The programme began as a partnership between Te Rūnaka o Arowhenua and DOC through our Ngā Awa river restoration programme. It now includes Environment Canterbury, Toitū te Whenua Land Information New Zealand, Central South Island Fish & Game and Timaru and Ashburton District Councils.

Rakitata is our preferred name for the Rangitata River as it recognises the local Kāi Tahu (Ngāi Tahu) dialect, which replaces ‘ng’ with ‘k’. So ‘taonga’ becomes ‘taoka’ for example.