice for its members.

To achieve MMC’s vision and objectives, they have identified seven strategic themes: Community involvement, water quality, biodiversity, farmer/community wellbeing, climate change, iwi involvement and agency interaction.

“The Ministry for Primary Industry is our main funder, and we are very grateful for funding and support from around a dozen companies, trusts, entities and local councils. Funding allows us to set up regular water testing and pay for experts to oversee and analyse any testing,” Budd said.

Waikato Regional Council has collected 20 years of data from monthly testing near the catchment’s exit and that has identified trends.

Collecting data and community involvement

MMC has set up 12 testing sites over the catchment and carries out quarterly testing at each one, ensuring that conditions are consistent.

Initially, testing is for the four main contaminants, nitrogen, phosphorus, E. coli and sediment, along with temperature and stream habitat health.

“We’re also working with a water ecologist to carry out Environmental DNA (eDNA) testing in eight sites,” Budd said.

The eDNA testing offers a window into the presence of all organisms (flora and fauna) present in the local environment. It picks up the smallest DNA fragments.

MMC committee members Robyn Budd and Alison Ratcliffe. Photo / Catherine Fry

The group is also conducting catchment-wide pest and weed surveys and biodiversity surveys.

These, along with the water quality testing, all build a picture of the catchment.

Doing this consistently over a period of years provides data that informs what is required to maintain and enhance water quality and biodiversity.

A crucial part of MMC is community involvement.

The catchment includes the local farms, lifestyle blocks, two schools, two play centres, two fire stations, community halls and the Mangatangi Marae.

Regular community events are held to educate children as young as pre-schoolers.

The community is encouraged to engage with the group and receive the support and guidance they need to build resilience, improve their farm environment and navigate legislative and regulatory requirements.

“Our goal is to build a thriving, knowledgeable and healthy rural community,” Murphy said.