Catchment Care is a voluntary programme whereby Council is working with landowners to achieve the water quality goals outlined in the pMEP.
Landowners and managers play a vital role in protecting waterways. Management of waterways has benefits beyond environmental outcomes by improving stock health, reducing stock losses, decreasing bank erosion, and conserving soil. Good riparian management leads to cleaner water, which means stock are no longer drinking from contaminated waterways where water-borne pathogens (disease causing micro-organisms) such as giardia, liver fluke and cryptosporidium can be present. There are several things you can do on farm to protect and maintain water quality. This can include fencing to exclude stock from waterways, planting riparian and erosion prone areas and the release of dung beetles, for example. Improving water quality can also positively impact environmental outcomes, such as improving habitat for native fish, aquatic insects and plants as well as improving water quality for recreational users.
The Catchment Care programme utilises several tools to support landowners in improving water quality outcomes.
