PART A: CONTEXT This section sets out the key features and values associated with the River. It then identifies some key issues relevant to the restoration and management of the environment.

15 16 Waikanae River Environmental Strategy Figure 3:TheWaikanae River catchment River asfarupstreamXS120(approximately). the south).Tidalinfluenceaffects Waikanae Beach (tothenorth)andParaparaumu Beach(to lying between thecoastalsettlementsof Waikanae a lowgradientalluvialfloodplaintoanEstuary the river meandersforapproximately7kmacross Downstream oftheWater TreatmentPlant weir, steeper, upperpartofthecatchment. These alljointhemainstemofriver inthe andMaungakotukutukuStreams. are theNgatiawa andRangioraRivers, andthe the remaining40%inpasture.Themaintributaries growth forestandregeneratingnative bushand plant covers 125km long. Theuppercatchmenttothewater treatment of City.Itisapproximately25km foothills oftheTararua Ranges,some50kmnorth The Waikanae River flowsfromthe western 3.1.1 3.1 3. and Values Key Features Catchment The Waikanae River The Waikanae RiverCatchment 2 , with60%covered inold-

Beach settlement. to allowforsubdivisionoftheoriginalWaikanae to createanewmouthfortheWaimeha Stream Stream. Inthe1920s,anartificialcut was made the channel,whichbecameseparateWaimeha northern channel.Thisisolatedthelower sectionof drying upoftheuppersectionriver’s forest clearanceandlanddrainage,ledtothe associated withEuropeansettlement,including Land usechangesinthelate19thcentury Beachsettlement). the seanearKenakena(nowMazengarbRdin south throughanextensive estuaryandreached present estuary.Fromheretheunitedriver flowed main stemoftheWaikanae River again,nearthe through theWaimeha Lagoonbeforejoiningthe Street thechannelturnedsouthwest, flowing intersection ofTe MoanaRdandTe Rauparaha approximately paralleltoTe Moana Rd.Nearthe Waimeha Stream,whereitliestothenorthof,and and followed muchofthecoursepresent northerly channelmeanderedacrossthefloodplain downstream ofthecurrentSH1Bridge.Themore River branchedintotwoseparatechannelsjust At theendof19thcentury,Waikanae 3.1.2 10 9 floodplain. between otherfragmentedecologicalareasinthe important ‘steppingstone’forspeciestravelling climate. An ecologicalcorridoralsoprovidesan plants andanimalstoadaptachanging populations, andprovidesopportunitiesfor genetic diversity amongst plantandanimal to move between habitats.Thishelpstoincrease for native birds,fish,plants,lizardsandinsects An ecologicalcorridorprovidesopportunities located directlyoffshore(Fig4). Reserve, apredatorfreesanctuaryforbirdlife, Kāpiti MarineReserve, withKāpitiIslandNature the Waikanae EstuaryScientificReserve andthe ecological corridorlinkingtheTararua Rangesto The Waikanae River providesa‘mountainstosea’ 3.1.3 the golfcourse. tidal influenceofthestreamextendsupstreamto boundary ofthePekapeka Streamcatchment.The the floodplainthatextendsnorthwards tothe long. Itnowdrainsasmalllocalcatchmenton The Waimeha Streamisapproximately 3km Tonkin and Taylor Ltd,2013. GWRC,1999. Corridor Change OverTime A ‘MountainstoSea’Ecological 10

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Figure 4:TheWaikanae River aspartofanecologicalcorridorfrom theTararua RangestoKāpitiIsland 17 PART A: Context / Key Features and Values 18 Waikanae River Environmental Strategy 12 11 to periodicinundation. favourable tokahikateaandotherspeciesadapted in somepartsofthisareamayhave beenmore 1 althoughthemeanderingnatureofriver Similar forestprobablylinedthebanksbelowSH and rewarewa, withafewpodocarps(e.g.rimu). bordered bystandsoftitoki,kohekohe,tawa Between Reikorangiand SH1,theriver isstill grass andlupinstohelpstabilisethesand. greatly modifiedbytheintroductionofmarram vegetation ofthecoastalforeduneshasbeen by pastureandresidentialdevelopment. The surrounding floodplainhasbeenreplaced The originalswamp andcoastalforestofthe would have beenpresent onthedunes. binding plants(pingaoandSpinifexhirsutus) tawa andkohekohecouldbefound.Native sand- more stableinlanddunes,coastalforestincluding can beseenatNgaManutoday.Onthedrier, kahikatea, pukatea,andswamp maire.Suchas and flax,blendingintoswamp forestcontaining of wetland areasofopenwater, rauposwamp In pre-Europeantimesthefloodplain was amosaic of thearea. markedly changedthelandscapeandvegetation of forestclearanceandswamp drainagethat floodplain inthe1880s,andwithitcameaprocess European settlementbeganonthe Waikanae 3.2.1 range ofbirds. sport fishspecies,invertebrates, andadiverse important, providinghabitatsforindigenousand The river environmentandestuaryareecologically 3.2 retirement destination. Kāpiti Coastgenerallyreflectstheirpopularityasa population over 65years inWaikanae andthe and .Thehighpercentageofthetotal particularly Waikanae Beach, Waikanae East, These areasareexperiencingpopulationgrowth, western edgeoftheWaikanae River Estuary. northeastern endofParaparaumu Beachlieatthe on thesouthsideofriver. Residencesatthe River, whileOtaihangaliesupstreamofthemouth lie immediatelytothenorthofWaikanae The settlementsof Waikanae and Waikanae Beach 3.1.4 Thissectionlargely adaptedfromTonkin andTaylor Ltd,2013. Tonkin andTaylor Ltd,2013. Ecological Values Indigenous Vegetation Urban Settlements

