A group of 20 year 3 and year 4 students from West Eyreton School planted 250 seedlings grown at their school at Bennetts Stream near Oxford.

Last month, a group of 20 year 3 and year 4 students from West Eyreton School planted 250 native seedlings which they had grown in their school greenhouse at Bennetts Stream near Oxford in North Canterbury.

Irrigation cooperative Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL) is supporting the school through its seedlings in schools programme. The programme provides a greenhouse, seedlings and a biodiversity project team member who works closely with the school to provide practical environmental education that is helping the students to take action to improve the environment in their local area.

West Eyreton teacher Michelle Orr says the school has been working with WIL’s biodiversity project lead Dan Cameron over the last six years and his bi-monthly school visits have had a positive impact on the students.

“It was great for the students to come back to the Bennetts Stream site a year later to see how their original plants are growing and to plant more seedlings from our greenhouse.

“The students’ faces light up when Dan arrives for one of his sessions and being outside doing something positive for the environment is a way that we can leave the land better than when we found it.”

Michelle says the seedlings in schools project fits in well with the school’s science curriculum and offers a practical way for students to learn about the environment around them.

WIL’s biodiversity project lead Dan Cameron says the students are really engaging in the planting days because they have cared for and raised the seedlings themselves and play a key role in the growing process.

“Being involved in the entire lifecycle of the plants is key and from here we will go back and plant the next lot of seeds in the greenhouse at the school ready to begin the cycle again.”

Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL) biodiversity project lead Dan Cameron helps West Eyreton school students Liam O’Malley (9) and Keira Mather (8) plant a native seedling at Bennetts Stream near Oxford.

Year 4 student Liam O’Malley says he is motivated to improve the stream due to the discovery last year of Canterbury Mudfish at Bennetts Stream.

“We were here a year ago when the mudfish were found. They are really endangered so we want to do our best to make this stream a good place for them to live.

“I have been part of the school’s gardening group for two years. We go to check on the greenhouse once a week to see how the plants are going. We check the soil temperature and the moisture levels.

“I really enjoy the teamwork and planting the plants here today has been a lot of fun.”

Year 3 student Keira Mather planted around 30 native seedlings with her two friends during the planting day. She says learning to put together the plant guards was the trickiest part of the day.

“The plant guards were a bit hard to put together but we worked on it in our groups. I want to come back here in the future and see the mudfish doing well.”

Dan says the long -term goal for the site is to enable greater public access for recreational use.

“It’s a work in progress as we need to take care to enrich the riparian margin while also learning more about the diverse species such as Canterbury Mudfish and tadpole shrimp that inhabit the stream, so we protect their habitat.”

Brent Walton

In response to Environment Canterbury’s decision to declare a nitrate emergency, Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL) has reaffirmed its strong historical and future commitment to environmental stewardship and collaborative action.

This commitment is underpinned by independently verified scientific data showing that WIL shareholders are making measurable progress.

Since baseline measurements were carried out in 2009-2013, WIL farms have achieved a 51% reduction in nitrogen loss from the root zone. This reduction in nitrogen loss coincides with a 25% reduction in nitrogen concentrations in drainage water which is the result of better on-farm practices such as efficient fertiliser usage, grazing management, crop management and effluent management.

Alongside this, a community-led biodiversity initiative supported by WIL is improving waterway health across the scheme’s 44,000-hectare command area. To date, 27,660 native seedlings have been planted across nine project sites.

This 40-year project focuses on creating connected ecological corridors by working collaboratively with schools, environmental groups and the wider community.

Seedlings are grown and propagated in WIL-supplied greenhouses located at shareholders’ farms and local schools to enable farmers, children and the wider community to work together to improve the environment. Species such as Carex secta, selected for their natural de-nitrifying properties, are helping to restore the ecological balance.

Monitoring of Hunter’s Stream near Cust—conducted with local schools, Enviro Schools, and WIL shareholders—has shown a marked increase in mayfly populations, which is a key indicator of improved stream health.

WIL’s CEO Brent Walton says the cooperative views irrigation as a privilege that carries with it a deep responsibility for future generations.
“Our farmers are committed to leaving the land better than they found it. We’ve worked closely with Environment Canterbury, Waimakariri District Council, iwi, environmental groups and the wider community to develop practical, collaborative solutions that improve stream health and reduce nitrate levels,” Walton says.

“Reducing nitrate levels requires long-term investment and shared responsibility, Walton says. “Our shareholders are taking meaningful action, and we remain committed to working alongside the community over the long-term to improve environmental outcomes while acknowledging the vital role that agriculture plays in our regional and national economy.”

Farm Planning & Audit Process Diagram

WIL carried out an FEP audit survey in July for shareholders who went through the audit process during the last audit season.

Shareholder feedback indicated that the timing of the survey wasn’t ideal as too much time had elapsed between the audit being finished and the survey being sent out. Various factors such as a change of environmental advisors during the audit season and this being the first season that WIL had surveyed shareholders led to a low response rate.

WIL has addressed this feedback by opting for a new approach for this year’s FEP audit season which means that the FEP audit survey will be carried out on a rolling basis throughout the season. Shareholders will receive the survey within 10 days of their FEP audit reports being finalised and the process being completed.

In last season’s audit survey 75% of respondents said they found the pre-audit visit helpful with the remaining 25% finding the visit “somewhat helpful”.

All respondents were happy with the level of support provided by WIL prior to the audit visit, although one respondent asked for a more practical visit that went beyond “just the QCONZ template”. This shareholder indicated that they valued the practical side of the visit and would like to focus on the whole farm system rather than just completing the QCONZ FEP template. WIL has taken this feedback onboard and will ensure that the audit visit covers the whole farm system.

Shareholders were very happy with the quality of their auditors and found the audit process to be a valuable experience.  It is important for shareholders to provide feedback on their auditors as this helps WIL decide which auditors will be contracted to complete FEP audits each season.

On the other hand, most survey respondents were dissatisfied with the QCONZ FEP template. Feedback included the need to expand the template to ensure that all required FEP audit information could be easily upload and for the template to be reviewed to reduce repetition and improve clarity, while providing a more intuitive response.  A stronger focus on biodiversity was also noted as a key area for improvement.

“I wouldn’t use it (the QCONZ FEP template) again until I have to update it for the next audit because each time I have tried to use it for something else it is not fit for purpose,” said one survey respondent.

WIL’s environmental team Ben Howden and Georgina (Georgie) Woods have met with QCONZ to share feedback from WIL’s shareholders with the aim of improving the template prior to the next audit season.

“They are responsive to taking suggestions and feedback from our shareholders onboard. It is positive to be able to share ideas for improvements with QConz and hopefully it will create some changes for the template,” said Georgie.

Another key point noted in survey response was sharing best practice examples with all shareholders and this is something WIL is going to investigate ahead of the next audit season.

WIL has changed this year’s FEP audit survey in response to feedback from shareholders. As requested, the survey will be sent out via Survey Monkey in a rolling basis within 10 days of the FEP audit for those who would like to complete it online and there will also be a Word version which can be filled in and emailed back. If shareholders prefer, they will also have the option of completing the survey with WIL’s biodiversity advisor Georgie Woods over the phone.

The updated FEP survey will cover two sections – the FEP itself and the audit process and will take around 5-7 minutes to complete. The survey also includes the option for a follow up visit or phone call from WIL’s environmental team if there are any details that shareholders would like to discuss in more detail relating to the FEP audit process.

WIL would like to thank all shareholders who participated in this year’s FEP audit survey with feedback resulting in improvements to the audit system for all shareholders. We would like to encourage more shareholders to share their thoughts and feedback this coming audit season by completing the FEP audit survey so that WIL can provide continuous improvements to the audit process.

WIL’s new WaterForce liaison Ian Hutcheson pictured at WaterForce’s Ohoka office.

Three months into his new role, WIL’s new WaterForce liaison Ian Hutcheson is enjoying learning more about WIL’s irrigation scheme in preparation for the irrigation season ahead.

Ian has taken over the WIL liaison role from Alice Hamer. Ian is based at WaterForce’s Ohoka branch office which covers the North Canterbury area.

Originally from the Hawkes Bay, Ian completed a Master of Science degree majoring in Ecology and Conservation Biology at Victoria University in Wellington. Using GIS for his university research piqued an interest in data and mapping which led to his first role as a GIS technician in Wellington.

Ian then moved to Canterbury to pursue a career in the irrigation industry. He has over a decade of experience in irrigation system surveying, and sales and design. Ian is enjoying working with farmers to provide practical water management solutions that are backed by data.

“I enjoy working alongside farmers to develop practical and sustainable water management solutions, and I’m looking forward to working with a shareholder-owned cooperative that delivers reliable, economic, and sustainable water to support shareholders and the wider region.”

“Initially, I have been focused on learning about the data and software. My role is to be a conduit for information to flow from Scada Farm and WaterForce and to WIL and shareholders which allows informed decisions to be made regarding irrigation.”

Ian says he is fortunate that since 2022 all WIL’s flow meters have been updated and soil moisture probes have been added, along with six new WaterForce weather stations which means that the updated infrastructure is already in place. He is looking forward to spending more time out on farm working with shareholders.

“The part of this role that I like the most is working with farmers and solving problems in a practical way. Being able to provide WIL with reliable and correct data is vital as this is used for consenting and auditing purposes.”

During his first three months, Ian has also been working with shareholders on projects   involving surveying new and existing irrigation systems and enjoys the problem-solving aspect of his role.

“All of the infrastructure needs to be surveyed, designed and then staked out. When doing the GPS survey, we need to take everything into consideration including existing irrigation infrastructure, buildings, fences and shelter belts.”

During his spare time Ian enjoys getting into the outdoors and is about to get sailing lessons from a current Waterforce employee.

Ian is happy to visit shareholders who need assistance with their water meters and can also provide advice regarding using the Scada Farm platform. If key farm staff change, Ian recommends reaching out so that access to the platform isn’t interrupted. WIL shareholders can phone Ian on 021 277 9007 or contact him by email at ihutcheson@waterforce.co.nz

Students from Rangi Ruru Girls’ School and Christ’s College work together to prick out native seedlings at one of Eco Action Nursery Trust’s satellite located nurseries at Christ’s College. The nursery grows over 28 species of native plants. From left: Emelia Handyside, Hugo Bush, Harrison Tapper, Gabe Botherway, Sophia Wood and Gemma Speizer.

WIL shareholders recently received 26 000 native plants for on-farm biodiversity improvement projects thanks to a generous donation from Eco Action Nursery Trust.

Eco Action Nursery Trust was established in 2016 as a charitable trust with the aim of planting native forest corridors in red-zoned areas of Christchurch, including the QEII Nature Trail. The overarching vision for the environmental group is to create a “green space” of native planting. Native trees and plants are carefully chosen to provide a food source that will allow birdlife to thrive in the native forests being created by the Trust.

Since 2016, students from 28 Canterbury schools, three community groups and two retirement villages have devoted hundreds of hours to pot up and plant native seedlings which are eco-sourced. Each of the satellite nurseries received a free start up kit which included 500 to 5,000 native seedlings along with potting mix, pots, weed mats and irrigation systems.

In its first year, the Trust grew 350 native trees and plants at its satellite nurseries, and this increased to 30 000 in 2023 and then doubled to 60 000 native plants in 2024. This year, the Trust expects to grow 50 000 native species with this figure including the 26 000 plants donated to WIL shareholders. Volunteers at satellite nurseries have put in over 30 000 hours of voluntary work to grow the plants.

Eco Action Nursery Trust Trustee Kate Rivers, who is Head of Sustainability at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, says the positive impacts on students and other volunteers of growing native plants from seedlings through to the planting and maintenance cannot be underestimated.

“Being involved in the entire lifecycle of the plant and then seeing the results over time is very rewarding for everyone. It can feel overwhelming for younger people especially when they want to do something positive to mitigate climate change and this hands-on process allows them to act in a very tangible way.

Kate says around 50 students from Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, Christchurch Girls’ High and Christ’s College volunteer every Tuesday and Friday afternoon at Christ’s College’s satellite propagation nursery. Students at St Margaret’s College help with propagation during a regular weekly lunchtime session and Rangi Ruru also have a weekly afterschool session to prick out seedlings.

“In a fast-paced world, this activity gives students time to slow down and to connect to nature, while also providing valuable horticultural and sustainability lessons in a hands-on environment. We also reuse and recycle all the containers and bags that we use to minimise any environmental impact.”

