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Karoline Tuckey / Stuff
The Waikanae River, about to receive funding for 92 jobs through Jobs for Nature, is a popular recreation spot, particularly during white harassment season. (File photo)
John Barrett has childhood memories of floating down the Waikanae River, catching flounder and eels in the clear, cold water.
That was 70 years ago. Today, Barrett, of Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai descent, says it would be difficult to find a flounder in his waters.
But $ 8.5 million from the Covid-19 Jobs for Nature fund will go a long way towards restoring the quality of the river.
Announced Thursday by Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan, the funding will create 92 jobs, half of which are earmarked for iwi.
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The river is located 50 kilometers north of Wellington on the Kāpiti coast, flows from the Tararua Ranges into the sea at Waikanae Beach, and drains a total catchment area of 125 km.
It is a popular place for swimming, fishing, camping, and hiking. It is also used as a drinking water supply for the Waikanae Township.
Ross Giblin / Stuff
John Barrett of the local iwi Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, shown here looking out over Waiorua Bay from Kāpiti Island, has seen the changes in the Waikanae River and said enthusiasm levels are high for the work to begin.
But for Waikanae mana whenua Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, the river is more than a landmark.
“The quality of the river reflects the quality of the community,” Barrett said. “We treat the river as part of us.”
It was a source of livelihood and a source of pride to serve river eels to guests in their marae.
The new funding builds on the Waikanae ki Uta ki Tai “Mountains to the Sea” project established in 2019 to restore the health of the river basin, an association of Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, the Kāpiti Coast District Council, the Council Greater Wellington Regional (GWRC) and the Department of Conservation.
The work, beginning in 2021, would include restoration through fencing and riverbank plantings, control of animal and plant pests, sustainable land management, and community participation and education.
Cameron Burnell / Fairfax NZ
A concrete beam is set in place over the Waikanae River on the McKays to Pekapeka Highway in April 2016 (file photo).
Barrett had watched the river’s health decline, and as a member of the Governance Group for both the Waikanae Jobs for Nature program and the Waikanae ki Uta ki Tai programs, he had seen ongoing work done by community groups.
“The difference now is that we have some real funding and real resources.”
The government’s goal was to create a long-term vehicle and legacy for restoring the river for decades to come, Allan said.
“This investment supports [treaty partner Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai’s] aspirations established in their Kaitiakitanga Plan, which is designed to express the intergenerational values of their tupuna (ancestors). “
Kāpiti council’s biodiversity program manager Rob Cross said that various agencies, including the council, volunteer groups and individuals across the district, had worked hard for the environment.
“This investment will take the tremendous efforts of volunteers and workers to another level in what is an important natural asset.”
“We can expect to see better water quality, a prosperous natural landscape and greater biodiversity as a result of this work.”
The council would work with its partners to identify suitable land for planting, including some council-owned land.
