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Auckland Council will start work on an ecological project to restore the Waterfall Gully stream terminus at Okoromai Bay in Shakespear Regional Park in February.
Currently, the stream is channelled under the amenity lawn at the far end of the park, along the path of a World War II anti-tank ditch. The stream’s hidden route is exposed during floods when the grass depressions reveal its original course.
Before Shakespear Park was developed as a farm, much of Okoromai Bay’s low lying land was wetlands. This project will reconnect the wetland with the bay by uncovering the stream, restoring it to its former natural path and reinstating more normal tidal flow.
In turn, this is expected to improve the ecological health of the area, creating a more vibrant wetland habitat. Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society (SOSSI) chair Owen Johnston said SOSSI welcomed any change that improved the ecology of the park.
“The revegetation project brings forward what would have taken 10 years, into one season. SOSSI looks forward to the massive boost these projects will provide to the ongoing conservation mahi by SOSSI volunteers, community, and regional park staff,” Johnston said.
In addition to the stream restoration, the project includes construction of a pedestrian bridge over the stream to improve accessibility for visitors while protecting the restored habitat. Fulton Hogan Land Development, in partnership with specialist consultants Woods and RMA Ecology, will spearhead the stream’s restoration, working onsite with Hicks Construction.
Extensive landscape planting will line the stream’s edges, helping to stabilise and naturalise the area. A Council spokesperson said this process was scheduled for completion by mid-May and would involve minor alterations to the amenity lawn area, including reconfigured car parking and minor adjustments to dog access. Some exotic trees will be removed, though the beloved pōhutukawa will remain, alongside new plantings.
