Environmental service businesses Landpro and Agfirst open in Stratford

Landpro Taranaki and Agfirst Taranaki will help farmers from their new site. Photo/ Supplied

One old building has been turned into a fresh new home for two businesses in Stratford.

Landpro Taranaki and Agfirst Taranaki already have a shared interest and focus in the rural sector, and are now also sharing floorspace in the old ColourPlus Stratford building on Broadway.

Landpro director Kathryn Hooper says when the shop became available for rent, she immediately knew it was the perfect location for a central Taranaki base.

"I've wanted to establish an office in Stratford for a while. Most of the work I do is with clients from Stratford and South Taranaki so to better support those clients, I wanted to be closer to them. I work with the Stratford District Council, the Taranaki Regional Council and rural real estate agents as well, so being closer to them is great."

Kathryn says sharing the space with Agfirst Taranaki was about more than just sharing costs.

"Our services complement each other. Landpro is a multi-disciplinary consultancy with a focus on regional New Zealand. We deal with resource management, environmental issues and land development. AgFirst helps to manage farm systems and has a range of skills to help their clients. We fit together so it made sense to work in a space together and be able to collaborate. It's like a one-stop shop for our clients."

Kathryn says Landpro is helping farmers navigate a vast range of new rules and regulations coming through.

"A couple of years ago a new National Policy Statement for Fresh Water Management was put in place, so we're helping farmers work through that as well as the restrictions put in place on how much land farmers can convert to dairying. There are also new caps on how much synthetic fertiliser can be used on land."

Navigating the new regulations can be tricky, she says.

"We're here to help. Most of the work we're doing currently focuses on renewing resource consents and converting farms to land-based effluent treatments. This is where our relationship with Agfirst comes into play. When you change a system you need new infrastructure and a management plan which is where their skillsets lie."

As well as helping clients, Kathryn is also working with the Stratford Park Project.

"I'm providing the planning and advice for that. The Stratford Park Project will be highly beneficial to Stratford and the Taranaki region and I'm thrilled to be helping with it. When you're working in the community, it's important to be involved in it."

Kathryn says she is enjoying getting to know the town and the people.

"It's such a lovely little town and I'm so pleased Landpro Taranaki and AgFirst Taranaki have set up a space here so we can support our farmers and make it easier for them."