A heartfelt blessing in Milford last week marked the start of a new chapter for the Wairau catchment, as mana whenua, led by Ngāti Paoa and supported by Te Kawerau a Maki, marked the start of the deconstruction of the Woodbridge Lane bridge.
This moment signalled the official launch of the Ngā Wairau blue-green network, a long-term project designed to reduce flood risk and restore the natural health of the area.
Gathered under bright skies, representatives from mana whenua, Auckland Council, Crown partners, local board members, project teams and residents stood together to reflect on the journey from devastation to renewal.
Healing after the floods
The blessing was both a remembrance and a promise. The Wairau area was one of the hardest hit during the January 2023 floods, when lives were lost and homes, schools, and businesses suffered significant damage. Many families are still rebuilding today.
Councillor Richard Hills said the day was as much about community spirit as it was about engineering progress.
“People here have shown incredible resilience,” he said.
“Neighbours have supported each other, and that’s what has inspired this next step. The Ngā Wairau project is about protecting lives and property now and building stronger, more connected communities for the future.”
Milford Residents Association co-chair Debbie Dunsford echoed this sentiment, acknowledging both the pain of the past and the promise of what lies ahead.
"This day is one to reflect on the loss of so many homes, each representing overturned lives and distress. But it’s also a day that marks the first small step in the long project to make the Wairau safe for homes and families. The Milford community has hope that the Wairau will become a visible, healthy and beautiful waterway, a taonga that is a loved and intrinsic part of everyday life in Milford.”
Making space for water — and people
The deconstruction of the Woodbridge Lane bridge marks the beginning of on-the-groundwork for the Wairau community. It’s part of a wider network of blue-green initiatives under Auckland Council’s Making Space for Water programme, supported by Crown funding.
Over 100 Milford homes have already been voluntarily purchased through the council’s Category 3 buy-out scheme, allowing families to move from high-risk areas while creating space for new flood protection and restoration work.
A landscape for generations
The first stage of the Ngā Wairau project focuses on transforming AF Thomas Park into a wetland and detention area to help reduce flood risk. Later stages will widen and restore streams, improve water flow through Milford and Tōtara Vale, and reconnect the waterways of the Wairau catchment.
Auckland Council’s Head of Sustainable Partnerships Healthy Waters Tom Mansell said the project is about more than flood protection.
“We’re creating a living landscape, a place where people, nature, and water can thrive together. It’s about reconnecting our community to the land and water that sustain us.”
Ngā Wairau — the abundant waters
Te Kawerau ā Maki’s Edward Ashby shared the meaning behind the name gifted by mana whenua.
“Ngā Wairau means ‘the abundant waters’. It speaks to healing, restoration, and the shared responsibility we all have to care for the land and water,” he added.
“When we look after the wai, and when we look after the whenua, we look after our people.”
As the bridge comes down, the project’s foundation is one of respect, resilience, and renewal, building not just flood defences, but a stronger, more connected Wairau community for generations to come.
