Earlier this month, council’s Recreation and Open Spaces team took a field trip to Waikawau / Hannahs Bay Reserve, joined by Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana’s (BOPRC) Land Management team to visit the wetland construction and restoration project that began in 2023.
Rotorua Lakes Council’s (RLC) Recreation Partnership Advisor, Simon Alefosio-Tuck, shared some history of the area and talked about community aspirations as well as the background to the wetland project.
Developing the wetland has also opened up opportunities for environmental enhancement and community involvement at Waikawau / Hannah’s Bay Reserve and feeds into a wider plan being driven by the Waikawau Reserve Management Committee to develop the reserve for recreation, environmental and education purposes.
This winter, another 8,700 native trees will be planted across the wetland helping to restore the whenua | land to its original state. This follows a further 15,000 native trees that were planted late last year.
While the BOPRC team largely focus on lakes and rural land management, and RLC team operate in the urban areas, both teams have a shared interest in protecting and enhancing our taiao | environmental values and improving the quality of freshwater in streams and lakes throughout the district.
BOPRC are involved with several constructed wetland projects, so the group noted that it was interesting to hear about these sites and the progress being made.
Both councils work in partnership to support environmental care groups in the rural and urban areas of the Rotorua district, making this field trip to Waikawau Reserve a great opportunity to connect and to share knowledge.
Click here for more information about the Waikawau/Hannahs Bay Reserve Management Plan.