Kaipara Moana Remediation Pou Tātaki Justine Daw says her team is preparing for even more significant achievements on the back of a highly successful year in 2024.

KMR has met the impressive milestone of 2.04 million plants in the ground or contracted to plant in the coming winter – a substantial achievement in just three years.

In addition, Justine says her team has helped facilitate several other impressive milestones in their efforts working with landowners to help reduce sedimentation and siltation flowing into the treasured Kaipara Moana.

“By the end of January, 900 kilometres of fencing – the same distance as from Kerikeri to Wellington – has been completed or are contracted to be completed before the end of summer, and 921 hectares have been planted, contracted to plant, or are regenerating into native forest,” says Justine.

“That’s an amazing achievement by the 755 landowners and groups taking action with KMR support.”

Across the 600,000ha catchment in both Northland and Auckland, KMR invests in projects to restore wetlands, fence off rivers and streams, plant trees and regenerate forest on erosion-prone land. As the country’s largest harbour restoration initiative and New Zealand’s second largest catchment group, KMR certainly has a lot to do.

“Our aim is to protect and restore the mauri of the Kaipara Moana by halving the sediment - the silts - washing off the land into the waterways and ultimately down into the harbour itself. It’s an incredibly special harbour – the largest natural harbour system in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the largest in the world. It’s also globally important as the home to a number of rare and threatened ecosystems and species, including culturally important species.

“KMR projects not only reduce sedimentation, by definition, our work to recloak the waterways, re-wild special places and protect areas of remnant forests also support thriving biodiversity, mahinga kai and carbon storage. We also invest in local jobs and businesses and support the local people working with us into training and nature-facing career pathways,” says Justine.

KMR offers free advice to landowners and groups and KMR Field Advisors and Kaitiaki will walk the whenua to understand the aspirations of those on the land and discuss what types of projects are most suitable.

KMR also provides funding by paying a contribution (up to 50%) towards eligible sediment reduction projects, with experienced Field Advisors working closely with landowners and groups to prepare a plan to access KMR funding.

Throughout the project, KMR’s Field Advisors provide support and ongoing advice, checking in with the landowner and groups regularly. There is also support for engagement and project management costs for community groups, marae, iwi/hapū or other collectives.

More than 1,150 landowners and groups have expressed interest in KMR since the initiative began. Justine is particularly proud of KMR’s support through the Whenua Whānui Fund of over 60 projects led by hapū, marae, community groups, catchment groups and other collectives.

“Our community - and farmer - led projects build connectivity to local waterways, community well-being and also resilience to extreme weather in areas hard hit by recent storms, cyclones and droughts,” says Justine.

By reaching these milestones, KMR has created 350,000 hours of new work (a year’s work for over 225 people), invested over $21 million in restoration projects, accredited 47 local businesses and nurseries to supply KMR projects, and helped train and mentor 184 people - many from local hapū.

Justine says her team would love to hear from people if their land is in Kaipara Moana catchment.

“If landowners and groups are thinking of fencing this autumn, planting this winter or would simply like to know more about KMR support, they can contact the KMR team on hono@kmr.org.nz. You can also read more about the people working on the land with KMR support at https://kmr.org.nz/news-publications/our-people-25/.”

Justine says on-the-ground advice and guidance from the KMR’s Field Advisors over the past three years has been key to ensuring that KMR projects are delivered successfully – and cost-effectively – and that landowners and groups have the knowledge they need to target projects on the landscape where they will make the greatest difference.

“The work of our Field Advisors and the quality of their advice, enabled by our smart digital systems, has been instrumental in KMR being nominated for the globally prestigious 2025 Earthshot Prize,” says Justine.

The Earthshot Prize is an initiative inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s ‘Moonshot’ challenge in 1962, which aimed to land a man on the moon within a decade. Launched by Prince William in 2020, the Earthshot Prize aims to search for, and scale, the most innovative solutions to the world’s greatest environmental challenges.

The ten-year global initiative aims to identify and support programmes and initiatives that can accelerate and scale the environmental innovations needed to repair and regenerate our planet across five categories.

Every year, the winners with the best chance of helping achieve the identified ‘Earthshots’ are awarded significant funding to scale their solutions, with all finalists receiving tailored support from a global alliance of partners.

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