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and DOChave supportedtheseefforts. the Waikanae EstuaryCareGroup.GWRC,KCDC Restoration andMaintenanceTrust(KERMT), Waikanae River (FWR),theKāpitiEcological in therestorationworkareFriendsof below SH1.Threekeyvolunteergroupsinvolved River environment,particularlyinthereaches have hadatransformative effectonthe Waikanae vegetation oftheRiver CorridorandtheEstuary Voluntary effortstorestoretheindigenous of theWaikanae River. Waikanae EstuaryScientificReserve atthemouth and adjacentwetland areas,particularlywithin the original vegetation associatedwiththeEstuary There areimportantsurvivingremnantsof also befoundalongtheriverbanks. of whichhave spreadfromadjacentfarmland,can volunteers. A variety ofintroducedplants,some and amixofnative treesthathave beenplantedby with afewremnantpatchesofkohekoheforest planted forfloodprotectionpurposes,together Today theriverbank vegetation containswillows • • These include: wetlands inthefloodplain ofthetwo waterways. There areanumberofsmalllagoons,ponds,and 3.2.2 Ecological restoration controlled byafloodgate the watercourse. Theoutletofthelagoonis 1970s bydrainingswampland andenlarging of theWaimeha Stream,was developed inthe The Waimanu Lagoon,alsointheformercourse the Waimanu Lagoon settlement, andisdrainedbyasmallstreamto Stream, isfedbydrainsintheWaikanae Beach former south-flowingcourseofthe Waimeha The Waimeha Lagoon,whichliesinpartofthe Lagoons, Ponds,andWetlands koromako (bellbird). including kereru(woodpigeon),tuiand A numberofnative bird speciesarepresent, programme hasbeenbeneficialforbirdspecies. corridor, combinedwithapestanimaltrapping The restorationworktoenhancetheecological 3.2.3 in theWaikanae River Banded Kokopu–oneofthenative fishspeciesfound • • • • • • • of Waimeha Stream. Treatment ponds),alsolyingtothenortheast Swamp (whichincludestheWaikanae Sewage Totara LagoonandassociatedTe Harakiki waterfowl habitat which have beenartificiallyenlargedtocreate to thenortheastofWaimeha Stream, Ponds withintheNgaManuSanctuary,lying beach partoftheScientificReserve A lagoonofshallowbrackishwater onthe of theWaikanae EstuaryScientificReserve Lake PuketewhainoattheParaparaumu end opposite theOtaihangaBoatingClub Weggery Lagoon,locatedonthenorthbank, community groups which isbeingrestoredbyKCDCand the northbankoppositeOtaihangaDomain, the Waikanae River, includingtheoxbowon Several smalloxbowsonthenorthbankof large dune 1928 thatcausedtheriver tocutthrougha created asaresultofmajorfloodin1927or lying onthenorthwestern endofMakoraRd), bank immediatelytothewest ofresidences The OtaihangaOxbow(locatedonthesouth Bird Life

freshwater andonemarine/estuarinespecies) as a diverse populationofnative fish(fourteen records indicatethattheWaikanae River supports New ZealandFreshwater FishDatabase(NZFFD) species, andprovidinginangaspawninghabitat. habitat forsixormoremigratoryindigenous threatened indigenousfishspecies,providing community health,providinghabitatfor ecosystems; havinghighmacroinvertebrate Waikanae River ashavingsignificantindigenous The RegionalPolicyStatement(RPS)identifiesthe 3.2.4 Fish the estuary. for native birds,islocateddirectlyoffshorefrom Kāpiti IslandNatureReserve, anislandsanctuary threat rankingof‘At Risk–Declining.’ were observed intheEstuaryarea.Thisbirdhasa early 2012,threefernbirds(Bowdleriapunctata) mudflats providessuitableforaginghabitat.In recorded attheEstuarywhereasmallareaof pied stilts(At Risk–Declining)whichhave been dotterel (NationallyVulnerable frequenting thearea. Amongst thesearebanded habitat, withmanynative andintroducedspecies The Estuaryalsoprovidesvaluable native bird 16 15 Reikorangi Bridgeand‘Oxbow Ramp’sites. is available forpartofthisperiodtheoriginal now. However, water qualitytrendinformation quality over thefulltimeperiodfrom1998until any meaningfulassessmentofchangesinwater Waikanae River EnvironmentPlan in1998,prevent testing methodssincethereleaseoforiginal as changesinanalyticallaboratoriesandsome The changeinmonitoringsites2003aswell Greenaway Road. for theprogramme)shiftedupstreamto tidally influencedandsodeemedinappropriate Mangaone Walkway andthelower site (whichwas relocated: theupperreachsitewas shiftedto SoE monitoringprogramme,bothsiteswere ‘Oxbow Ramp’.FollowingareviewoftheRivers at ReikorangiBridgeandinthelower reachesat 2003, thesesiteswere locatedintheupperreaches two sitesontheWaikanae River. Upuntil August monitors water qualityandecologicalhealthat GWRC’s EnvironmentalScienceDepartment 3.2.5 Declining’ duetodecliningnumbersnationally. native specieshave athreatstatusof‘At Risk– well astheintroducedbrowntrout.Nineof

DOC, 2014. GWRC, 2013. Threat ratingsare according totheNZThreatClassification System. Water Quality