Eco Action Nursery Trust won the Outstanding Collaboration Award at the 2023 Sustainable Business Network Awards with judges praising the “intergenerational initiative with so much heart.”

Kate says having people from a wide range of ages, backgrounds and cultures involved in the project, who bring a range of skills, is crucial to its success.

“We have all ages involved from primary school aged children through to 94-year-olds volunteering at satellite nurseries that we have set up at retirement homes. We honour the spiritual, cultural and historical values of mana whenua and this plays an important role in how we approach everything that we do.”

The Trust is looking forward to learning more about WIL shareholders’ biodiversity planting projects and seeing how the 26 000 donated native plants have been used to improve on-farm environmental outcomes.

WIL’s health and safety advisor Keri Harrison is passionate about using practical methods to meet regulatory requirements.

WIL’s health and safety advisor Keri Harrison credits the willingness of the operations and management team to embrace change as the main reason for improvements to WIL’s health and safety culture.

“When I started working with WIL in 2017 it was a very simple health and safety system but due to the hard work of WIL’s operations team the organisation has adapted quickly to meet new rules and regulations. This has been backed up by management and WIL’s Board investing in health and safety system improvements.”

Keri’s background in mining and quarry and local government has helped her to understand the health and safety requirements for WIL’s irrigation scheme. She spent eleven years at the Selwyn District Council working in the asset management team and then worked as a health and safety manager for Southern Screenworks before starting her own health and safety consultancy Tui Creek Consulting seven years ago.

“I previously oversaw the water race intakes for the Selwyn District Council and that was my first contact with WIL as one of the intakes started just on the edge of WIL’s irrigation scheme which naturally made me interested in learning more about it. I also rewrote the water race bylaws for Selwyn District Council.”

Keri is one of a small group of New Zealand women holding an A grade quarry manager’s ticket, having achieved this qualification last year.

“I’m passionate about the mining and quarrying industry and want to continue to improve my knowledge. I enjoy mentoring and coaching work to help develop future quarry managers.”

In terms of risk identification and mitigations, Keri says that WIL staff have a strong awareness of potential hazards in the workplace.

“The operations team are the people who are most at risk of having an accident, so we make sure to remain aware of all potential risks and to have everything documented with practical steps to take to avoid risks wherever possible.”

Keri says technology is helping WIL to change its approach to health and safety. An app is used by the operations team to capture data in real time.

“I am always looking for ways that we can do things more effectively and technology is a great enabler for this. Instead of having to write everything down we can use the app to capture content in a more efficient way.”

Keri thoroughly enjoys working with WIL and finds all staff and directors to be extremely supportive of health and safety.

“I honestly cannot thank the ops team enough for all their support in helping me to achieve the necessary governance requirements. Brent and the Board are also very supportive and recognise the importance of health and safety as this is a key aspect of running a successful irrigation scheme.”

Keri would like to invite all WIL shareholders to an upcoming health and safety workshop which will feature guest speaker Dr Mary Obele discussing health, safety and workplace risks. The event will take place at 3pm on Thursday 11 September at the Oxford Workingmen’s Club and shareholders can RSVP by emailing alexmasoncontracting@gmail.com

WIL’s new environmental advisor Georgina (Georgie) Woods is passionate about being able to help WIL’s shareholders achieve their environmental goals.

WIL’s new environmental advisor Georgina (Georgie) Woods is relishing the opportunity to work closely with Waimakariri farmers on their environmental goals, while being based closer to her Rangiora home.

“For me the most important way to understand farmers is to go out on the farm with them and get to know more about their farming operation, their family, their goals and their plans for the future.”

Georgie grew up in Rangiora and both of her parents had agricultural roles with her mum, Gendie, working as a specialist farm accountant and her dad, Mark, working in the stock and station industry.

They also leased a sheep and beef farm near Amberley where Georgie spent many weekends working with her dad and that’s where her love of agriculture began. While at Rangiora High School, she enjoyed agricultural studies and being able to put learnings into action on the school’s farm led to her pursuing a career in agriculture.

