Waituna Wetlands

Te Tapu o Tāne supports the Te Wai Parera Trust and the implementation of the Waituna Mahinga Kai Pa Plan. This is a Jobs for Nature-funded project with the installation of 60ha of ponding.

TToT is tasked to project manage, implement and create a wetland habitat in the lower Waituna Lagoon catchment to help restore native flora and fauna, wetland and mahinga kai.

The site is approximately 400ha in size and is located at the bottom of a small and intensely farmed catchment.

The adjoining Waituna Lagoona has high ecological habitat diversity and a unique macrophyte community (rupia dominated) with internationally important birdlife, large areas of relatively unmodified wetland and terrestrial vegetation host to several ecosystems.

Te Wai Parera Trust is focused on creating wetlands suitable for mahinga kai that will also benefit the wider Waituna Lagoon. This will involve pond creation (approx. 40ha), maintenance of pest control infrastructure and native planting. The four planned wetlands will contribute to improved water quality through sediment and nutrient capture before the discharging water reaches the adjoining RAMSAR site. The ponding will create both open water and emergent vegetation habitat for native game bird waiting and fish species. these species will greatly benefit from planned work which will also result in Mahinga kai opportunities for Iwi.

This project also focuses heavily on Pest Control, building, running and maintaining trap lines within the catchment and working in with the Department of Conservation.