*SOLD OUT*
Site Visit One – Te Kukuwai o Toa (Elsdon Park Porirua Wetland) + Kenepuru Landing
Cost: $40 + GST
Hosts: GHD, Morphum Environmental
• A newly constructed wetland (gifted the name Te Kukuwai o Toa by local iwi Ngāti Toa) transcends stormwater flood attenuation. By augmenting an existing greenspace, the urban community is connected to the natural environment through an environmentally sensitive solution.
• 35,000 native plants have been established to improve the health of the harbour and immediately attracted indigenous fauna into the new ecological heart of central Porirua.
• The wetland provides an outdoor, interactive classroom, for three kura that encompass the wetland perimeter. Contributing to a range of important topics, the public asset offers education on the area’s physical and cultural history, local species, and sustainable stormwater management.
• Kenupuru landing is just a few minutes away from Te Kukuwai o Toa and should be a pleasant stroll from one site to another.
• PPE not required for Elsdon Park
• PPE to be confirmed for Kenupuru Landing
For more reading click here.
*SOLD OUT*
Site Visit Two – Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi – Delivering Riverlink
Cost: $40 + GST
Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi – Delivering Riverlink is a collaborative partnership between Greater Wellington Regional Council, Hutt City Council, New Zealand Transport Agency – Waka Kotahi, iwi mana whenua Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika (Taranaki Whānui), Ngāti Toa Rangatira (Ngāti Toa), and the AECOM-Fletcher alliance who are working together to transform Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai – Lower Hutt. It includes crucial flood protection and river restoration work, improvements to public transport, walking & cycling routes, local roads and the SH2 Melling Interchange, as well as urban revitalisation of the Lower Hutt city centre.
Physical scope elements of the project includes:
- Upgrading the flood protection system to provide increased protection to Hutt City
- Increasing the distance between (width and height) of the stopbanks to provide more room for the water to flow downstream
- Protecting the ecological health of the river
- Replacing the Melling Bridge with a wider, longer bridge to span the distance between the stopbanks
- Upgrading the Melling/State Highway 2 (SH2) intersection to a grade separated interchange
- Moving the Melling railway station and the cycling / park & ride facilities south of the existing station
- Building a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the river to link the Lower Hutt city centre to the public transport hub
- Developing a new cycle path north from Bridge Street along the rail corridor, connecting Te Ara Tupua in the south to the new public transport hub at Melling Station
- Stimulating redevelopment and creating opportunities for recreational, social and cultural activities
- Improving streets with pedestrian pathways, outdoor dining areas, enhanced lighting and street-based markets
The field trip will include visiting:
- The Belmont Wetland – the forerunner for schemes designed to manage stream and stormwater run-off into Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River, improving its water quality and supporting habitats for wildlife
- The works underway for raising the stopbank by up to 1.5 metres between Melling Bridge and north of Mills Street. The existing stopbank between existing Melling Bridge and Mills Street currently has the lowest level of flood protection in the area, with only 1 in 65 year flood event protection. When all of the works under Te Awa Kairangi programme are completed, the Hutt Valley will be protected from a 2,800m3/s flood (approximately 1 in 440 year flood event including for future climate change).
PPE Requirements: Hard Hat, Glasses, Hi Vis vest, Steel toe Boots
Click here for more information.
*SOLD OUT*
Site Visit Three – Urban Stream Walk
Cost: $40 + GST
The hills which flank Te Whanganui-a-Tara have been shaped by the power of water over millennia creating a patchwork of streams, wetlands and estuaries. These once abundant waterways attracted early māori settlers who recognised the value of freshwater to support communities establishing pa, kainga and mara almost always connected with freshwater. The arrival of European colonists in the 1800’s saw a dramatic shift that viewed our freshwater in a different light, a resource to be utilised to support a booming urban populace. Streams were drained for town supplies, managed as open drains which spread disease and eventually incarcerated in pipes beneath our increasingly busy streets. But the streams still flow from the hills to the sea….out of site but not out of mind.
Join us on a waterfront walk to learn about the history, ecological significance and future of our ‘lost’ urban awa which still discharge water to the great harbour of Tara. Crossing the paths of Kumutoto, Waikoukou, Waimaphihi, Moturoa and Waitangi awa this engaging and informative walk will provide insights into the legacy of past decisions, the importance of decisions we make today and the opportunities to consider Te Mana o te Wai in our urban landscapes.
If you have already registered and would like to ‘add’ a site visit please contact us waternz@avenues.co.nz.
