Share your story and help broaden young people’s horizons
I attended an Inspiring the Future event at Rolleston College last week and was involved in a ‘guess my job’ event with Year 9 & 10 students. They guessed I was a solar panel engineer, an arborist, and an environmental scientist (so close). We then had a pizza lunch with Year 11 & 12 students where we rotated around tables and the kids had a chance to ask awesome questions about careers in science.
It was extremely rewarding and a chance to give back some of my time to hopefully inspire our next generation of scientists (and water experts). The kids were super engaged; they asked great questions, and they got particularly excited when I pulled out the water level dipper and told them it had been used at their school! I never knew my job existed when I was at high school. The difference an event like this would have made when I was at school would have opened so many opportunities.
What is Inspiring the Future?
Inspiring the Future is an exciting new programme for schools across Aotearoa New Zealand that has been created to broaden young people’s horizons and help challenge stereotypes that can limit their potential.
At an Inspiring the Future event young people learn about different jobs and why people love doing them, as well as how those people got started in their careers.
There are in-person and online event options so that people have the opportunity to take part no matter where they live.
Anyone, in any job, can be a role model.
Inspiring the Future needs people from different walks of life to share their stories, and any challenges they had to overcome to be where they are now.
You can sign-up to be a role model at inspiringthefuture.org.nz
Why Inspiring the Future?
Drawing the Future is a national survey commissioned by the Tertiary Education Commission in October 2019. Students aged 7 to 13 were asked to draw a job they wanted to do when they grew up.
The results found that more than half of young people aged 7 to 13 see themselves in one of just nine most popular jobs, as well as patterns of unconscious bias about gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status.
Showcase your job and our industry
By taking part, you can showcase your job and our industry to the community while opening children’s eyes to more of the possibilities.
Speaking at an in-school event is a great opportunity for professional development. It will also help raise the profile of our business and demonstrate that our business is a socially responsible one, by engaging with our community and contributing to its ongoing wellbeing.
How it works
When you sign up to be an Inspiring the Future role model, you’ll be asked to complete an online profile and a criminal record check form.
Your profile will be visible to schools on the website after the criminal record check. Teachers can then read your profile and invite you to participate in Inspiring the Future events.
AquaTalks Session 1 – Dr Andrew Dark
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the first AquaTalks session. We were thrilled with the turnout and really appreciated the energy, questions, and discussion that made the launch such a success.
Is Your Farm Operating as Consented?
When was the last time you compared what your resource consent(s) say with what's actually happening on your farm?
Does your Water Supply need to be registered?
Good news for many rural landowners – if your bore or drinking water supply serves fewer than 25 people, you may no longer need to register as a drinking water supplier with Taumata Arowai.
AquaTalks: Connecting Our Industry for Engaging Discussions
AquaTalks offers a unique opportunity to hear an engaging 30–45-minute presentation, followed by a flexible and convenient way to connect with industry peers. Whether you prefer the comfort of our office or the convenience of online participation, AquaTalks is designed to accommodate your schedule and preferences.
ENSO and New Zealand water resources
El Niño and La Niña represent the two extremes of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a naturally occurring fluctuation in Pacific Ocean Sea‑surface temperatures that typically operates on a three‑to‑seven‑year cycle.
The importance of irrigation performance checks.
Performance checks are also important to meet Farm Environment Plan requirements associated with your property land use consent, you need to demonstrate that your irrigation system is designed and operating efficiently.
Far from an average irrigation season
The 2025-26 irrigation season has shown us once again that there’s no such thing as an average when it comes to describing the climate factors that drive irrigation demand and supply.
Do your effluent ponds leak? How do you know?
Most dairy effluent storage pond owners believe that their ponds are not leaking, particularly those that have been synthetically lined.
Measuring Water to Manage it Well
From September 2026, all water takes greater than 5 litres per second will need to be measured and recorded every 15 minutes, and the data telemetered directly to the Regional Council.
Renewing Your Resource Consent
The article I wrote for the last Canterbury Farming publication generated much interest and feedback.
Renewing Consents
The end of 2025 brought news of a huge amount of proposed change in the resource management space – too much to cover in one article.
A New Chapter for Farming Resource Consents
The major overhaul of the Resource Management Act (RMA) introduces two replacement laws: the Planning Bill, focused on enabling development and land use, and the Natural Environment Bill, dealing with environmental protection and management.
Understanding Source Water Risk Management Areas (Drinking Water Supply Protection Zones) and What They Mean for Rural Landowners
Source Water Risk Management Areas (SWRMAs) are becoming an increasingly important part of New Zealand’s drinking water safety framework, and for rural communities in particular, they can have real and lasting impacts on how land is used.
Consents – they need your attention!
Consent renewal isn't automatic. Understanding what councils are looking for and getting your application right matters more than ever.
We got off lightly, this time.
In Canterbury we’ve been fortunate to have been spared from the drought conditions that have been experienced over the 2024/25 summer in the top of the South Island and parts of the North Island, although parts of North Canterbury have been very dry at times.
Leaky effluent ponds? Prove it!
One of the drivers for proving that effluent storage ponds are not leaking, is the need for farms to operate at a minimum of Good Management Practice (GMP). Ideally the farming operation should be operating at better than GMP.
Will your irrigation consent be renewed?
Consent holders are now frequently asking questions about the renewal process and whether it is going to be possible to renew their irrigation consent.