About Us
We're taking active responsibility for our environmental impacts through science-based nutrient management, wetland construction, and building on long-established riparian protection. Most FAMA farms had riparian and buffer fencing in place well before the Water Conservation Order (WCO), established through programmes like the Fonterra Clean Streams Accord. Recent work has focused on widening buffer zones and proactively retiring additional sensitive areas ahead of regulatory requirements.
What we do
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We care about the land, the water, our community
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We are part of the community, most farmers are multigenerational
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We believe strongly in doing no harm
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We also believe that knowing what’s happening having a science led approach is vital
Our Perspective on the Water Conservation Order
Farmers Across the Marble Aquifer (FAMA) was formed following the application for, and gazettal of, a Water Conservation Order (WCO) for Te Waikoropupu Springs (TWS) on 21 September 2023.
FAMA members are dairy farmers operating in the recharge area of the aquifer that feeds Te Waikoropupu Springs. The springs are internationally recognised for their exceptional water clarity and quality, and FAMA fully supports the need to protect this taonga for future generations.
Developed at a time of significant scientific uncertainty, the WCO places long-term constraints on farming and offers limited scope for review as new evidence emerges. Local farmers have already reduced nitrogen losses by 20% through voluntary action, yet continue to face ongoing regulatory uncertainty. FAMA is advocating for a more adaptive, evidence-based approach that safeguards water quality while supporting viable farming businesses and resilient rural communities.
Submission to Resource Management Reform 2026
FAMA was formed in response to the application for, and subsequent gazettal, of a Water Conservation Order for Te Waikoropupu Springs (WCO for TWS) 21 September 2023.
FAMA members are 14 dairy farmers in the recharge area for the aquifer that feeds TWS. The waters at TWS are pristine and have exceptional visual clarity. It is a fundamental requisite for a WCO for there to be outstanding water quality. The WCO for TWS reflects the directives of the NPSFM 2020 and gives full effect to the hierarchy of obligations Te Mana O Te Wai (TMOTW).
The WCO for TWS is the first WCO to require an improvement from the existing state of an already pristine groundwater system. In practice, this represents a regulatory clawback that transfers residual scientific uncertainty and natural system variability directly onto a small number of landholders, regardless of proportional contribution or demonstrated capacity for further reduction.
FAMA submitted to the Resource Management Reform- Package 3 Freshwater - read the full submission HERE.