Flying start for South Taranaki's Ngā Rauru iwi restoring water quality

Ray Hina and Horizons' freshwater co-ordinator Clare Ridler contemplate planting near Pakaraka Pa. Photo/Supplied

South Taranaki's Ngā Rauru iwi hoped to improve water quality by getting a thousand plants in the ground this year - and is thrilled to quadruple that, Ruta Broughton says.

The land being planted is hers and adjoins Ototoka Stream and Pakaraka Pa. It's immediately upstream of State Highway 3.

Planting in that gully has been in the pa's long-term environmental plan, and the iwi would like to be able to drink the stream's water.

"We want to leave a legacy for our grandchildren. As kaitiaki of the land ensuring the care and welfare of the land is important," Ms Broughton said.

The planting will enable the land to start healing, she said, and neighbouring landowners have sped the process by helping with fencing and moving plants around on their tractors.

"The community effort has been highly appreciated."

Planting has been going on for about two weeks. Some of it is community work supervised by the Corrections Department, and some on steeper slopes has been done by Fordell Weed Spraying Ltd.

The plants were grown at Ngā Rauru's Kii Tahi Nursery and at Whanganui Prison. They are a mix of trees, shrubs and flaxes.

Ngā Rauru co-ordinator Alan Davis said the Te Wai Koiora project started in June last year, and was now coming to fruition.

"It's a large, ambitious project, but good teamwork has seen a vision become a reality."

The Whanganui District Council owns land on the opposite side of Ototoka Stream from Pakaraka. It is providing funding to plant that too.

Whanganui senior stormwater engineer Kritzo Venter said the work would reduce sediment in the stream and protect infrastructure at William Birch Pool downstream.

The pool was once used for swimming, but in recent years its faecal coliform counts have been too high for that.

The Horizons Regional Council has contributed $10,000 toward the Ototoka Stream project - used on 530m of fencing and on buying plants. It gives 30 per cent toward fencing and planting in that catchment.

The council's freshwater co-ordinator, Clare Ridler, said it also gave advice on plant species and methods. It helped write Ngā Rauru's application to the Environment Ministry's Te Mana o te Wai fund two years ago. That application netted nearly $400,000 for the Te Wai Koiora project.

The project aims to improve water quality and habitat on seven stretches of freshwater within Ngā Rauru's area. Work is also happening on the Kai Iwi River.