Ongoing budget funding support crucial to KMR’s environmental success
Kaipara Moana Remediation continues to exceed targets, most recently hitting a milestone of over 2.5 million trees and plants in the ground or contracted to go into the ground this winter.
With a whopping 735,000 trees and plants already confirmed for planting this winter, KMR is keen to support even more landowners and groups to take action.
KMR Pou Tātaki Justine Daw says that KMR has grown from working with 35 landowners and groups a little over three and a quarter years ago to now working with 814 landowners and groups.
Over $24 million has so far been invested in KMR restoration projects across Northland and Auckland, with KMR grants supporting a wide range of project types.
While KMR’s focus is on reducing sediment, the projects we invest in – to restore wetlands, fence off rivers and streams, plant trees and regenerate forest on erosion-prone land – also bring wider benefits. These include helping valued species to thrive, reducing climate change risks and increasing resilience to storms and other extreme weather.
Daw says the Government’s latest budget is great news for KMR, landowners, iwi/hapū and the environment with funding continuing until 2031 – a period earmarked for ongoing significant growth.
“We are very pleased to have ongoing budget to allow us to continue with our mahi and keep us well on track to reach our end goal of having 14.9 million plants and trees in the ground over ten years,” says Justine.
“Ongoing central government funding from the latest budget investment, combined with support from our founding partners Auckland Council and Northland Regional Council, will allow KMR to continue to protect and restore the Kaipara harbour. In addition, this coming year will see KMR start investing in localised environmental monitoring led by farmers and groups within the Kaipara Moana catchment.
“Sediment is a long-term contaminant – what that means is that it can take some time to demonstrate statistically that the actions supported by KMR are improving water quality in the harbour. While the scientific evidence is clear that our projects will make a difference to water quality in the harbour, by supporting some direct monitoring in rivers and streams near our project sites, KMR expects to demonstrate the benefits of taking action much earlier.
“Following Budget Day, I would particularly like to acknowledge the ongoing support of the Minister for the Environment, Penny Simmonds, and Associate Minister for the Environment, Andrew Hoggard, as well as our local Northland MP Grant McCallum, who has been an active champion of KMR,” says Justine.
Not only is KMR New Zealand’s largest harbour restoration initiative, but it is also one of the largest catchment groups in the country.
“Catchment groups are critical part of New Zealand’s future. KMR has actively supported a number of other groups up and down the country with advice, practical support and open-access resources, and we look forward to continuing sharing our knowledge.
“KMR’s success relies in large part on the way we work as we focus on making things easy for the many landowners and groups who would like to do the right thing but who need a hand to get started, or to focus on the actions that make the greatest environmental difference.
“To this end, I’d like to thank my staff for all their hard work supporting nature, working alongside local communities, and inspiring future generations.”
Justine says the work and quality advice of KMR’s Field Advisors, which is enabled by smart digital systems, has been instrumental in KMR being nominated for the globally prestigious 2025 Earthshot Prize.
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. As winter draws nearer, KMR is encouraging even more farmers and groups in the Kaipara Moana catchment to get plants in the ground. To find out more, contact the KMR team by emailing hono@kmr.org.nz.
