Horowhenua District Council is working with Ngāti Whakatere to commence the restoration of the Ōtauru Stream.

The Ōtauru Stream Riparian Planting project aims to improve the water quality and ecosystem of the stream, and will be completed through community planting initiatives involving several groups in our hāpori during the next three to five years.

Mayor Bernie Wanden says, “Enhancing our waterways benefits our community who use water for drinking, recreational, aesthetic, ecological and cultural activities. We are proud to work with Ngāti Whakatere to better understand hapū history and considerations as we work together on this project. Working with Iwi and hapū underpins good freshwater management, and we are grateful for their guidance and sharing of knowledge to benefit our hāpori.”

“Our community will help with planting, Green By Nature will monitor plant survival and growth, and Horizons Regional Council will work on other areas of the stream. Some of this work will take place on private land, and I’d like to publicly acknowledge landowners allowing us access to their property to undertake this mahi.”

Riparian zones, strips of land beside drains, streams, rivers and lakes where the soil is the wettest, filter nutrients, sediment and bacteria that leave the land as runoff.

More than 7,500 native plants will be established during the project in a 1.7km stretch alongside the stream, and many different groups, organisations and individuals will be involved in the planting. As an ongoing project, the planting is planned to occur in stages over the next few years.

Aspiring ecologists at local schools will be involved in the planting and water testing as they learn the importance and mana of protecting our waterways through this project.

In order to maximise the success of introducing native plants through the project, it is important to prepare the ground. The initial phase of the project will focus on clearing out invasive plants, decaying trees, and non-native trees that could threaten nearby infrastructure and the stream's health. This work is scheduled to start in the winter. Suitable mulch from felled trees will be used at Te Maire Park.

Ōtauru Stream (also known as Stansell Stream) was once a flourishing home to giant kōkopu, tuna (eels), whitebait, freshwater crayfish and more, nourishing more than 1,000 people living by the stream.

The water quality in the stream is now poor compared to how it used to be, and the ecosystem negatively impacted due to the historical wastewater discharge from the Shannon Water Treatment plant, a practice which stopped in 2016.

Discharging wastewater directly into waterways had previously been a normal and accepted practice throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, and Horowhenua was no exception when the Shannon Wastewater Treatment Plant (SWWTP) started operating in the 1970s.

Horowhenua District Council (HDC) Chief Executive Monique Davidson says, “When the Shannon Wastewater Treatment Plant first opened we didn’t have the science and knowledge we have now. We are saddened that the stream deteriorated, but are committed to putting this right. Working with Ngāti Whakatere, Horizons Regional Council and other community groups, we are united in creating a cleaner environment and better future for our tamariki.”

“Ngāti Whakatere has led a number of successful ecological projects in Shannon, and we look forward to working with them to restore the Ōtauru Stream. We get a lot of value working with all our Iwi partners.”

Council has committed $100,000 towards the riparian planting project over the next five years, and external funding will also be investigated to support this kaupapa.

Information about community planting days will be advertised on our social media channels and website.

For more information visit horowhenua.govt.nz/OtauruRiparianPlanting

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