Farming For The Future
Farmers are the driving force behind the Hurunui District Landcare Group (HDLG), an organisation committed to assisting its members in operating both profitable and sustainable farming enterprises in the Hurunui District. Currently, the HDLG is running a two-year project funded by MPI. Its primary objective is to offer environmental management guidance and resources to HDLG members and the Hurunui farming community. This initiative aims to address the intricate environmental compliance demands that are continuously evolving.
To achieve these goals, three catchment farm advisors aim to:
- Assist farmers in pinpointing and tackling environmental issues and prospects.
- Offering guidance to help farmers navigate the shifting environmental rules.
- Identifying opportunities to bring in technical specialists for targeted workshops, such as integrating forestry into farming practices.
- Aiding sub-catchment groups in managing specific local challenges, thereby instigating positive changes at the community level.
- Seeking funding for farmers to undertake environmental initiatives on their farms.
All farmers in the Hurunui District are welcome to join HDLG. Contact us today to join.
Advisors
Our Catchment
Farm Advisors
The Catchment Farm Advisors are available to support our member farmers
Josh Brown
With a background in environmental consultancy, Josh Brown has also had experience working in the fertiliser industry and with community catchment groups. While he particularly enjoys working alongside farmers and supporting them with the implementation of agricultural environmental policies, he is also an expert on catchment group development and strategy and environmental project development. Over his career he has also advised and worked with Regional and Central government organisations, rural communities, and Iwi.
John Holmes
Originally from a farming background in Mid-Canterbury, John is passionate about New Zealand’s agricultural industry. With 25 years farming experience, coupled with industry roles with Beef + Lamb New Zealand and Ravensdown (Environmental), John is eager to help farmers capture any available opportunities within the changing regulatory landscape while making their businesses and communities more robust and sustainable.
Harry Millar
Harry grew up on a high-country station up the Ashburton gorge before the family moved to a sheep, beef and deer property in Peel Forest. After completing an Arts degree, Harry travelled to the UK to play semi-professional rugby. Returning home, he worked as a fencing contractor before joining Environment Canterbury as a Land Management Advisor. Harry is looking forward to supporting farmers and helping them navigate changing regulatory expectations.
About HDLG
Established in 2016, the Hurunui District Landcare Group is an independent catchment group of over 300 North Canterbury farmers. The group is run as an incorporated society to support farmers as they navigate an increasingly complex operating environment while protecting their land, water and native biodiversity for future generations.
HDLG has a history of front-footing environmental regulation and compliance and through its last project Future Hurunui, HDLG was able to provide one-on-one support to its members and grew its membership from 133 members in 2017 to 323 in 2023. The project raised awareness of the importance of protecting and enhancing the region’s natural resources and documenting actions that aimed to reduce a farm’s environmental footprint. The project helped members complete Farm Environment Plans, Intensive Winter Grazing Plans, and calculate their GHG numbers; provided tailored advice on specialist topics such as ETS, protecting wetlands and native planting, and facilitated cluster groups.
HDLG has also run a One Billion Trees project through Te Uru Rākau, enabling 65 hectares of native biodiversity and 15.5 hectares (17km) of riparian planted on members farms contributing to the enhancement of native biodiversity and regeneration throughout the Hurunui District.
Outside of these projects, HDLG has facilitated the development of Farm Environment Plans (FEP) for its members' farms and assisted in getting Plan Change 1 (PC1) approved in the Hurunui Waiau River Regional Plan (HWRRP). This enabled "dryland" farming to be a permitted activity. It has also partnered with Environment Canterbury to develop and deliver the first Hill Country Erosion programme in Canterbury since the end of the Catchment Boards.
HDLG is run by a committee of farmer members. The Chairperson is Ben Ensor, Treasurer Mark Stevenson, Secretary James Hoban and Committee members Dan Hodgen, John Faulkner, Ian Knowles, Jim Burrows, Nicki Murray, Rebekah Kelly, Tracey MacDonald and Dave McKenzie and independent Robyn Dynes
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