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Home / Whanganui Chronicle

$7.8 million project for Whanganui River restoration

Laurel Stowell
By Laurel Stowell
Reporter·Whanganui Chronicle·
7 Mar, 2022 04:00 PM3 mins to read

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The Mouri Tūroa project aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the Whanganui River. Photo / supplied

The Mouri Tūroa project aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the Whanganui River. Photo / supplied

Whanganui Iwi are to lead a $7.86 million project to protect to help restore the Whanganui River and its tributaries.

The funding was announced by Minister of Conservation Kiritapu Allan on March 7. It's part of the Mahi mō te Taiao/Jobs for Nature programme.

Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui Trust (NTT), the post-settlement governance entity created after the passing of the 2017 Te Awa Tupua Act, will lead the work.

It applied for the funding through the Department of Conservation (DoC).

NTT has called the project Mouri Tūroa, and it will span four years. Landowners are already being asked whether they want to be involved.

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Allan was excited by the project, which she said would reduce erosion, improve water quality, enhance biodiversity and provide jobs.

"The work will contribute to restoring the mauri of Whanganui Awa so it is particularly appropriate that it is being undertaken by the people most closely associated with her through their whakapapa.

"They are the people for whom 'ko au te awa: ko te awa ko au' is real and whose wellbeing will be enhanced by restoring the river to its natural, healthy state," she said.

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She expected spin-offs from the project, such as plant nurseries and wetlands.

NTT chairwoman Sheena Maru said the investment by the Government showed its shared responsibility for river health.

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Reducing erosion will be one focus, and the high sediment loads in the river have negatively impacted it and its freshwater species for decades, she said.

The "ambitious" project aims to reduce sediment by fencing, riparian planting and pest and weed control.

"The plan is to fence along 290km of river and to plant 630,000 plants to mitigate soil erosion, which will improve the water quality and biodiversity in our awa."

The work would empower hapū by creating jobs "at place" to restore and care for their rohe, Maru said. They would continue to reclaim their connections with the awa.

"We are now working with hapū, marae and landowners up the river to identify land blocks that need support, and we encourage you to please get in touch with us," Maru said.

DoC's delivery manager for the project is Katrina Thompson, who started in the role in October last year. She will monitor progress and ensure outcomes are delivered.

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She said the project had begun by planning and establishing governance structures, and that district and regional councils would provide technical advisers.

"This is a really significant project for us here at DOC as well. We want to be supporting the creation of local jobs and the health of Te Awa Tupua," she said.

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