MCG Story and background
MCG have always been about farmers leading the way and working together to find solutions for their catchment with water quantity and quality. What started as a focus on sustainable water quantity is now so much more! The catchment has come together to understand what works best for the environment, using the best experts and scientists in New Zealand, what works best for the river and best for the community.
The government has supported the catchment with funding to deliver great environment work, including Thomsons and Exemplar Projects.
2011
Farmers came together to form the Manuherekia Catchment Water Strategy Group with a focus on increasing storage capacity in the catchment. The Group was large and included stakeholders from across the board.
The Group, with funding support from government through the Irrigation Acceleration fund and significant farmer contribution, carried out a full feasibility study, including costings to understand how best to manage water storage in the catchment.
Through this period, it became clear that to understand storage in the system and the minimum flows in the river would need to be explored.
2017
With government funding drying up, but a need to work on establishing minimum flows, a Manuherekia Sub-committee, Otago Water Resource Users Group (OWRUG), was created with responsibility to lead this work.
This led to the Otago Regional Council (ORC) creating the Manuherekia Reference Group and a Technical Advisory Group.
Meanwhile the OWRUG Manuherekia Sub-committee continued to work on a package solution for the replacement of deemed permit.
2020
The OWRUG Manuherekia Sub-committee evolved to become the Manuherekia Catchment Group Incorporated Society (MCG). The MCG committee is made up of representatives from across the catchment, while wider membership is welcomed from anyone in the catchment with an interest, including irrigators and business owners.
Representatives of MCG continued to sit on the Manuherekia Reference Group, and the Technical Advisory Group, representing the catchment in discussions with the Regional Council.
MCG were announced as successfully becoming an Exemplar Catchment under Jobs for Nature announced in September, with a funding package of approx. $4 million.
2021
In April, the culmination of six years of intensive work by Matt Hickey on behalf of the MCG was launched: the Manuherekia Catchment Management Plan.
This Plan brought together the work of the community and how they, as a collective, could work together to manage water flows, make sure the environment was well protected and continue to enable a thriving community.
2022
The ORC Manuherekia Reference Group work came to an end, with ORC completing the hydrology and science in the Manuherekia as a draft chapter in Land and Water Plan (link) October 2023.
The Manuherekia Catchment Management Plan, as a comprehensive, scientific and sustainable plan for farmers in the catchment was part of the Overview document for the catchment combined applications for replacing deemed permits. It has been well circulated. It is hoped that the Plan is incorporated into ORC’s Land and Water Plan. Watch this space!
2023
In October, the Land and Water Plan is being consulted with the community.
