Posted on January 20, 2025
The most ambitious wetland restoration project ever attempted at Tāwharanui Regional Park gets underway next month, with an open day on Sunday, February 2 to launch a $1.26 million fundraising campaign.
The scheme aims to restore eight hectares of wetlands that were drained nearly 100 years ago to create arable farmland on the main road between the park entrance and Anchor Bay.
Tāwharanui Open Sanctuary Society (TOSSI) says the site will eventually provide a link between existing wetland and woodland areas that can be explored on foot by visitors.
Committee member Lyn Hamilton-Hunter says when it is finished, the restored land will consist of an easily accessible mix of kahikatea swamp, and salt marsh, saline and freshwater wetland.
“Once completed, the main road to Anchor Bay will take park visitors through the middle of the wetland system, with linked tracks enabling people to also experience the wetland on foot,” she says.
“Unrestricted access to the park means donors and volunteers can watch their ‘living legacy’ mature over the next decade, following a three to five-year staged development.”
The restoration project was first announced two years ago during TOSSI’s 20th anniversary celebrations, after several years of work by members to come up with a major new project that could work in with existing farming operations and be supported by local mana whenua.
“Now, we are poised to get started,” Hamilton-Hunter says.
TOSSI’s on-site nursery is gearing up to grow the more than 100,000 plants that will be needed, with planting due to start next year.
“Volunteers will provide about a third of the resources, but we need funding to pay for the other two-thirds of the project – consent, earthworks and infrastructure – which totals $1.26 million,” she says.
TOSSI has chosen World Wetlands Day to launch its fundraising campaign, with a lunchtime sausage sizzle, a brief talk about the project and guided walks around the Mangatawhiri wetland, which was restored by TOSSI between 2007 and 2009. Supporters will be able to donate to the project on the day.
Hamilton-Hunter says the project is important, not least since 95 per cent of wetland habitat has already been lost in the Auckland region alone.
“In addition to providing unique habitats, wetlands mitigate the effects of climate change by acting as a buffer during extreme climate events and are very efficient at carbon sequestration,” she says.
“There are many things happening both nationally and internationally that are beyond our control – this project is a local opportunity to contribute to a positive future for our environment, for our children, and for the unique species we share our island with.”
This will be TOSSI’s fifth wetland project.
“This is our most ambitious and will have significant impact on both wetland species and park visitors,” Hamilton Hunter adds.
The fundraising launch will take place at the Tawharanui woolshed on February 2, between noon and 2.30pm, with guided 45-minute walks of Mangatawhiri wetland (easy flat terrain) at 1.15pm, 1.30pm and 1.45pm.
