Opinion: Ōtaki River walkover also highlights community commitment

At the new planting area, from left, Jeff Evans, Ross Jackson and Max Lutz.

Weekly column by Kāpiti's Greater Wellington Regional Council representative Penny Gaylor.

With the ongoing Covid restrictions the recent annual Ōtaki River walkover was an invite-only event, with 30 people including a mix of Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) staff, representatives of the Friends of the Ōtaki River (FOTOR) and Fish and Game.

GWRC staff drove people in 4WDs, instead of the usual buses, to various spots along the river corridor to show flood protection and river management activities undertaken during the past year, and explained works intended for the year ahead.

Chairman of the FOTOR (Friends of the Otaki River), Max Lutz, observed: "It will be very obvious to those who take an active interest in this area that the GWRC flood protection team has been very busy monitoring and actively managing the maintenance of the river channel. The emphasis is on beach grooming, maintaining/installing rock groynes where necessary, and maintaining/planting willows and poplars for flood protection along the river corridor".

This past year 7,000 native trees have been planted, an impressive effort made possible by the generous monetary contributions from partnerships between council and private donors.

Yet again the walkover was an opportunity to acknowledge the excellent working relationship and partnership between GWRC's flood protection team and the FOTOR and the wider community.

Looking to future projects, Max says GWRC has been very helpful working in consultation with FOTOR members for drawing up plans for Chrystalls Flats and the proposed southbank project.

One of our stops during the walkover was the newest site of a medicinal plant garden, or rongoā, pictured, which has been established as part of Greater Wellington's flood protection work on the Ōtaki River.

Council flood protection staff, members of local iwi Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, and Friends of the Ōtaki River worked together to plant the rongoā at Chrystalls Bend.

Greater Wellington's Field Supervisor for Kāpiti, Graham Winterburn, was among the 30 green-fingered helpers getting their hands dirty during October who planted 500 native medicinal trees and shrubs.

Graham shared what opportunity this collaboration brings. "It's great because the work they've contributed to is part of a larger project in Chrystalls Lagoon. It feeds into a wider Flood Management Plan to provide erosion stability for the area and restore natives along the banks of the Otaki River."

Plantings include Whauwhaupaku (five finger) used to treat eye infections and Rengarenga (Cape Reinga Lily), the leaf base of which can be used to relieve ulcer inflammation and soreness.

These 500 trees in the rongoā planting are among 7,000 planted this season at Ōtaki, and 400,000 planted region-wide this year by GWRC as part of the wider $6m flood protection maintenance programme.