Waterford Dairy Farm Limited.

Project Summary – Riparian Planting and Wetland Habitat Protection.

Waterford Dairy Farm occupies a unique setting between the Selwyn and Hororata Rivers — with a spring-fed drain bisecting three-quarters of the property and Bealey Creek forming its southern boundary. With multi-year support from the Environmental Management Fund (EMF), the project began by confirming wetland conditions, retiring low-lying pasture, and excluding stock through targeted fencing and weed control.

Over the life of the restoration project, more than 25,000 indigenous seedlings have been planted across riparian drains, streams, and wetland buffers. Plantings continue annually to maintain momentum. A dedicated Kōwaro Canterbury mudfish sanctuary, protected by an Environment Canterbury installed electric trout barrier, supports native freshwater fish recovery. Continuous soil health and water quality monitoring guide adaptive management, and the restored corridors now provide stepping-stone habitat for invertebrates, pollinators, and native wildlife. As plantings mature, frogs, lizards, bees, and an increasing diversity of birdlife—including pūkeko, fantails, quail, pheasants, bellbirds, and banded dotterels—are returning, signalling the project’s success in rebuilding ecological function and strengthening biodiversity across the landscape.

Impact.

Short term.

• 25,000+ indigenous plants established across riparian corridors.
• Retired and fenced sensitive drain and stream margins.
• Expanded aquatic species (e.g. watercress).
• Reduced sedimentation and suppressed weeds in waterways.
• Protected mudfish habitat.

Long term.

• Native vegetation enhances filtration, soil stability and water quality.
• Protected riparian zones strengthen mahinga kai.
• Stepping-stone corridors improve landscape connectivity.
• Natural filtration of nutrients, enhances soil stability, and improves surface water quality.
• Sustained return of wildlife – frogs, lizards, bees, and bird species as habitats mature.