Note: this all needs to be updated and reworded. The team involved rather than the current team, we will aim for a group photo and a list of all those involved to get to you at project end.
The Tiaki Maniototo project is a freshwater conservation group set up to improve water quality in the Taiari/Taieri River.
The Upper Taieri Water Management group was instigated by Geoff Crutchley, who brought a collaboration of landowners/farmers, interested members of the public and stakeholders together in 2006 to improve the management of water resources in the Upper Taieri, which has morphed into Upper Taieri Wai.
In 2020 members of the Upper Taieri Wai group volunteered large amounts of their time to develop a funding application to the Ministry for the Environment aimed at protecting and enhancing water quality and biodiversity values across the Maniototo/Māniatoto. This application was successful and became the Tiaki Maniototo project.
The funding agreement with MfE was signed on 12 July 2021 and shortly after a management committee for the Tiaki Maniototo project was established and works began on the ground, including riparian planting trials, waterway fencing, fishery health monitoring and pest animal control.
Our mandate is to preserve, protect and enhance water quality, recreational, cultural, biodiversity and economic values in the Upper Taieri.
This is to be achieved through riparian fencing, planting, pest control and the development of a catchment management plan in consultation with farmers, Fish and Game, Herenga ā Nuku, the Department of Conservation and the Maniototo Irrigation Company.