Porirua City’s streamside planting programme is going from strength to strength, with the successful planting of hundreds of thousands of native plants since the initiative launched in 2021.

This year the aim is to get 165,000 more plants in the ground to help filter sediment running into our waterways and encourage biodiversity in the wetland environment.

Work this year will also include plants going in to protect hills in the Porirua catchment from erosion.

So far work by Council staff, contractors, volunteers and school groups since 2021 has seen 359,000 native plants successfully put in the ground across more than 127 sites in the Porirua Harbour catchment.

"It’s heartening to see how many people show up, especially groups who turn out on a regular basis year after year, to help with this big and important piece of work," says Porirua Mayor Anita Baker.

"The vision to restore our harbour, Te Awarua-o-Porirua, and our waterways, takes a long time and a lot of work to achieve."

With winter on the way, planting season is nearing and there will be opportunities for the public to get out and support planting work in the city.

There are also local volunteer groups organising their own planting, weeding and litter pick-up events around Porirua.

The first Council-run community planting day for the year will be held at Cannons Creek Lake on Saturday 24 May, 9.30am-12pm, in partnership with Ngahere Korowai.

There will be a special Matariki planting event at Bothamley Park on Friday 20 June between 10.30am-1pm, where 1900 plants are due to go in the ground.

The Council-run community planting days will wrap up in August with an event in Papakōwhai on Saturday 16 August, 10.30am-1pm. This event will be the biggest one, with 3000 plants set to go in the ground in the wetland area across from the Papakōwhai Reserve.

More information: poriruacity.govt.nz/streamside-planting

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