Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Gully restoration under way along new section of Waikato Expressway

Hamilton News
1 Sep, 2020 06:45 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Three gullies on the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway are being cleared of weeds and pest trees and planted with a huge variety of natives. Photo / Supplied

Three gullies on the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway are being cleared of weeds and pest trees and planted with a huge variety of natives. Photo / Supplied

The first of around 133,000 plants, shrubs and trees to be planted in three gullies on the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway were heeled in during August.

The planting is part of a Gully Restoration Plan developed with input from the project's Tangata Whenua Working Group.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency's acting portfolio delivery manager Jo Wilton says the planting demonstrates a commitment to prioritising the environment alongside progress.

The local long-tailed bat is one of the species that will benefit from the restoration of the weed-infested gullies. Photo / Supplied
The local long-tailed bat is one of the species that will benefit from the restoration of the weed-infested gullies. Photo / Supplied

"We are doing more than just building a highway – we are improving these gullies the road passes over by clearing out weeds and pest trees and planting a huge variety of natives which will support the indigenous animals of the area.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Restoring these weed-infested gullies to their former glory will greatly benefit the local long-tailed bat population and native lizards."

Big trees to be planted will supplement existing kahikatea, which are favoured roosts for bats. A fenced sanctuary for lizards – removed from the expressway's path – is located nearby and will be pulled down so the lizards can move into the improved gully environment.

The restoration work covers 10ha in three gullies at the southern end of the Hamilton section of the expressway, starting with the Mangaonua just south of Morrinsville Rd and including the neighbouring Mangaharakeke and Mangaone gullies further south at Tamahere.

"Most exotic and pest trees have been removed, leaving only a few willows, pines and privet to provide cover. Weeds like honeysuckle, periwinkle, blackberry and gorse have been removed to make way for an array of native plants, mostly sourced from the area," Ms Wilton says.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Once these areas have been planted, there will be pest control for approximately the next five years to ensure possums, rats and stoats make way for the animals that have traditionally thrived in these areas – bats, birds and lizards.

"Neighbouring landowners have taken an interest in this work and many are involved in gully restoration on their own properties."

Weeds like honeysuckle, periwinkle, blackberry and gorse have been removed to make way for an array of native plants. Photo / Supplied
Weeds like honeysuckle, periwinkle, blackberry and gorse have been removed to make way for an array of native plants. Photo / Supplied

About 100,000 plants will go into the Mangaonua, Mangaharakeke and Mangaone gullies this season, with the remaining 33,000 plants to go in next year.

Total plantings along the seven sections of the Waikato Expressway number more than 3 million, with the Hamilton section's total 650,000.

Discover more

Battle for Hamilton electorates begin with target on early voters

06 Aug 08:30 PM

Rapid rail to transform Hamilton to Auckland corridor

27 Aug 02:09 AM

Waikato's long-term trek back to the top of provincial rugby begins

31 Aug 05:20 AM

PGF confirms $454,000 to finish Sunset Beach centre

31 Aug 10:36 PM

The Hamilton section of the expressway is expected to open to traffic late next year.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Paving the way to NZ's future, using robots and kiwifruit leather

16 Jun 10:36 PM
Lifestyle

What the inaugural Jetstar flight from Hamilton to Sydney was really like

16 Jun 08:16 PM
Waikato Herald

Wintec welder leading the way for women in trades

16 Jun 07:00 PM

How one volunteer makes people feel seen

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Paving the way to NZ's future, using robots and kiwifruit leather
Waikato Herald

Paving the way to NZ's future, using robots and kiwifruit leather

16 Jun 10:36 PM

Fieldays showcases NZ ingenuity with pollution-mapping robots and vegan leather.

What the inaugural Jetstar flight from Hamilton to Sydney was really like

What the inaugural Jetstar flight from Hamilton to Sydney was really like

16 Jun 08:16 PM
Wintec welder leading the way for women in trades
Waikato Herald

Wintec welder leading the way for women in trades

16 Jun 07:00 PM
'Lots of frost': NZ braces for sub-zero chill, possible 'heavy rain' before Matariki
Waikato Herald

'Lots of frost': NZ braces for sub-zero chill, possible 'heavy rain' before Matariki

16 Jun 08:21 AM
Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka
sponsored

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP