Pouuruhi Taiao (environmental lead) for Te Korowai o Ngāruahine Trust Dion Luke says they're honoured to receive the award.
"It's a positive outcome. We'd like to thank the Taranaki Regional Council and sponsors for this award. We'd also like to thank the person who nominated us for this award."
Te Korowai o Ngāruahine Trust led the removal of a weir at Glenn Rd, which now allows threatened native fish species to move freely up and down the Kaūpokonui Stream for the first time in 120 years.
"Te Korowai advocates for the social, cultural, economic and environmental interests of Ngāruahine uri."
The Glenn Rd weir was constructed in 1941 as a replacement for the original weir built in 1900 to drive a turbine that powered the Kaūpokonui Dairy Factory, store and company buildings nearby.
It continued to operate until 1960-61, when an alternative supply was provided by the South Taranaki Electric Power Board. The weir was first identified as a fish barrier in 2001.
It has been a major impediment, with many native fish species absent from waters upstream of it. The project freed up 85 per cent of the catchment.
Species including inanga and panoko (torrentfish) were detected upstream shortly after its removal in February this year.
The trust secured resource consents, gained funding, and liaised closely with councils and other stakeholders including Ngāti Tū Hapū, DoC, Heritage New Zealand, Fish and Game, landowners, and Fonterra Kapuni for the initiative.
Dion says environmental policy adviser Bart Jansma had been working on the initiative for some time.
"He's been working on this for 15 years. He joined the trust four years ago and has continued to follow through on this project. I became involved with this project a year ago. I worked to get hapū involved and on the demolition day. The karakia was led by our kaumātua. Marie Dwyer, whose great-grandfather built the weir, was at the demolition day and she shared some knowledge with us which was beneficial for the kaumātua."
Dion says creating a passage for the indigenous fish was a main priority for Te Korowai o Ngāruahine Trust.
"Tuna and piharau are taonga species taonga for us. Through this initiative, we opened up the stream for this taonga and removed a barrier for these indigenous fish."
