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To date, 40,000 native plants are in the ground, with over twenty thousand more signed off to be planted this season and a further 25,000 plants proposed to be planted before the end of the project in 2025.
10 kilometres of fencing has been completed of a project target of 35.5 kilometres.
12.5km is currently in progress with another 13.5km proposed for completion by the end of the project.
From an initial target of five fish passages, the project achieved assessment of 20 fish passages for improvements. Of these, seven were highlighted as priorities with budget for at least five to be completed. So far, one of these has been completed — see images below. More work to complete the improvements will be undertaken during summer. This will include installing more rocks in the ramp and mussel spat rope to assist fish in climbing.
Currently, 10 sediment traps have been installed across properties in the catchment with the possibility of three more being installed depending on budget.
Aukaha’s planting team has been carrying out the majority of the planting, with landowners also rolling up their sleeves and planting a large number of natives on their land. There have also been several community and school planting days held to give locals and those with an environmental passion an opportunity to assist with plantings of natives around waterways in the catchment.
Through these efforts, we have been able to successfully plant nearly half of the proposed native plants so far.
The plants have been grown and supplied by Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki’s community nursery and Ribbonwood Nurseries in Dunedin and include such species as coprosma spp., carex spp., harakeke/flax and tī kōuka/cabbage tree.
Toitū Te Hakapupu project is required to complete 20 km fencing of water ways as part of its KPIs agreed to in the funding deed.
To estimate how much of the main stems of the river was available to fence, the ORC project team developed a map showing the length of the main stem of the river.
Waterway (land use)
as per the map above
Hakapupu / Pleasant River (forestry) | 10 km |
Hakapupu / Pleasant River (pastoral) | 12 km |
Owhakaoho / Trotters Creek (forestry) | 14 km |
Owhakaoho / Trotters Creek (pastoral) | 6 km |
Tumai (pastoral) | 2 km |
Watkin Creek (forestry) | 5 km |
Watkin Creek (pastoral) | 7 km |
This data tells us the following:
Total riverbanks available along the main stem (see map) of the primary Hakapupu and its two main tributaries, Owhakaoho (Trotter), Watkin and Tumai.
Length of river through pastoral farming where fencing to exclude stock is required.
River |
Length (km) |
Hakapupu |
12 |
Owhakaoho |
6 |
Watkin |
7 |
Tumai |
2 |
TOTAL |
27 km |
This means there is a total of 54 km of possible riverbanks to fence off and exclude stock. The project team then calculated the amount of river that will be fenced by the project as of August 2024.
Fence status |
Length (km) |
Completed |
10.5 |
In progress |
12.5 |
Proposed |
12.5 |
To be completed by project |
35.5 |
The project team has engaged with nearly all parts of the rivers under pastoral farming to install fencing. Much of the remaining river is already fenced.
River |
Length (km) |
Hakapupu |
22 |
Owhakaoho |
20 |
Watkin |
12 |
Tumai |
2 |
TOTAL |
56 km |