13 ) andseveral

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19 PART A: Context / Key Features and Values 20 Waikanae River Environmental Strategy is notusedbyvehicles. The sharedpathonthenorthern sideoftheriver agreement fromtheFlood Protection Department. vehicles arenotpermittedwithoutspecial and horseridersalsousethisroad,butprivate machinery, toaccesstheriver. Walkers, cyclists by FloodProtectionvehicles, includingheavy also thehaulroad;anoperationalareaused On thesouthbank,muchofsharedpathis Waikanae ChristianHolidayPark. Centre downstreamofJimCookePark andatthe passes throughprivate landsuchastheEquestrian is publicland,however thereare placeswhereit SH 1andthecoast.Themajorityofsharedpath running eithersideoftheWaikanae River between There isasharedpathapproximately2.5mwide 3.3.1 the River Corridor. Figure 4showsrecreationalassetsinandnear significant amenityandrecreational values. (RPS) recognisetheWaikanae River forits Plan (RFP)andtheRegionalPolicyStatement of activitiesavailable. TheRegionalFreshwater by itsproximitytoresidentialareasandthevariety recreational value oftheriver corridorisenhanced space destinationofregionalsignificance.The on thesouthbankwillintimebecomeanopen Domain. ThenewKCDCRecreationreserve between thecoastandSH1atOtaihanga particularly inthenorthbankamenityareas resource forlocalresidentsandvisitors, The Waikanae River isapopularrecreational 3.3 difference inindexscoresbetween sites. cover, arelikelytoaccountforsomeofthe Changes inphysicalhabitat,includingperiphyton health indexscoresthanthelower reaches. although theupperreachestendtorecordhigher support healthymacroinvertebrate communities, In termsofecologicalhealth,bothmonitoringsites erection ofhealthwarning signsatbathingsites. Road during summer/autumn and often lead to the are aregularfeatureontheriver bedatGreenaway potentially toxiccyanobacteria (phormidiumspp) most otherrivers intheregion.However, matsof when comparedwiththatofthelower reachesof is alsoconsideredtobevery good-especially quality inthelower reachesatGreenaway Road and doesnotappeartohave deteriorated.Water the upperreachesremainsinexcellentcondition over thelastfive orso years, water qualityin Based ontheWaikanae River monitoringresults Recreational Values Bridleways (CWB) Cycleways, Walkways, and

and justafter3pmwhenthereisapulseofschool generally quietonweekdays, (exceptbefore9am end ofGreenaway Road,Waikanae. Therideis the beach.Parking andaccesstothisrideisoffthe 8 kmlongandrunsbetween Greenaway Roadand The Waikanae River Bridleway isapproximately managed bytheDepartmentofConservation. via anetworkoftracks,bridgesandboardwalks linked totheOtaihangaDomainandcoast The Waikanae EstuaryScientificReserve is Waikanae Beachsettlement. right oftheriver downstreamtoTutere Stinthe suspension bridgeandcontinuesonthetrue Peka crossestheWaikanae River attheOtaihanga Coast CycleRoutebetween Paraparaumu andPeka pathway fromCapeReingatotheBluff.TheKāpiti Araroa, NewZealand’sTrail–the3000kmlong The northbankoftheWaikanae River ispartofTe per dayinwinter. 1,200 crossingsperdayinsummerandaround700 The OtaihangaSuspensionBridgereceives upto further 3kmdownstreamatOtaihangaDomain. 2 kmdownstreamofSH1,andthesecondisa newest istheTe Arawai footbridge,approximately There aretwofootbridgesacrosstheriver. The 16 15 The Te Arawai Bridge on fine weekends. The Waikanae River isavery populardestination should beaware of). children cyclingonthenorthbank,whichriders NZBridleways,2010. Tonkin andTaylor Ltd,2013. 15

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Whitebaiting ispopularinthelower reaches • • • • • near thelower Waikanae River Corridor: The followingparksandreserves arelocated inor 3.3.2 river forpedestriansandcyclists. Suspension Bridgeprovidesaccessacrossthe a playgroundandtoilets.TheOtaihanga open spaceandfamilyamenitiesincluding Road. Thisisapassive reserve, providing Otaihanga DomainisaccessedfromMakora Pukekawa Reserve containspicnicfacilities. toilets andchangingfacilitiesavailable. a popularcommunitysportingfacility,with Avenue West andCharnwoodGrove. Thisis Jim CookePark isaccessedfromNimmo Otaihanga bycar. Arawai footbridge,andfromLancelotGrove in foot fromtheNorthbankviaTe recreationl areas.Theareacanbeaccessedby reserve includingsportsfieldsandpassive to bedeveloped intoasignificantrecreation the southbankoutsideofRiver Corridor, purchased 60hectaresofexturffarmlandon KCDC RecreationReserve –KCDChas children’s swings,andatoilet. Grove. Edgewater Park providespicnictables, Edgewater Park isaccessedviaFleetwood Parks andReserves 17 at theriver mouth. for kahawai andmulletinthelower reachesand There isalsosomenettingforflounderandfishing during theseasonfrom15 August –30November. Estuary ScientificReserve byGazettenotice, Whitebaiting ispermittedwithinthe Waikanae The river isalsopopularforwhitebaiting. busiest timebeingpre-Christmas. season extendsfromOctoberto April, withthe in thereachesdownstreamofSH1.Thefishing Horowhenua Regions.Theriver isvery accessible which attractsanglersfromthe Wellington and The Waikanae River supportsatroutfishery 3.3.3 Fishing River Corridor and recreationalassetsinneartheWaikanae Figure 5:Parks, reserves, paths,bridleways Imagecourtesyof KCDC. 17

21 PART A: Context / Key Features and Values 22 Waikanae River Environmental Strategy feature oftherecreationprogramme. River, particularlyforkayaking, isaprominent programmes andrecreation.UseoftheWaikanae holiday accommodation,conferencing,ministry guests annually.Themainservicesofferedinclude Rd. Covering 70acres(28ha),itreceives 12,000 is locatedbesidetheriver attheendofKauri The Waikanae Christian Holiday Park (‘El Rancho’) 3.3.6 equestrian experiences. Nimmo Ave West. TheCentreoffersarangeof is locatedonthenorthbankofriver at13b The Waikanae Equestrianand Vaulting Centre 3.3.5 Ka check, cleananddry Help prevent thespreadofdydimo– building whichcanaccommodatesmallboats. ramp locatedjustdownstreamoftheBoatShed website, theClubalsoholdsrightstoaboat for meetingsandfunctions. According toits Rd. Thisbuildingprovidesacommunityfacility The OtaihangaBoatingClubislocatedonMakora wind-surfing, andradio-controlledboatuse. rowing, andswimming.Thereislimitedyachting, activities: principallykayaking, tubing,canoeing, reaches forentrylevel andchildren’swater-based Waimanu Lagoonareasprovidesafeandsheltered The lower reachesoftheWaikanae River andthe 3.3.4 Vaulting Centre El RanchoHolidayCamp In-River Recreation - piti Equestrianand

• • • • distinct reacheswithinthelower River Corridor: From alandscapeperspective, therearefour variation inthelandscapeofcoastalplain. also significantasadistinctfeaturethatprovides between theTararua Rangesandthecoast.Itis The Waikanae River isanimportantvisuallink 3.4 of occupancy. Subdivision inŌtaihanga. Pou aretraditionalsigns Kairākau’, was locatedatwhatisnowtheCamelot Waikanae beachfront. Theotherpou,named‘Te at whatisnowknownasPiopio Place, nearthe One ofthesepou,named‘Piopio’, was located that restedoneachsideoftheWaikanae River. ancestress was bestowed upon twopou,orpillars, further southtotheKāpitiregion.Thenameofthis Eventually PiopioTe Kairākau’speople migrated bring warfare between thetribestoanend. famous ToiKairākau,named Atakore, inorderto Pohokura decent,shemarriedadescendantofthe for Atiawa kiWhakaronatoiIwi.OfTe Tini-o- Piopio Te Kairākauisaprominentancestor raupatu, orconquest. began theestablishmentofresourcerightsthrough district, andonarrival there,themigrantscarefully other tribesthroughoutthejourneytoKāpiti (migrations) occurred. After muchconflictwith 1840s. Duringthistime,anumberofwaves ofheke now theWellington region,between the1820sand region throughtoTe Upoko-o-te-Ika,orwhatis spread itselffromTaranaki andtheCentralPlateau go backtotheKāhuiMoungacollective thathad The earliestaccountsof Atiawa kiWhakarongotai 3.5.1 3.5 estuarine habitatarethedominantinfluences. a wideEstuarywheretidalconditionsandan Estuary section:Theriverscape broadensinto rural land and itisvisuallyinfluencedbysurrounding and backwaters aremoreofanaturalfeature through lower lyinglandwherecreeks,streams Jim CookePark toOtaihanga:Thisreachpasses visual feature with remnantkohekoheforestadominant visually secluded,setdownbelowterraces SH 1toJimCookePark: Theriver is treatment plant environs immediatelydownstreamofthewater includes thegorgeandforestedterrace Water TreatmentPlant toSH1:Thisarea

Landscape Values Tangata Whenua Values by Te AtiawakiWhakarongotai Historical SettlementofWaikanae 18

20 19 18 of significance. all themahingakaisitesandspecies Environmental ManagementPlan thatdocuments ki Whakarongotaiareseekingtodevelop anIwi source kaiandothernaturalresources.Te Atiawa and isstillanimportantareawithinwhichto been akeysourceoftraditionalfoodhistorically, Waikanae River Environmentastheriver has There arearangeofmahingakaiareasinthe 3.5.3 relationship totheWaikanae area. the river symbolisesTe Atiawa kiWhakarongotai’s This simpleproverb capturedbythenamingof “This ismypeaceandhumility” “Ko tōkuwaikanaetanga tēnei” following proverb: of thisproverb isalsopersonifiedbythe a-Nanaia was ‘staringinamazement’.Theessence from thereflectionofstarsandmoon.Haunui- was thattheeyes oftheKanaewere gleaming or Mullet,swimminginshoals.Whatstartledhim the river waters, henoticedmyriadsofKanae, in theskies.WhenHaunui-a-Nanaiastaredinto night inwhichthestarsandmoonwere prevalent was crossingtheriver. Itwas duringacloudless This proverb recallswhenHaunui-a-Nanaia “Staring inamazement,henceWaikanae” “Ka ngahaengāpī,koWaikanae” has twoproverbial meanings.Thefirst: serene natureofthisarea.Theterm“Waikanae” The namingoftheWaikanae River symbolisesthe Whanganui toWellington includingmanyrivers. named various tributariesandlandmarksfrom a-Nanaia iswell-known astheancestorwho ancestral canoesofKurahaupōand Aotea. Haunui- a-Nanaia, whohasadirectrelationshipwiththe was thejourneyofanancestornamedHaunui- Preceding theTe Tini-o-Pohokurasettlement 3.5.2 AtiawakiWhakarongotai, 2014. AtiawakiWhakarongotai, dateunknown. AtiawakiKapiti(2014). Resources Mahinga KaiandOtherNatural The namingoftheWaikanae River 20

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is discovered. should befollowed ifanarchaeologicalsite discovered. TheGWHeritageDiscovery Protocol may beadditionalsiteswhichhave notyet been follows. Thisisnotanextensive list,andthere significance. Moredetailonsomeofthesesites known wāhitapusitesandareasofcultural Figure 6(below)showsthelocationofsome Whakarongotai. information pleasecontactKCDCorTe Atiawa ki with KCDCtoidentifywahi tapusites.Formore Te Atiawa kiWhakarongotai(TAKW) areworking on historicheritage. some ofthesesitescanbefoundinthenextsection sites andfoodcultivation areas.Moredetailabout include urupa(grave sites)aswell ashistoricpā especially inthelower reachesoftheriver. These located inorneartheWaikanae River Corridor, There areanumberofknownWāhiTapu sites 3.5.4 Wa 21 Figure 6:SomesitesofMāoriculturalsignificance Ngaia,2011(image courtesyofBoffa MiskellandBen Ngaia). Waikanae RiverEnvironment Significance AssociatedWiththe - hi Tapu andOtherSitesof

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23 PART A: Context / Key Features and Values 24 Waikanae River Environmental Strategy established afortified PāatKaitoenga. to MerePomare theOtarauachiefEruini Te Tupe cultivated inthe areaofKaitoenga. And, according Tamihana Te Karuexplainingthathisparents Native LandCourt evidencewas providedby slightly inlandfrom Arapawaiti Pā. the Waikanae River. Itissaidtohave beenlocated settlements adjacentto,and onthesouthernsideof Kaitoenga was oneofanumber Ati Awa 3.6.4 descendants ofThomasWilson. Urupa (cemetery)isthefamilyurupaof an urupāfor‘Māorileaders’ Cemetery Reserve. Localhistorystatesthat itwas This sitehasrecentlybeencalledthe Arapawaiti 3.6.3 this typesurvive tothisday. ferry innmakesitvery rare.Fewotherbuildings of (register number4967).Itsearliesthistoryasa very significant,andisaCategory2Historic Place Although muchaltered, Arapawaiti ishistorically accommodation totravelers onthebeachhighway. of theriver crossingandprovidedfood by TomWilson in1848.Itwas hisbaseaskeeper Inn, aswell as Arapawaiti, thehousewas built building intheKāpitiregion.KnownasFerry near Arapawaiti Pā,istheoldestsurviving Close tothesouthbank 3.6.2 Kaitangata andNgātiRahiri. one timeacultivation siteofTuhata andthoseof Court MinuteBooksstatingthat Arapawaiti was at Many peoplearerecordedintheMāoriLand attraction forthoselivinginthisarea. with tidalinfluencewouldhave beenamajor side oftheWaikanae River Mouth. A richestuary Arapawaiti was asignificantareaonthesouthern Kurukanga, Rangitauhuku,Rangiwhakaruru. Miti, Te Hore,Te RangihaukuandTe Aunga, Te There were othersalsolivinghereatthistime:Te Arapawaiti was apāofthepeopleNgātiRukao. at thetimeofbattleKuititangain1839, The MāoriLandCourtMinutebooksreportthat 3.6.1 Arapawaiti Tapu Area. Kāpiti’s oldestbuilding,andtheTakamore Wahi to theRiver CorridorincludetheFerryInn, Other sitesofhistoricalsignificanceinoradjacent Pikehō, andŪpokoteKaia. side oftheriver includedWaimea, Waikanae, Kaiwarehou andotherpā.Pāsitesonthenorthern Te Uruhi,Kenakena, Arapawaiti, Kaitoenga, Pā sitesonthesouthernsideofriver included 3.6 Historic Heritage Kaitoenga Pa Arapawaiti CemeteryReserve Arapawaiti (FerryInn) 22 - Pa 28 of theWaikanae Estuary,

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the Te Ati Awa cheiftainess,Pohe;themultiple the deityRongomai;murderandburialof with thesite,includingassociation Many significantevents andpeopleareassociated important culturalsitesontheKāpitiCoast. The Takamore Wahi Tapu areaisoneofthemost 3.6.7 and onlyusedforburials. The sitewas subsequentlyconsideredwahi tapu throughout theNgahuruhurucultivation grounds. in battle were buriedwheretheyfellandscattered known asNgahuruhuru.Thebodiesofthosekilled site, locatedwithinthelargecultivation ground and Te Ati Awa. Itwas centred ontheWaimea Pa Kuititanga, was foughtbetween NgatiRaukawa In October1839,asignificantbattleknownas Te 3.6.6 Waikanae River. where theMangakotukutukuStreamenters Pukekawa Reserve. Itisonthewestern sideto the river nearlyoppositetothecurrent-day settlement. Thissiteisonthesouthernsideof Waikanae River, eastofthecurrentOtaihanga Kaiwarehou sitsonthesouthernbankof 3.6.5 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 register/details/4967. 25 24 23 22 area (registernumber7263). Kuititanga. burials ofkoiwitangata;andthe1839battle Te ibid. Kaimanawawharehou, andothervariations. the samename. Arapaoaiti. ApointonthenorthwesternendofKapitiIslandhas Heritage NewZealand, 2012. Taken fromTe AtiAwa kiWhakarongotai,2014b. Also speltinplacesasKai-ware-hou, Kaiwharehou, Adapted fromTe AtiAwa kiWhakarongotai,2014b. KCDC, nodate. Adapted fromTe AtiAwa kiWhakarongotai,2014b. Heritage NZ,1999.Arapawaiti.http://www.heritage.org.nz/the- KCDC ,nodate. Adapted fromTe AtiAwa kiWhakarongotai,2014b. Many variationsinspellingexist:Arapauaiti,Arapaoiti, Takamore Wahi Tapu Area Ngahuruhuru andWaimeha Pa Kaiwarehou Pa 32 Takamore isaregisteredWahi Tapu

