Workers are removing groups of silver poplar trees near Clive, marking the start of the Waitangi wetland restoration project headed by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council. The council's rivers manager, Darren Gorst, said the poplars on the banks of the Clive River had begun to fall into water. "We want to tidyup that area and the idea is to take out the poplars and replace them with native species next winter," he said. Curious neighbours who live across the Clive River from where the trees were being removed have been calling Hawke's Bay Today to ask what the work is all about. Poplar trees were introduced to New Zealand for erosion control - on stopbanks and coastal dunes, for example - and can reach 25m, crowding out native vegetation. Mr Gorst said all the land where the poplars were growing was owned by the regional council. Information on the regional council's website says the Waitangi estuary is one of 10 top regional wetlands which need protection and enhancement. The estuary consists of 240ha of wetland where the Muddy Creek, Ngaruroro, Tutaekuri and Clive Rivers meet the sea. It provides a variety of wetland and coastal habitats for birds, including herons and bitterns, and its make-up is similar to the nearby Tukituki Estuary. The expansive lagoons at the Waitangi estuary are public places where people can go for fishing and boating.
