More than $200,000 has been committed by the Papakura Local Board to environmental projects in the area.
The board recently approved its 2025 Local Environmental Work Programme, which featured funding for seven major projects or initiatives.
The largest commitment is the $56,000 allocated to Pest Free South Auckland Papakura to support its work ridding the area of animal and pest plant.
The project supports residents to carry out pest plant and animal control in their own backyards and in local reserves to allow the ngahere, native birds, and other wildlife to flourish.
The next largest allocation was $35,000 to allow for pond enhancement work at Bruce Pulman Park Reserve.
A new programme, it aims to include three stormwater ponds near Porchester Road over five years. The ponds serve the park by holding and slowly discharging stormwater at Awakeri Wetlands, which eventually drain into the Manukau Harbour.
The budget will be used to enhance the stormwater pond by reshaping and restructuring the embankment, and for planting.
Board chair Brent Catchpole says the commitment also means Healthy Waters will contribute $15,000 of regional funding to the programme, and park management $10,000, amounts that were dependent on the board approving its $35,000.
He says similar work at Te Koiwi Pond near Papakura Marae gets $33,00 for a programme that supports a partnership approach to regenerating Te Koiwi Park and Pond through a regeneration and monitoring framework to honour kaitiakitanga shared by mana whenua and the marae.
Receiving $32,000 the Wai Care Papakura project focusses on enabling school students to undertake stream and marine health investigations and actions in their schools and local communities.
“That includes sessions to connect students with the local environment, and professional development for teachers to support student learning,” Catchpole says.
The other significant grant is $26,000 for Waste Minimisation, a community-based programme that supports residents to reduce their waste and live sustainably through workshop within the board area.
“These workshops provide practical skills for making a range of re-usable environmentally friendly products and provide education and information about living a waste-free lifestyle,” Catchpole says.
The remainder of the funding is made up of the board’s annual $11,000 commitment to the Manukau Harbour Forum, and $14,00 for the Papakura Stream regeneration programme, which Neighbouring Manurewa and Franklin local boards also fund, given the stream runs through all three areas.
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