Wai Connection
A community catchment group engagement project
Aim
To build capability and capacity in New Zealand's freshwater management
'Wai Connection – Tatai Ki Te Wai’ is a catchment community engagement project offering on-the-ground support to assist with catchment issues through tailored change at source. It exists to support and build community involvement, equity, and a shared vision of ecological sustainability as the basis of a healthy community.
Funders & Partners
EFF | EOS Ecology | Regional provider organisations
The Essential Freshwater Fund (EFF) is providing funding to build capability and capacity in New Zealand's freshwater management through to June 2025. Part of EOS Ecology’s role within ‘Wai Connection’ is to provide technical GIS, science support, and resource development for the project at a national level. Many of our existing provider organisations have Wai Connection Roles - check out your region to get involved.
The project
To empower communities through providing knowledge, tools and expert support to help identify values and solve issues in their local catchment.
Supporting communities to connect more with their waterways from mountains to sea, and promote collaboration between local catchment groups, NGO’s, hapū/iwi, Regional Council, central Government and primary industry working within the catchment – helping to deliver the goals of the Government’s Essential Freshwater (EF) work package.
Get involved
Register your catchment group
You can help by providing location details about your local community catchment groups/collectives, so we can identify where existing catchment groups are operating and where catchments currently do not have any catchment groups.
Attend a Wānanga
Please head to the Wai Connection website for more information
Northland Īnanga Spawning Project | NīSP
Overall native fish populations in New Zealand are in decline, including Īnanga. Part of the problem is the damage or removal of spawning habitats. Farm stock damage, man made changes to natural bank structures, sediment, barriers to fish migration as well as mowing of vegetation on banks during spawning season are contributing factors to the degredation of spawning habitats.
Aim
To scale up collaborative work locating, protecting, and enhancing īnanga spawning habitats, alongside community engagement and capacity/ capability development in the Northland region
Funders & Partners
Funded by Ministry for the Environment (MFE)
In kind contributions from Fonterra, Department of Conservation (DOC), Foundation North, Northland Regional Council (NRC), NorthTec and Reconnecting Northland.
Stakeholders include WBC field crew, DOC, NRC, Fonterra, Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust Board (PTITB), Whirinaki Toiora Trust (WTT),MTSCT Board and Project Governance Group, Tangata whenua, Landowners, Schools and community/catchment groups within focus catchments.
The project
Building connections between stakeholders and elements of co-design for local actions that improve īnanga spawning habitat and catchment health.
Supporting long term changes to improve health of spawning habitats. Such as installing temporary straw bale spawning habitat, pest control, fencing out stock, riparian planting, advice for authorities for maintence strategies on banks and removing barriers to fish migration such as tide gates.
Get involved
Restore your local spawning zone
Learn more about Īnanga spawning.