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34 33 Floodplain ManagementPlan Waikanae River, refertotheWaikanae River management activitiesassociatedwiththe For moreinformationaboutfloodrisk build-up ofgravel inthelower reaches. through theriver systemandthedeposition managing thecontinuoustransportofgravel damage causedbyperiodicfloodevents, and of adynamicriver system.Theseincluderepairing GWRC arerequiredtorespondthechallenges operations andmaintenanceworksundertakenby Plans, andannualworkprogrammes.The Council’s LongTerm Plan, Asset Management reflected anddeveloped furtherintheRegional the floodrisk).Inturn,theserequirementsare as movingpeopleandinfrastructureaway from within theriver, andotheroff-river works(such construction ofstopbanks,operationalworks These measuresincludecapitalworkssuchas which itwillbeachieved. the communityandoutlinesmeasuresby flooding thathasbeendeterminednecessaryby document establishesthelevel ofprotectionfrom and agreementwiththelocalcommunities.This This FMPwas developed throughconsultation (WFMP) (Wellington RegionalCouncil,1997). in theWaikanae FloodplainManagementPlan protection workintheWaikanae River iscontained The overarching visionandstrategyforflood . assuming responsibilityforthisfunctioninthe Greater Wellington RegionalCouncil(GWRC) with rivers isenshrinedinlegislation requirement toaddressthefloodhazardassociated infrastructure thatisvalued at$4.8M.The the floodplainisprotectedbyfloodprotection the Waikanae River foralmost60years, andtoday Flood protectionworkshave beenundertakenin 3.7 GWRC,1997. ‘natural hazards’include flooding. 30 oftheResource ManagementAct1991(RMA).Bydefinition, and avoidanceor mitigation ofnaturalhazardsunder section Conservation andRiversControlAct 1941(sections10and126), preventing offloodanderosiondamage undertheSoil GWRC hasstatutoryresponsibilityfor theminimisingand Activities Flood RiskManagement

34 . 33 withthe • • • • • • the River Corridorinclude: described above, infrastructureandserviceswithin In additiontothefloodprotectionworksalready 3.8 35 • • • AdaptedfromTonkin andTaylor, 2013. The Te Arawai footbridgeupstreamofJim Two setsofTranspower highvoltage The DriconconcreteplantandGoldCoast The SH1bridge,approximately30m The NorthIslandMainTrunk railway bridge, The Waikanae Water TreatmentPlant, located The newMacKaystoPeka Peka Expressway, Underground servicesat: The Otaihangafootbridgeover theriver, Cooke MemorialPark, whichwas constructed approximately 35m(onthenorthbank) The distancetotheriver oftheclosestpylon is Nimmo Avenue EastandNimmo Avenue West. transmission linescrosstheriver between bank immediatelywest oftheSH1bridge Removals Ltdhousestoragesite,onthesouth lanes wideandapproximately70mlong downstream oftherailbridge,whichistwo approximately 50mlong Bridge, andaccessedviaReikorangiRd approximately 1200mupstreamoftheSH1 on thetruerightbankofWaikanae River the Waikanae River eastofOtaihangaRoad. Raumati tojustnorthofPeka Peka Rd willcross extending fromjustsouthofPoplar Ave, involving anew4lane,16kmlongmotorway • • • and theOxbowonnorthernbank. providing accessbetween OtaihangaDomain in 2009 XS 155gas&telecommunications. XS 110to120–telecommunications XS 070–power, sewer and telecommunications Infrastructure andServices 35

25 PART A: Context / Key Features and Values 26 Waikanae River Environmental Strategy 37 36 Kohekohe ForestRemnantin theRiver Corridor efforts toprotecttheseareasarevital. urban landscapesinthearea.Consequently, the variety andqualityoftherural modified landscape. stones’ orislandsofnaturalhabitatina habitat fornative animalsandform‘stepping they provideseedsourcesfornative plants, are valuable totheecologyofareabecause All remainingareasofindigenousvegetation long-term viabilityofthehabitatoverall. habitats, which reduces the diversity of species and remnants aresmallandisolatedfromothernatural have importantconservation value. Mostofthe remain andmostofthese,byvirtuetheirrarity, Only afewremnantsofthesehabitatsnow habitats occurred. and onhigherground,othertypesofdryland extensive areasofswamp forestandwetlands, than itdoestoday.Theriver systemincluded floodplain hadamuchgreaterdiversity ofhabitats Before humanintervention, theWaikanae River 4.1 River environment. considered inthemanagementofWaikanae This sectionidentifieskeyissuesthatshouldbe 4. Issues Park,1999. Boffa MiskellLtd,1992. and Habitats of RemnantVegetation Fragmentation andloss

