It seems logical to band together with like-minded neighbours and work together for the common good of farmers and their local water resources.

I spoke with Nick Abbott, territory manager – North Otago, Otago and South Canterbury, about their support for catchment groups. He reminded me that the growth of catchment groups has been huge and Federated Farmers has supported them in several ways:

Kim Reilly and David Cooper, policy people from Federated Farmers in Dunedin, recently presented to NOSLaM (North Otago Sustainable Land Management) on the recent freshwater regulations and the National Policy Standards. Check out the NOSLaM website here. It is very good.

On the ground, a large portion of Federated Farmer executives and members play active roles within catchment groups with Lyndon Strang, on the steering committee of NOSLaM, being a classic example.

Federated Farmers collaborates with the New Zealand Landcare Trust, see their website here.

Thanks Nick.

Top of the pops in my opinion, when it comes to websites on water from a farmer perspective is the Our Land and Water website from agresearch.

Start here but do explore this fantastic website which would have to be about the best website on any subject I have seen, let alone catchment group websites, in my opinion.

Keep asking great questions …