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Integrated catchment management: evaluation report June 2010

TR 2010/34
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Report: TR 2010/34
Author: Momentum Research & Evaluation Ltd

Abstract

In 2006, Waikato Regional Council began a pilot project - the integrated catchment management (ICM) project -within two of the region’s catchments - Little Waipa and Waipapa. This process used all current policy tools - education, incentives (e.g. Clean Streams), enabling compliance and enforcing regulations - to work with farmers to change or improve their agricultural practices which contribute to rising nitrogen levels within the Waikato hydro-lakes.

The project has a key deliverable in the long term plan (LTP). Specifically this is a performance measure to monitor farmer implementation of farm plans in the ICM catchments.  The 2009/2010 target was 50 per cent (of actions implemented).

An evaluation of the project was conducted by Momentum Research and Evaluation Limited. A sample was drawn of 19 of the 37 farmers (51 per cent) that had completed farm plans at the time of evaluation, and telephone interviews were carried out.

The aim of the interviews was to gather feedback from participating farmers and determine the extent to which they had implemented the recommended actions in the farm plans. This was to track progress and start to understand the timing of uptake and consistency, with a wider sample than in previous evaluations.

Integrated catchment management: evaluation report June 2010 [PDF, 528 KB]

Contents
  Executive summary 1
  Findings 1
  Recommendations 2
1 Background 2
2 Evaluation 3
3 Findings 4
3.1 Catchments and coverage 4
3.2 Engagement 8
3.2.1 Awareness of Environment Waikato's concerns 8
3.2.2 Relationship with Environment Waikato 8
3.2.3 Satisfaction with project 9
3.2.4 Future issues 10
3.3 Actions undertaken 10
3.3.1 Relevance of farm plans 10
3.3.2 Update of best practice 12
3.3.3 Reasons for uptake 15
3.3.4 Barriers to uptake 17
3.3.5 Opinions of farm plans 18
3.3.6 Farmer changes in knowledge 19
3.3.7 Other sources of information 20
3.4 Communication 20
3.4.1 Communication methods 20
3.4.2 Fieldays 20
4 Concluding comments and recommendations 21
  Recommendations 22
  References 23
  Appendix 1 24
  Appendix 2 28