36 Theyalsohelpenhance 37

indigenous species,andundercutbanksfortrout). and indigenousspecies;wetlands, backwaters for variation (eg,poolsandripplesforbothnative vegetation, spawninghabitatand This meansmaintainingfishpassage,riparian needs tobeprovidedforwithinthecatchment. Habitat forbothtroutandindigenousfishspecies Risk –Declining.’ in theWaikanae River have athreatstatusof‘At Nine ofthenative freshwater fishspeciesfound • • • • demonstrated bythefollowingcriteria: ecosystems,as a numberofsignificant[freshwater] The Waikanae River hasbeenidentifiedashaving 4.2 39 38 vegetation intheWaikanae River Corridor. involved invarious projectsrestoringriparian Community groups,CouncilsandDOCareall • • • • following reasons: Riparian vegetation isimportantforthe 4.3 affected by water pollution. Streams. TheMazengarbStreamhasalsobeen such astheWaimanu, andMazengarb have affectedtheecologicalqualityoftributaries vegetation andmodificationofstreamalignments The removal andmodificationofriparian habitat forinanga(whitebait)spawning. The lower reachesofthe river provideimportant Boffa Miskell Ltd,1992. GWRC2013. Containing Inangaspawninghabitat(estuarine Having habitatforsixormoreindigenousfish indigenousfish Having habitatforthreatened of A catchmentwithahighpercentage It providescover andfoodforwater It providesacorridorofvegetation whichbirds tothequalityofwater,It contributes by It slowstherateofrun-offandtherefore water environment only). species inthecatchment species inthecatchment indigenous vegetation cover other animalsincludingbirds. invertebrates andshelter, foodandnestingfor and insectscanusetomove between trapping siltandothercontaminants spread peakloadflows entering rivers andstreams,thushelpingto Fish Habitat Loss ofRiparianVegetation

38

39

natural regenerationtooccur Controlling weeds suchastradescantiaallows

• • native flora: according totheirhabitandimpacton Weeds canbedividedintothreecategories mature andregeneratingnative forest. abundant andtheyarehavingamarkedeffecton species theirdistributioniswidespreadand of severe impact.Inaddition,formanyofthese many areinternationallyrecognisedasweeds than 60speciesofidentifiedecological weeds, corridor oftheWaikanae River. Therearemore indigenous native vegetation intheecological Ecological weeds aresignificantthreatstothe 4.4 Weeds 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 order toprevent erosionoftheriverbank edges. Regional Council’sFloodProtectionDepartmentin are plantedintentionallybyGreaterWellington found intheRiver Corridor. However, these Willows arethemostabundantexotictreespecies • Urlich,2014. PerrieandCockeram, 2010;Perrie,2009;2007. Notethatthelower qualityratingintheupperreaches GWRC2012/2013. Warr, 2002a.;Milne andPerrie,2005. MilneandPerrie,2005. Warr, 2002a. is duetonaturally occurringfactors. Groundcovers Japanese honeysuckle morning glory,capeivy,everlasting pea, and high impactincludebananapassionfruit,blue and Germanivy.Otherspeciespresentof River Corridorareconvolvulus,blackberry, abundant exoticclimberspeciespresentinthe as poseathreattorestorationefforts.Themost native vegetation eventually killingitaswell and blackberrycansmothersuffocate Climbers/ ramblers River Corridor. restoration workthatistakingplaceinthe native speciesandthusnegatively affectthe pseudopanax hybrids,thatcandisplacelocally karaka, puriri,karo,northernlacebark,and several non-localnative speciesthatsuchas buddleija, andbrushcherry.Therearealso species arebrushwattle, sycamore,poplar, native species.Someoftheworstweedy tree have theabilitytoshoulderinanddisplace push intonative bushoropenhabitats.They Woody weeds pampas grass agapanthus, artilleryplant,arumlily,and and nasturtium.Otherspeciespresentinclude the Waikanae River aremontbretia,tradescantia abundant exoticgroundcover weed specieson species intotheunderstorey.Themost establishment andthusrecruitmentofcanopy the forestfloorandprevent native seedling

46

aretreeandshrubspeciesthatcan suchastradescantiacancarpet

such asbananapassionfruit

27 PART A: Context / Key Features and Values 4.5 Pest Animals 4.6 Climate Change

Pest animals have a huge detrimental impact In the medium to long term, climate change effects on the ecological integrity of the Waikanae have the potential to increase both the frequency River Corridor. Possums destroy native forest and magnitude of natural hazard events that through browsing and have an impact on the already occur in the area. fledging success of native bird species. Cats, Increased intensity of rainfall events will put rodents, and mustelids (stoats, ferrets and weasels) pressure on stormwater systems and flood risk prey on native bird species, native invertebrates, management works. Higher rainfall may also and lizards. Hedgehogs have a strong impact result in higher rates of sedimentation at river on native invertebrates. Hares and rabbits can mouths and in estuaries, increasing the flood

Waikanae River Environmental Strategy River Environmental Waikanae eliminate palatable plant species within forests, risk in those areas by raising the base level of the and they undermine young native plantings in riverbed.47 Increased sedimentation will also affect restorative plantings. the ecology of those areas. In 2012 GWRC, in partnership with KCDC and A major consequence of climate change is sea Transpower ‘Greenlines Initiative,” set up a level rise. In estuary environments, as sea level possum and predator network along the River rises it increases the volume and peak velocity of Corridor from SH 1 overbridge to the estuary. water flowing in and out of the estuary on each This network consists of possum bait stations and tidal cycle. This can lead to erosion, sediment predator traps. The local community has taken deposition and shoreline changes in response to on the maintenance of these baiting and trapping the increased flows and flow rates. It can also push lines and these efforts should have a big positive up water table levels, impeding drainage of surface impact on native flora and fauna in the corridor. and storm water, leading to increasing incidences Rabbit control is also carried out by both GWRC of flooding in low lying areas. This effect will be and KCDC. magnified during storm events when high river levels and storm tides cause floodwaters to back upstream. In the long term, these effects could lead to permanent inundation in some areas.48 Climate change will have impacts on the distribution of species. The establishment of a mountains to sea ecological corridor provides opportunities for species to naturally adapt by migrating to more suitable habitat as sea levels and temperatures increase. Climate change is also expected to have impacts on weed and pest animal species, which need to be better understood in the context of the restoration of the Waikanae River Corridor.

