Wairoa River volunteers make progress

Publish Date : 19 Jul 2019
Wairoa River volunteers make progress

A community-led waterways restoration project is going from strength to strength.

Supported by Franklin Local Board, Friends of Te Wairoa Catchment continues to attract people to efforts to improve the Wairoa River, the second largest river in Auckland and its catchment.

The group which brings together the Wairoa River Steering Group and Wairoa River Landcare has released its end of year report, detailing several successes.

It says its key achievements included the appointment of a new chair and core committee, the launch of a bait-and-trap-day programme that saw four events generate significant community engagement, and securing funding for three part-time positions, nursery, pest and cluster co-ordinators.

The group also raised $22,294 in a Million Metres campaign for the Clevedon Wharf Reserve, with 51 people at a community day planting 2000 plants. That led to a second campaign, this time centred on a section of the Wairoa downstream from Tourist Rd Bridge.

Friends’ Franklin Pest Free programme saw four bait and trap days across the catchment, two in Hunua, and events in Clevedon and Ness Valley. The events attracted about 140 people and possums and rats remain the primary catch.

Franklin Local Board chair Angela Fulljames says the work being done is invaluable.

“The board puts protecting the environment at the heart of what it does and the Friends are an important part of that commitment.”

Friends of Te Wairoa has a Facebook page here. For further information about the cluster coordinator position email friends@tewairoa.org.nz.

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