A clean, green, valued environment
The vision
Tauranga is our place, a place with strong community pride and values. It is a place where our beautiful landscape and environment is recognised and contributes to our sense of place, mauri and identity. It is a place, where through working together we can encourage others to respect and interact with nature and enjoy and cherish a wide range of native and exotic animals and plants that flourish in our city. It is a place where its natural attributes and beneficial elements are protected as the city continues to develop and grow. Tauranga is a rich natural environment, a city that we are proud to live in and grow with.
Tauranga will have:
Our landscape reflects our sense of place, mauri and identity
Inspirational wetland restoration: As you read this, the Kopurerua Valley is being enhanced by the ongoing restoration of its natural wetlands. As well as their aesthetic value these wetlands are a valuable ecological and recreational asset and they contribute significant value in the pre-treatment of the city’s storm water projects. The first stage of this Kopurerua Valley Wetland Restoration is well on its way to completion.
The Environment Centre: coordinates eleven care groups in Tauranga City to clean up and replant neighbourhood reserves. Working bees are held regularly with a focus on clearing weeds and replanting with native plants. These are always followed by a morning tea or BBQ.
This project is predominantly funded by The Ministry for the Environment’s -Sustainable Management Fund. Tauranga Environment Centre initiated the project in response to requests from the community and we have successfully brought together the Tauranga City Council and Environment Bay of Plenty in partnership with the community. The project has also received significant in-kind support from local business, and this is steadily increasing as the project gains recognition.
The Environment Centre employs one full time and one part time coordinator, with Tauranga City Council as land-owner, providing native plants and Environment Bay of Plenty supporting with technical advice, tools and equipment. Local businesses and charities have donated staff time, heavy machinery time and plants for revegetation. To date the project has clocked up 3723 volunteer hours (839 since July last year) and now involves over 200 volunteers.
Carmichael storm water reserve planting project:
Maintenance of this natural reserve is underway with walkway links to surrounding neighbourhoods and eco-enhancing ponds in place, improving the ecological values of this former farmland.
Wairakei Stream Reserve native trees and shrub enhancement:
This is an excellent example of how we, the people of our city, balance industrial, commercial and residential growth with the preservation of the ecology of our natural environment. Following the guidelines of the 2003 ecological assessment of the Papamoa Industrial Park Development, we are planting native trees and shrubs aimed at resurrecting the natural wetland/rear dune environment.
Our natural and created environment is protected, maintained and enhanced as Tauranga continues to develop and grow.
Sustainable Backyards: Have you heard of our very own month long Environmental Festival? Each year in March up to 50, education for sustainability events, involving 20 organisations, are coordinated by The Tauranga Environment Centre under the Sustainable Backyards banner. These include hands on workshops, inspiring interactive lectures by invited speakers, an environmental film festival and a funky junk art competition!
Want to know more? Call the Tauranga Environment Centre 07 578 6664
A place where natural ecological processes and indigenous habitats and species can flourish
Resource Management Advisory Service Here to Help You: This service is offered through the Tauranga Environment Centre. This service is presently funded by MFE for those citizens who cannot afford a professional planner for help with the Resource Management Act and local government processes. Volunteer planners and lawyers from Tauranga’s own consultancies are brought in to assist our citizens requiring this service. A monthly clinic is held on the 4th Thursday of every month at the Tauranga Environment Centre.
Wetlands and habitats: The vision for an exciting project, currently underway, is to realign the Kopurererua River. This will provide additional wetlands and habitat for our city, create an eye-catching, welcoming entranceway which includes large stands of kahikatea trees and sculptures, include an extensive native planting programme to enhance views and screen roadways at key locations, aquatic life, develop a cultural centre and traditional Maori Village aimed at the tourist market and to prepare passive and active recreational areas including 12 kms of walkways and cycleways.
People from all walks of life have come together in ‘Care Groups’ around our city to manage the ecology of various Indigenous habitats under the Estuary Care and Coast Care supported by EBOP. These groups actively enhance the city’s estuaries, dunes and provide connected communities. Continued funding of the Urban Greenspace Project through the MFE, EBOP Enhancement Fund and in kind support by Tauranga City Council is seen as essential to the ongoing development of Tauranga as a place where people can experience nature.
A place where people can experience nature
Providing and developing open spaces: Identifying levels of service required for new and revitalized projects like Papamoa Hills and Noisy Boys’ (TECT All Terrain) Subregional parks, and the planning of Huharua sub regional Park.
Mauao’s Petrels: The Ornithological Society is carrying out work on Mauao, monitoring of the grey faced petrels.
A ‘Tread Lightly’ Trip to Matakana: Schools and community groups were able to go on trips to beautiful Matakana Island where they took part in hands-on education on how to ‘tread lightly’ on the beach and were made aware of the island’s endangered native fauna and how to protect it.
The harbour, foreshore and waterways are clean and healthy and support compatible cultural, social, economic and recreational opportunities
Shellfish and water study in Tauranga Harbour: This year-long monitoring and sampling exercise involving Tauranga City Council, Environmental Bay of Plenty, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Health and Food Safety Authority is underway.
Marine Watch: The Department of Conservation is involved in this exciting educational programme for schools and community groups empowering our people as a community to monitor our local marine environment
Sea Week and Sea Festival: Promoting the inherent value of our marine environment and its protection, this Department of Conservation initiative first held in March 2007 and again in March this year also upskills our community so we can look after our precious marine areas ourselves.
Indicators - how we measure - Clean green valued environment