After graduating from Lincoln University in 2023 with an Agricultural Science degree (Hons) and an additional major in Environmental Management, Georgie spent just under two years working as an environmental advisor for Enviro Collective based in Ashburton. Her role focused on providing environmental support for the Barrhill Chertsey, Acton Farmers and Rangitata South irrigation schemes.

When the environmental advisor opportunity with WIL came up, Georgie jumped at the chance to work in North Canterbury and to become immersed in the diversity of the role during a time of change and strong growth at WIL.

Now three weeks into her new job, Georgie is learning about the scheme and has been out and about meeting shareholders. She’s also enjoying the shorter commute time from Rangiora to WIL’s Oxford office.

“I was spending about three hours per day driving from Rangiora to Ashburton so it’s lovely to have a few more hours in the day for myself. I have been on a tour around the scheme and have met some of our shareholders who are all so welcoming.

“I am joining WIL at an exciting time where I will have lots of opportunities for learning and development, but for me the main thing is to be out on the ground with the farmers and getting to know them and their farming businesses.”

Initially, Georgie’s role will focus on Farm Environment Plan (FEP) updates and coordinating WIL’s FEP audit programme, along with supporting Ben and the wider WIL team with various environmental projects.

When Georgie isn’t working, she enjoys playing netball for the Amberley Netball Club, baking, photography, volunteering for organisations such as the Northern A&P Show and working on her newly-purchased first home with her partner, Reegan.

Left – Right: David Croft – AIC Chair, Bjorn Triplow, Opuha Water CEO, Hugh Martyn WIL Chair, Brent Walton WIL CEO, Hon. Mark Patterson, Minister for Rural Communities, Stuart Smith MP for Kaikoura, Matt Doocey MP for Waimakariri, Dan Gordon Mayor of Waimakariri.

Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL) has received $15.6M of funding from the Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) for the construction of its water storage facility near Oxford which will provide a more secure supply of irrigation water for its 170 farmer shareholders.

The funding consists of a $10.8M bridging loan and a $4.8M deferred capital loan which will be provided over a four-year period.

WIL’s Chair Hugh Martyn says the Government funding will provide the boost the 8.2 million cubic metre storage facility requires to begin construction at WIL’s 120-hectare site at Wrights Road early next year. It is estimated that the storage ponds will be operational by the 2028/29 irrigation season.

“We are committed to providing our shareholders with a reliable, secure and sustainable supply of irrigation water which will enable farming in Waimakariri to continue to thrive, while also providing an opportunity for irrigation water to be used during the winter months for environmental initiatives such as MAR (Managed Aquifer Recharge) and TSA (Targeted Stream Augmentation).

Aerial view of Wrights Road Storage Ponds.

“The Wrights Roads Storage Ponds are an intergenerational investment that will benefit future generations of Waimakariri farmers and the wider community.”

The storage ponds will collect water from the Waimakariri River that is not used during the irrigation season in accordance with water availability and river flow restrictions.

Securing a reliable water supply will increase the average reliability of irrigation water for WIL’s shareholders from 75 per cent to 92 per cent and will provide farmers with the ability to address climate-related risks to their farming businesses and to consider alternative land uses in the future.

Swannanoa farmers Brian and Rosemary Whyte’s efforts to improve the environment were recognised with the 2025 WIL (Waimakariri Irrigation Limited) Shareholder Excellence Award for Environmental Stewardship.

Taking positive action to improve the environment while involving the community in their planting project has proved rewarding for Swannanoa farmers Brian and Rosemary Whyte who received the 2025 WIL (Waimakariri Irrigation Limited) Shareholder Excellence Award for Environmental Stewardship.

Over the last three years, the couple have grown and planted over 2000 seedlings from a greenhouse on their farm. With help from Swannanoa School and other community groups they have planted a 1.2-kilometre section of Burgess Stream which flows through their property.

Rosemary says she was thrilled to see their original vision come to life and for Brian to be acknowledged for all the effort he has put into raising and planting the seedlings.

Having support from WIL and the community is something that Brian is grateful for, and he believes that encouraging farmers to grow plants from seedlings on their own farms is a valuable initiative. He also credits WIL’s biodiversity project lead Dan Cameron with providing invaluable support and advice right from the beginning of the project.

