Nature Credits Pilot
Retired land area available for planting
Waituna Nature Credits Pilot
The Trust is investigating the creation of a nature credit that can support restoration and maintenance activities and can be scaled up to the wider catchment in the future.
The long-term goal of the pilot is to establish a sustainable funding mechanism for ecological restoration across the Waituna catchment. While grants remain important, achieving the Trust's vision of repurposing 10% of the catchment for biodiversity and freshwater outcomes will require additional investment. Nature credits provide an opportunity for organisations and individuals to invest directly in independently verified biodiversity gains and ecosystem restoration outcomes.
The ability to generate revenue through nature (carbon and biodiversity) markets is a critical step towards incentivising landowners and facilitating investment for restoration and conservation.
Key activities completed in 2025/2026
- Project Development: Feasibility completed, project design advanced, registration pathways investigated.
- Science & Monitoring: Baseline ecological assessments completed and permanent monitoring programme established.
- Partnerships & Engagement: Participation in national pilot programmes and preparation for stakeholder engagement.
- Future Investment: Development of a nature credit model capable of attracting long-term funding for catchment-scale restoration.
Next Steps
- Stakeholder Engagement: Complete engagement processes to ensure the project reflects stakeholder values and aspirations.
- Project Registration: Finalise project design and complete the requirements for registration under a recognised nature credit standard.
- Monitoring & Restoration: Continue ecological monitoring and restoration activities to demonstrate measurable biodiversity outcomes.
- Scaling & Investment: Develop investment pathways and expand the model across the wider Waituna catchment to support long-term restoration funding.