Taking a long-term view to care for our environment, our people and our communities.
Formed in 2018, King Country River Care (KCRC) is an incorporated society helping farmers understand their environmental impact and get ahead of anticipated regulatory change by pooling their resources. We aim to build knowledge and understanding, source funding, and work alongside farmers to promote sustainable farming practices.
Our catchment areas cover over 200,000 hectares and an estimated 5,000km of rivers and streams. Our geographical boundary extends from the Mokau River in the south, to the Kawhia Harbour in the north and across to Benneydale and Rangitoto in the east.
While our initial focus was on water quality improvement; soil health, biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions and most importantly community resilience, are all important and are tightly interlinked.
Our group is a farmer-led initiative.
Initially self-funded through member subscriptions we have since secured funding from Waikato Regional Council (WRC), and Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) – Productive & Sustainable Land Use Extension Services, and Te Uru Rakau 1Billion Trees/Jobs for Nature.
Currently we have about 100 financial members. Our aim is to have every one of the 350 farms in our associated catchments involved in our activities.
Our objecives & key strategic themes
Our objectives:
- To protect the culture, economy and resilience of our wider community
- To facilitate and promote ‘good farming practice’ of sustainable land management principles.
- To ensure our regions farmers have a voice and are represented in communications with external stakeholders and development of policy.
Our key strategic themes
- Delivering on farm environmental excellence.
- Growing an active, engaged, inclusive membership based around catchment communities.
- Build key stakeholder relationships.
- Gathering evidence, identifying and managing research needs.
What we’ve set out to achieve
Phase one
2020 - 2023
- 180 working farm plans developed
- 100 Nutrient budget +/- GHG or similar developed.
- At least two pilot farm projects in progress.
- 300 farmers engaged
- SCG catchment plans completed & reviewed.
- Support planning & access to funding for on farm action environmental projects.
- Scope, plan, fund & implement community wellbeing projects for example - KCRC 100K Natives.
- External expert workshops delivered
- Local Iwi, DOC and key stakeholders engaged
Phase two
2023 - 2026
- All farmers have Farm Plans in progress.
- All farmers familiar with NB + GHG.
- 95% target farmers engaged.
- Stakeholders engaged.
- Natural capital measures show improvement.
- Community wellbeing, social, cultural & economic measures, reviewed and progressed.
Phase three
2026-2030
- Farm Plans valued by landowners.
- Our communities demonstrate resilience.
- Landowners / Stakeholders engaged & value their involvement.
- Natural capital measures show further improvement.
Meet the team
Anna Nelson
Coordinator
I farm sheep and beef with my husband, Munta, and family in Aria.
I'm lucky enough to have a team of four keen dogs and a block on the farm that I manage. I have three teenage kids who all plan to “go farming” – two at Lincoln and one at High School.
I got involved in KCRC to support farmers to get ahead of anticipated regulatory change by pooling their resources to develop Catchment and Farm Plans, to source funding for waterway and farm improvement projects, to monitor and understand local water quality and stream health and to work together to ensure future generations have the opportunity to farm and live in rural NZ.
Increasingly we are working to support landowners to understand the implications of the large numbers of changing regulations and what it means for their businesses. Wherever possible we try to influence policy and rules to ensure there is room for “local solutions to local issues”.
Lana McCormick
Coordinator
I have recently shifted from Wellington back to the King Country. I have a degree in architecture with a career background as a property strategist. A lot of this revolves around compliance, regulations, standards and delivering effective workshops, systems and designs. This has provided me with a great foundation for planning and information technology skills.
I am constantly upskilling my knowledge of compliance and farm systems and am currently working towards becoming appointed as a Freshwater Farm Plan Certifier. My goal is to develop functional systems that comply with environmental regulations whilst also being relatable and manageable for King Country farmers.
I'm looking forward to working with farmers across the King Country and making the ever-changing compliance regulations less of an overwhelming experience.
Robyn Williamson
Coordinator Kawhia & Coast Groups
I am enjoying my role as KCRC Coordinator for the Kawhia & Coast groups. I think it’s great that KCRC as an incorporated society and with over 300 members, is able to create scale and expertise, providing opportunities to leverage funding. Having been a sheep and beef farmer for nearly 30 years, it’s nice to give back to the local farming communities and I like working with country people. My previous experience as a member of the Farmers Council B+LNZ, was to confer ideas with farmers and help to organise activities, workshops and field days, good grounding for my current role. I have a lot of respect for farmers and understand the pressures they face, from difficult weather conditions through to Govt compliance and coping with many other balls in the air, at the same time running a farm! I think sheep and beef farming has a great future in NZ with opportunities to run mixed systems and thus maintain different income streams. I am proud to still be part of it and watch the industry evolve into the future.