KMR addresses Nature and Business Symposium

Five years since its formation, Kaipara Moana Remediation says looking after the whenua is an investment in future prosperity and resilience, as much as it creates positive environmental outcomes.

That was the message delivered by KMR’s Amo – Rauora Kōawa, Catchment Remediation Manager Lisette Rawson when she was a panel member at the Sustainable Business Network’s Nature and Business Symposium.

The annual SBN event held in Auckland last week was a chance for like-minded organisations to delve into a raft of topics including taking and accelerating action for nature through meaningful partnership, te ao Māori and mātauranga insights, creating business cases for nature and more.

Lisette was also part of a panel discussion alongside senior representatives from the Climate Change Commission, Zespri and Beca.

She believes that starts with recognising healthy business depends on healthy ecosystems.

Emma Doré, KMR Acting Pou Tātaki, says the symposium highlighted the growing recognition that investing in nature is no longer simply an environmental responsibility, but a fundamental business imperative.

“The Sustainable Business Network continues to play an important role in bringing together organisations committed to creating a nature-positive future. Healthy ecosystems underpin resilient communities, productive landscapes and long-term economic prosperity,” says Emma.

“In te ao Māori, people are part of nature, not separate from it. If the whenua is healthy, eventually our communities and economies will feel that too,” observes Lisette.

“Through KMR’s journey since signing our memorandum of understanding in 2020, we have seen first-hand many times that when organisations start seeing nature as a core dependency, they move from short-term thinking to long-term stewardship.

“That’s when their focus moves to how they can leave the land, water and communities stronger for those who come after us. That is certainly core to KMR’s kaupapa and is the reason why so many people have joined us on our journey to help protect and restore the mauri of Kaipara Moana by reducing sedimentation flowing into the moana by protecting waterways flowing into the catchment.”

The Moana connects communities, livelihoods and ecosystems and what happens upstream affects everyone downstream, says Lisette.

Emma says KMR offers a unique opportunity for businesses and investors to contribute to one of Aotearoa’s most significant landscape-scale restoration initiatives.

“We acknowledge the leadership of landowners, funding partners and delivery partners, whose collective commitment has created real momentum and measurable outcomes.

“We look forward to welcoming new collaborators who recognise that investing in nature is an investment in resilience, prosperity and future generations,” says Emma.

“As mana whenua, farmers, landowners, councils and communities have come together around a shared place, we have increasingly seen opportunities that aren’t visible from any one property or organisation. Building relationships and collective responsibility for the health of Kaipara Moana has been critical to the success of KMR,” says Lisette.

In just five years the growth of KMR has resulted in almost 1000 projects within the Auckland and Northland Kaipara Moana catchment being completed; more than 161,000 ha managed under KMR plans; around three million plants in the ground (or contracted to be planted); close to 2,000 ha planted or regenerating into native forest; over 1000 km of fencing completed to protect waterways, wetlands and erodible hillsides.

One of the key lessons KMR has observed is that no single organisation owns the problem, and no single organisation owns the solution.

Lisette believes KMR’s ten year initiative to address degradation in NZ’s largest harbour will pay dividends.

“Our goal of restoring the mauri of Kaipara Moana can only be done by bringing people together to grow relationships, stewardship and collective action and a shared responsibility. When we invest in the health of the whenua and moana, we’re not only reducing risk, but we’re also strengthening communities, supporting productive land use and creating opportunities for future generations,” says Lisette.

Find out more about the Nature & Business Symposium 2026.