Haven for fish at Awatoto wetland

Official opening of stage one of the estuary enhancement at Waitangi Regional Park. Photo / Duncan Brown

The new wetland at Waitangi Regional Park will provide another haven for native fish and birdlife with the critical ingredient of water about to be added.

"It's great to see the wetland so close to being finished and offering a new home for native species," says the Regional Council's team leader open spaces Russell Engelke.

"Now that it's built and ready, we're going to flood this area on purpose. It should take around two months. We'll be monitoring the water levels the entire time to make sure it's going to plan," Russell says.

At a community planting day on June 1 200 keen locals planted around 3000 native trees on the site

The new wetland is 15ha and is next to the existing 6ha Horseshoe Wetland created by the Regional Council in 2009.

The wetland sits in the flood plain of the Tutaekuri and Ngaruroro Rivers, near the coast at Awatoto.

The project was funded and constructed in a partnership with Te Wai Mauri Trust — contributing Te Wai Maori funding, Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc, Napier Port and Hawke's Bay Regional Council which manages the project long term.

Leading experts in wetland habitat construction and fish passage collaborated to design the outlet between the wetland and the Tutaekuri River, to form a series of pools and swales that give fish a chance to rest.