Teaming up for a healthier harbour

Porirua City Council

Thousands more plants were put in the banks of Porirua Stream last week as part of a project to reduce silt and contaminants entering Te-Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour.

Dozens of community volunteers joined Word Wide Fund for Nature and Porirua City Council staff to plant native trees and plants below Kenepuru Drive. The school holidays brought a number of children with their families down to help, in warm and overcast weather.

Carex, flax, toitoi, lemonwoods and other plants were put in the ground as part of Project #ReBlossomNZ, a collaboration led by Botanica by Air Wick and WWF, working with Ngāti Toa and Porirua, Wellington City, and the regional councils.

All up, about 6600 plants have gone in to provide shade and help prevent pollutants from the nearby roads and state highways enter the stream, which flows into the harbour. The stream supports six species of native fish: longfin and shortfin eels, giant kōkopu, inanga, redfin, and common bullies.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said it was great to see the turnout last week and was confident of continuous community involvement.

While the recent lockdown and current alert levels curtailed some public participation, there will be ample opportunities in the coming five years for people to get their hands in the soil.

“We’ve set aside $600,000 for riparian planting in our recent Long-term Plan, so this is important for our Council and our city,” Mayor Baker said.

“These plantings are a big step towards rejuvenating our precious harbour and, with many more harbour-related projects in the pipeline, I’m sure the community will help us along the journey.”

Ngāti Toa Treaty and Strategic Relationships General Manager Naomi Solomon acknowledged the significance of the waterway to Ngāti Toa, having historically been used for mahinga kai (food gathering areas).

“The collective planting efforts will go far in providing protection for the stream bed and raising awareness in the community around kaitiakitanga of our natural environment,” she said.

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