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From eyesore to asset– Care Groups review - June 2011

TR 2011/24
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Report: TR 2011/24

Author: Helen Ritchie

Abstract

This review was carried out to document the value and contribution of Waikato Care Groups, the challenges they face and their potential to address regional issues in the future.

Care Groups are community groups taking action locally to enhance natural resources such as water, soil, biodiversity and coastlines. (Note, however, that beachcare groups were outside the scope of this review.)

Information sources reviewed for this study included existing documents and databases held by the the Waikato Regional Council, and the proposed Regional Policy Statement (as an indication of significant regional issues). In addition, data was drawn from a questionnaire developed by the Waikato Biodiversity Forum, and from 12 interviews carried out with a sample of Waikato Care Groups. In interpreting the results, comparison was made to an earlier (1995) review of Care Groups. Emerging themes were presented at a Care Groups’ networking day for feedback.

From eyesore to asset– Care Groups review - June 2011 [PDF, 950 KB]

Contents
  Executive summary 1
1 Introduction 2
2 How the review was done 3
3 Results 3
3.1 Snapshot of Waikato Care Groups (from database held by the Waikato Regional Council) 3
3.2 Value of community group work (from questionnaire) 7
3.3 Group achievements, development, potential and support (from the interviews) 8
3.4 Messages to highlight (from Care Groups’ networking day) 19
4 Discussion 21
4.1 Value of Care Group action 21
4.2 Support and relationships 21
4.3 Potential 22
5 Conclusions 24
6 Recommendations 25
Appendix 1 List of 42 landcare groups on the Waikato Regional Council database 26
Appendix 2 Waikato Biodiversity Forum survey 27