47 Ministry for the Environment, 2010. 48 Dawe, 2014. 28 ecological, recreational,visual, andculturaleffects. risk managementmethods thatlimitadverse increasing communityinterest intheuseofflood carried outischanging,withGWRCstaffnoting the way thatfloodriskmanagement activities are a result,expectationsofthecommunityregarding more popularplaceforrecreationandleisure. As access hasbeenenhanced,itbecomeamuch As theRiver Corridorhasbeenrestoredandpublic adverse effectsontheenvironmentorother values. Some river managementactivitiescanhave 4.8 seating alongtheRiver Corridor. There isanidentifiedneedformoretoiletsand Illegal motorbikeaccessisanongoingproblem. in placeforfloodriskmanagementpurposes. holes onthedownstreamsideofrockgroynesput however, opportunitiestocreatenewswimming of itsfloodriskmanagementworks.Thereare ends upfillinginexistingswimmingholesaspart vulnerable toscouring. As aresult,GWRCoften the outsideofriver bendswherethebankis the river. Swimmingholesnaturallyoccur on Dense willowplantingscanrestrictaccessto horses asshowninfigure5. There areanumberoffordingpointssuitablefor and cycliststhrough. riders tomove offthetrackandletpedestrians dense, regularbaysshouldbeprovidedforhorse Where vegetation onbothsidesofthetrackis riders andcyclistshave clearvisionahead. shared pathandkepttrimmedbacksothathorse Vegetation shouldbeplantedbackfromthe the differentusers. situation createsapotentialforconflictbetween Flood ProtectionDepartmentvehicles. This walkers, runners,horseriders,cyclistsand On thesouthbank,haulroadisusedby provided toenhanceaccess. desired. TheTe Arawai footbridgeatJCPhasbeen of theriver onbothsidesifacircularrouteis or acommitmenttowalk nearlytheentirelength is limited,necessitatingreturnbythesameroute the southbankwalkways andcycleways access many linkagesintonearbystreets.However, on river isgenerallygoodonthenorthsidewith At present,walking andcyclingaccesstothe 4.7 Activities of FloodRiskManagement Managing AdverseEffects Access andRecreation

will informallfloodriskmanagementactivities. new CodeofPracticewillberegion-wideand currently updatingtheCodeofPractice.The at timesenhancetheriver’s values. GWRCis a greateruseoftechniquesthatpreserve and time andacommonthemeinthisevolutionis Flood riskmanagementtechniquesevolve over for GWRC’sfloodriskmanagementactivities. Strategy provideanenvironmentalframework the COP,resourceconsentconditionsandthis of floodriskmanagementactivities.Together, agreed methodsforlimitingtheadverse effects maintenance works.Thisdocumentoutlines Practice (COP),forroutineoperationsand GWRC FloodprotectionproducesaCodeof 4.8.1 flood protectionactivities. framework formanagingeffectsassociatedwith planning documentsprovidethehigh-level Resource Management Act (1991)andassociated to protectorenhanceenvironmentalvalues. The community fromfloodingwilloutweigh theneed are situationswheretheneedtoprotect river remainsasignificanthazardandthere However, itisimportanttorememberthatthe resource consent conditions activities isgoverned bytheCode ofPracticeand The management oftheeffectsfloodprotection and thecommunity. that includesconsultationwithtangatawhenua the CodeofPractice,throughanagreedprocess review whichinturnwillleadtoadjustments of thismonitoringwillbesubjecttoevaluation and extraction) intherivers itmanages.Theoutcomes of floodprotectionactivities(suchasgravel and monitoringoftheenvironmentaleffects GWRC alsoproposesaprogrammeofresearch 4.8.2 in theCodeofPractice. risk managementactivities,astheseareaddressed comprehensively addresstheeffectsofflood Note thatthisStrategydoesnotattemptto The CodeofPractice(COP) Research andMonitoring

29 PART A: Context / Issues 4.9 Co-ordinating Flood Risk Management and Restoration in the River Corridor

GRWC’s Flood Protection department need to be able to carry out work in and around the river in order to maintain the level of flood protection for the Waikanae and Otaihanga communities agreed in the WFMP. There are also important flood protection assets such as stopbanks, river corridor Waikanae River Environmental Strategy River Environmental Waikanae flow paths49 and survey sightlines which should be kept clear of trees. Therefore it is important to plan restoration and environmental enhancement work in the river corridor in consultation with GWRC’s Flood Protection Department. This helps ensure that environmental enhancement activities do not undermine flood risk management assets. Although there has not been a major flood event for some time, it is important that flood protection assets are maintained, so when a flood does occur the system designed to protect the community works effectively. It is also important to recognise that there will be instances where protecting the community from flood risk will outweigh the enhancement of other values at particular locations. Appendix 1 contains more information about co- ordinating flood risk management and restoration work in the River Corridor.

49 See Appendix 1. 30