“Getting that initial plan from Dan was important as we could do everything in stages. One of the important things we have learned through this process is that you need to spend roughly one third of your time on preparation, one third on planting and one third on maintenance.

“WIL has been very proactive, and it is good to be recognised for doing something positive for the environment. I think the awards are important as farmers don’t often receive recognition for what they are doing to improve the environment on their own farms.”

Rosemary says having their extended family and schools and other organisations involved has been extremely helpful and the couple have enjoyed sharing their project with others.

“We’d like to thank everyone who has helped us with potting up seedlings and planting out, especially Swannanoa School and the Rangiora church youth group who volunteered their time to help us.

“We have had quite a few family planting days and while we need to make sure we have something nice to eat afterwards to motivate our grandchildren, it is always a lot of fun for us to get together and do the planting.”

Now that their original planting project has expanded, Brian and Rosemary have purchased a larger greenhouse and the initial greenhouse provided by WIL will be used by another shareholder who wants to start their own biodiversity project.

“We hope that the awards and the projects provide encouragement for other farmers to get involved. It is good to be able to show the progress that we are making and to be able to pass on the greenhouse to the next farmer who wants to grow their own seedlings.”

Cust School Year 7 and 8 students donated and planted over 350 native plants along the edge of Hunter’s Stream during a planting day last month.

Over 350 native plants were donated and planted by Cust School students at a Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL) biodiversity project site along Hunter’s Stream near Cust last month.  Environment Canterbury supplied additional native plants to fill in any gaps.

The site is part of Waimakariri Irrigation Limited’s (WIL’s) biodiversity project. It is one of fourteen projects currently underway across the scheme with two projects at the Cust River, three projects at Burgess Stream and one project each at the Old Eyre and Hunter’s streams.

Twenty-one year seven and eight students spent three hours planting native plants at the 350m2 site adjacent to Hunter’s Stream on Cust farmer Steve Tallott’s land.

Year 7/8 Cust School teacher Nerissa Thompson says the students’ interest in improving water quality and stream health started last year when a group of students wanted to clean up a Waimakariri District Council water race that runs behind their school.

“With the help of Siobhán from Enviroschools and Dan from WIL we cleaned up the water race and then entered and won the Youth Award in the Waimakariri Environmental Awards last year. The students decided to use the plants from the nursery voucher they won along with native seedlings they had grown in a school greenhouse to improve another local waterway.

“After brainstorming ideas with Dan and Siobhán, they chose this site as it is close to the school, and they wanted to make a positive impact on their local environment. It’s all interconnected and Steve Tallott has also been very supportive.”

Year 7 student Evie Winson says learning which plants should be planted near the edge of the stream and further back along the riparian planting strip was an interesting experience.

“Before we came to the planting day, we had been learning which plants go where when you are planting around a stream. We learned why certain plants go close to the verge of the stream and the qualities they bring to help improve the water.”

While one group of students were planting native seedlings with WIL biodiversity project lead Dan Cameron and landowner Steven Tallott, another group of students were carrying out a macro-invertebrate water quality survey with Enviroschools facilitator Siobhán Culhane to check the health of the stream.

Cust School has been an Enviroschool for over fifteen years and Siobhán says during the last two years since she has been working with the school, the students have focused on connecting with their local environment and implementing meaningful change in their community.

“We investigated what is happening in this section of Hunter’s Stream to see what is living in the water and to get a baseline measurement for future stream surveys.

“Today’s survey indicated that there weren’t as many invertebrates as we had expected and there is quite a bit of sediment. However, we did have some exciting moments when we found two mayflies in the stream so that indicates that there is a better habitat and it’s what we are aiming for.

“We hope to visit the stream again once the riparian planting is established to carry out more surveys and we hope to find many more mayflies. Today has been a great example of student-led environmental change in action.’’

Year 8 student Leo Wright says he was surprised at how many creatures the stream contained.

“I didn’t know how much life there could be in one stream. When you just look at it from the edge you can’t imagine how many little creatures are living in there. I hope when the plants grow, we will see a bigger variety of insects with less sediment and healthier water.”

Both Leo and Evie hope to continue working on the biodiversity project with the aim of seeing thriving healthy native plants and better water quality.

“If we come back here in 20 years hopefully, we will see native bush and clean water with lots of insect life and birds.”

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