Waihirere Trust Wetland Restoration

The Waihirere Trust Wetland is located on Richard & Roharia Murray’s farm. Richard and Roharia were very keen to restore their wetland as it not only restores, protects and enhances the biodiversity but also because of the many advantages listed above. This wetland is a large freshwater wetland (approx 13 ha) which also contains a diverse range of avi-fauna, vertebrates, invertebrates species including nationally-threatened species.

The biodiversity values of this wetland have been threatened by stock intrusion, soil erosion, nutrient run-off and has been suffocated by pest weeds, mainly willow and gorse. The Willow has formed large dense ‘forests’ in the wetland, but it has a good native understorey of mainly Carex grass species, coprosmas and a little manuka. The Matakana Island Environment Group helped form partnerships between the Trust and Nga Whenua Rahui Nga Whenua Rahui is a Maori organisation whose role is to offer Maori landowners a way of conserving their lands while still retaining ownership and control of their whenua. They give advice and offer funding options for the conservation and restoration of privately owned Maori land. and Environment Bay of Plenty. Environment Bay of Plenty - Our work guides and supports the sustainable development of the Bay of Plenty.

In 2008 the Trust signed up to an Environmental Program with EBOP and a Nga Whenua Rahui kawenata to get the restoration project underway. Matakana Island Environment Group then organised and implemented the restoration project.