EnviroStrat was engaged by Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu to prepare a restoration strategy for Te Waihora and surrounding catchment, as current approaches that rely on government grants are not having the required impact on the highly impacted estuarine lake and catchment. EnviroStrat identified innovative approaches to monetising and scaling restoration through payment for ecosystem services including carbon forestry, trialling blue carbon within the lake, use of freshwater / brackish macroalgae for nutrient removal, wetland creation for both water quality and biodiversity impact, as well as environmental impact investment.