New group with a difference

Last year’s floods have prompted two Ahuroa sheep farmers to set up a catchment group with a difference, in a bid to foster community connection as well as caring for the local environment.

Sue Meszaros and Karyn Maddren, who run the 68 hectare Streamland Suffolks stud off West Coast Road, are in the process of setting up a group for the Araparera River and its tributaries.

The river runs from its source on Moir Hill, near Puhoi, then more or less follows Ahuroa and West Coast Roads out to Kaipara Harbour.

Meszaros says this results in an area different to most rural catchments, since there are a large number of smaller properties, lifestyle blocks and residents who use these roads to commute to work.

She says this means the people are as important as the environment.

“We could just have an environmental focus in the catchment, but it would be nothing without caring for the people as well. There was a lot of anxiety from the floods, so it’s really important.

“It should be about everybody. If we limit it to just ecosystems or environmental matters, you rule out 80 percent of people living in the catchment.”

Meszaros adds that the more people who become involved in the catchment group, the better it will be for the river.

“We’ll have less impact on the river and environment if we don’t include the people – we’d lose a huge resource potential.

“There’s so much we can be doing if we can harness all the people in the catchment.”

She says the ball has already started rolling, with a well-attended community dinner at Ahuroa Fire Station late last year and the distribution and planting throughout the catchment of 4000 native trees from the Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR) programme.

Meszaros says there is scope to use the group as a lynchpin for local community support and social activities.

“Our catchment is a little bit different because of where it is. It’s more about community, getting to know neighbours, how to deal with disasters, sharing knowledge and so on,” she says.

“We want to harness people, make friends, build networks and build resilience.”

Maszaros says the Araparera River is currently pretty healthy.

“The floods caused trouble, of course, with silt and trees coming down, but we’ve been testing the water for several years and it’s really very healthy. Now it’s about keeping it healthy and keeping all the steep hillsides intact.”

The fledgling group is currently applying for formal recognition as a incorporated society, and is already working closely with KMR, Healthy Waters and the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust. A website and social media pages will be set up in the near future.

Info: Email Sue Meszaros on sue@streamland.co.nz